The Sri Lankan air force continued with its militarisation of Vavuniya, despite calls for the military to vacate the region, with a series of events to mark its 40th anniversary.
Though the Sri Lankan military has faced widespread criticism for its involvement in civilian activities, and in particular schools in the largely Tamil North-East, the air force held a medical clinic for a school in the region and gave handouts to the schoolchildren.
Soldiers in full camouflage uniform also attended a religious ceremony at a Hindu temple in Vavuniya.
Meanwhile, Buddhist religious ceremonies were also held, where troops dressed in white and prayed before a monk.
The activities of the Sri Lankan military have been slammed by Tamil civil society groups, politicians and locals who have all demanded the North-East be demilitarised. Despite the Sri Lankan government pledging to do so, many military activities continue unabated, with the military involved a range of civilian activities.
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
