Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Friday declared open a new facility for the Civil Defence Force in Manal Aaru, in the Mullaitivu district in the North-East of the island.
Rajapaksa unveiled a commemorative plaque in Sinhala and opened a Buddhist shrine, before planting a sapling of the Bhodi tree, a plant holy to Buddhists.
The new facility will also include a new pre-school and the defence secretary ceremoniously registered the first two children at the school.
The controversial Civil Defence Force, which falls under direct control of the defence ministry, acts as a paramilitary force and has recruited Tamil women and men.
Previous reports indicate coercion, sexual assault and at least one death of a female recruit.
The recruitment process into the CDF itself has drawn much criticism, most recently from the Chief Minister of the Northern Province, C.V. Wigneswaran who accused the army of coercion.
The Manal Aaru region is in the traditional Tamil homeland but was colonised by Sinhalese in the 1980’s, after the military forcibly evicted thousands of Tamils in the area.
See related articles:
Tamil woman recruited into Army reports repeated sexual assault (18 March 2014)
Tamil women coerced into SL army says C.V. Wigneswaran (09 Mar 2014)
Army to recruit more Tamil women from North-East (24 Feb 2014)
More Tamil women recruited into Sri Lankan Army (28 Aug 2013)
Woman's corpse in Maankulam identified as SL Defence Force recruit (05 June 2013)
SL Army reconciles Tamil women (03 Dec 2013)
Sri Lankan Army coerces Tamil women into joining (13 Dec 2012)
Tamil women recruited in SL army, sexually assaulted (30 Nov 2012)
Colombo diverts Indian housing assistance to wedge North and East - TamilNet (19 February 2014)
Sinhala division starts functioning in Mullaiththeevu district - TamilNet (18 October 2011)