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.
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.
