Residents of a Mullaitivu area have expressed opposition to Sri Lankan soldiers being quarantined in the midst of their communities.

Soldiers returning to Mullaitivu from holidays in their home districts are being quarantined as part of the Sri Lankan government’s attempts to curb the spread of coronavirus. A school building in Keppapulavu model village and a community building in the recently released Pilavu village have been designated as quarantine camps.

Locals have opposed the use of these buildings due to concerns about the close proximity of residential buildings in the area.

“How many army camps are there in the district, and they even quarantined people who came from abroad in an Air Force camp in the jungle, so why now are they quarantining soldiers in our midst?” a local representative said.

With the district on lockdown, villagers in Mullaitivu have been suffering without adequate supplies and support. Many residents of Keppapulavu are enduring curfew with the added strain of not being able to access their own homes and lands, as they remain occupied by Sri Lankan military forces despite campaigning for three years for their release.