The Sri Lankan navy opened an underwater museum in Trincomalee with the assistance of Tokyo Cement Group, despite repeated calls for demilitarisation of the Tamil North-East.
With the support of their 'longstanding partner', the navy personnel used the cement to create sculptures relating to “historical scenes” associated with Trincomalee, Adaderana reported.
Over a decade has passed since the end of the armed conflict and yet the Sri Lankan military continues to occupy vast swathes of land in the Tamil North-East, where intense militarisation continues to be a pressing issue for locals. In particular the armed forces have set up and continue to run several civilian businesses in the region, including holiday resorts for tourists. Though there have been calls for the region to be demilitarised, and pledges by the government to do so, the military remains a heavy presence.
See more from the Sri Lanka Campaign here on ethical tourism in the Tamil homeland here.
