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A Sri Lankan army division accused of war crimes handed out spectacles to Tamil civilians last weekend, whilst another division held an eye clinic in the North-East.
On Saturday September 26, military officials handed out glasses to Tamil civilians at a ceremony in Kilinochchi, in a project coordinated by the 57 Division and 571 Brigade.
The 57 Division was led by Major General Jagath Dias during the final stages of the armed conflict, which saw tens of thousands of Tamil civilians killed. Maj Gen Dias, who was recently promoted by Sri Lanka’s new government, stands accused of commanding war crimes that the division committed.
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Meanwhile in Mullaitivu on Sunday September 27, Army personnel from the 59, 64 and 68 Divisional areas, held an eye clinic at the Sillawatte Tamil College , in a project supervised by the 591 Brigade Commander.
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The move comes as Sri Lanka continues to face criticism over the role of the military in civilian life, particularly in the Tamil North-East.
A resolution tabled at the UN Human Rights Council “encourages the government… undertake further efforts to tackle the considerable work that lies ahead… in particular the ending of military involvement in civilian activities, the resumption of livelihoods and the restoration of normality to civilian life”.