Hundreds of Tamil youth who have been employed as security personnel at financial institutions across the North-East face losing their jobs and being replaced by Sri Lankan troops, said Vanni district Parliament member Sivasakthi Ananthan.
In a letter addressed to Kabir Hashim, Sri Lanka’s Minister for Investment Promotion, Mr Ananthan said that over 100 Tamil youth from the Northern Province and a similar number from the Eastern Province had joined the Rakna Lanka Security Limited Company since the end of the armed conflict, as unemployment remained stubbornly high in the former conflict zone.
Despite having secured these jobs, recent reports in newspapers in the North-East state that the Tamil youth may soon be replaced by Sri Lankan soldiers, as the company looks to making military training a prerequisite for all its personnel.
“Due to this many security officers, who have been employed for more than two and half years, are subject to losing their jobs,” said the parliamentarian.
Calling on the Sri Lankan government to block the move, Mr Ananthan said the minister should ensure the currently employed Tamil youth are “retained in their present jobs”.
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