Condemning the on-going militarisation of the North, the Chief Minister of the Northern Provincial Council, C.V. Wigneswaran, said in an interview with The Hindu today, the province was "overwhelmed by an occupying military force" and said there was "an urgent need" to prevent military's on-going encroachment on civilian life.
"The stark fact is that we are attempting to establish democratic governance in a province that is overwhelmed by an occupying military force, which systematically seeks to subjugate the populace, change the demography, destabilise the economy, impose an alien culture and stultify legitimate democratic aspirations, whilst continuing with grave human rights abuses," Justice Wigneswaran said.
Detailing the on-going impediments placed by the government and military that prevented the NPC from functioning properly, he said the "resilience of the [Tamil] people" however, gave him hope.
"People no longer fear the Army. They have started protesting against the Army taking over their lands and houses," he added.
See full interview by The Hindu here.
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