The Sri Lankan military announced that soldiers had expanded the Army Base Hospital in Mullaitivu earlier this year, as the military continues to consolidate its presence in the North-East.
Soldiers from the 16 Corps of Engineer Service (CES) built a new waiting area and storage area for medical records.
The entire construction was funded by the military, which also hosted a ceremony to open the facilities complete with Sinhala Kandyan dancers.
The latest construction by the military comes as it continues to consolidate its presence in the North-East, despite repeated reassurances it will demilitarise the region.
The massive military presence was highlighted in a UN report by Special Rapporteur Ben Emmerson, which said “the overwhelming economic weight of the military, its involvement in civilian activities, as well as the overwhelmingly Sinhalese nationality within the military all contribute to perpetuating the resentment and disenfranchisement felt by the Tamil community as a whole”.
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