‘Criminals have a field day in Jaffna’

The army yesterday claimed that a sharp reduction in its strength in the Jaffna Peninsula had given rise to an increase in the crime rate.  Jaffna Security Forces Commander Major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe said that the poor people had been affected as a result of the army reducing its presence to 40 per cent.

Senior DIG Jaffna Gamini de Silva could not be contacted for comment.

Police Media spokesperson Superintendent Ajith Rohana said that the Police would never waver from their duty which was to combat and prevent crime in any part of the country. "But, no one can easily forget the enormous service and support rendered by the army," he said.

Maj. Gen. Hathurusinghe said that the people of the North knew very well that the military did not interfere in the normal running of the civil administration. As a result they never failed to express their gratitude to members of the security forces for all what the troops had done for them and their families.

He said that the government had taken action to gradually hand over the properties that were within the High Security Zone (HSZ) to the people
By Franklin R. Satyapalan
IS