Throughout the past few weeks the Sri Lankan military's activities in civilian spheres in the Tamil homeland continued unabated.
Following the high-profile two-day visit on 24-25 March by the Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, Lieutenant General Lasantha Rodrigo, to Jaffna, where he met religious leaders and laid foundation stones for school buildings, the Sri Lanka Navy conducted so-called environmental operations in Mullaitivu on 26 March. The project focused on upgrading school infrastructure and facilities at Sri Subramaniyam School in Mullaitivu. As part of the nationwide, military-led programme themed ‘A School Full of Happiness,’ the navy has been involved in 37 such schools. These operations reinforce the normalisation of occupying forces within schools in the Tamil homeland.
From 21 to 22 March, the annual St. Anthony’s Church festival was held on Palaitivu Island in Jaffna—a sacred event for Tamil Catholics in the region. However, access to the island and the festival itself was controlled and facilitated by the Sri Lankan Navy, portrayed as logistical support to help devotees attend the event.
On 27 March, the Sri Lanka Air Force Academy in China Bay, Trincomalee, hosted an Iftar programme at the Airmen’s Mess. Senior military officials, officers, Muslim academy personnel, civilians, and religious leaders from Kinniya and Nachchikuda mosques attended, alongside representatives from the United Media Forum and the Kantale Grand Masjid.
On 30 March 2025, troops of the 54 Infantry Division conducted an almsgiving event, distributing food supplies to low-income families and providing maternity aid at the Diocesan Centre in Mannar. The programme was coordinated by the Sarana Buddhist Foundation.
The 54 Infantry Division of the Sri Lanka Army has been accused of serious human rights violations and war crimes, particularly during the final stages of the armed conflict in 2008–2009. These war crimes mostly relate to its operations in the Mannar District and during the military’s advance into the Vanni region, which was under Tamil Tiger (LTTE) control at the time. Tamil survivors have also reported cases of torture and sexual violence in army camps and detention centres believed to be operated or overseen by the 54 Division.
A few days later, on 3 April, the Sri Lanka Air Force Academy in China Bay, Trincomalee, undertook an environmental project at Pudavaikkattu Muslim Vidyalaya. The activity followed the academy’s 64th anniversary parade.
From 26 to 28 March, the Sri Lanka Navy, in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, conducted Basic Life Support training sessions for fishing communities at Cod Bay and Valaichchenai Fisheries Harbours. The programme, organised by the Eastern Naval Command Hospital under the Navy’s Social Responsibility initiatives, included training on first aid, emergency response, communicable and non-communicable diseases, mental health, and drug prevention.
From 27 to 29 March, the Eastern Naval Command also partnered with the National Dengue Control Programme in Trincomalee.
Headquartered in Trincomalee, the Eastern Naval Command of the Sri Lanka Navy has been implicated in a number of serious human rights violations and war crimes during the armed conflict, particularly in the Eastern Province. Perhaps the most infamous is the 'Trincomalee 11' case, where 11 Tamil youth were abducted and murdered by naval personnel. Chandana Hettiarachchi, a Sri Lanka Navy officer, was among those sanctioned by the US in December 2021 over accountability for "gross violations of human rights".
