Muslim politicians block relocation of SL military base in Batticaloa

The occupying Sinhala military in Batticaloa is under pressure to abandon its plan of relocating one of its artillery bases 18 km north of Batticaloa city as the Tamil-speaking Muslim villagers have been protesting against the move and their politicians have taken the issue seriously with the Colombo regime, informed sources in Batticaloa said. Rauff Hakeem, a cabinet minister in the SL government and Ali Zahir Moulana, an SLFP parliamentarian from Ea'raavoor, have been exerting pressure on the Colombo government against the planned military base at Punnaik-kudaa. Mr Hakeem seems to have managed to stop the move after making it as one of his key demands in the dealings with SL Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe before extending his support against the no-confidence motion in the SL Parliament, the sources further said. 

The SL military was attempting to relocate its base to Punnaik-kudaa as it had to free 15 acres of lands it had occupied since 1990 in Mu'rak-koddaagn-cheanai, which is situated 3 km north of Punnaik-kudaa. 

The SL Army based in Mu'rak-koddaagn-cheanai has committed genocidal crimes from the beheading of innocent Tamils to subjecting them to enforced disappearances during the times of war. 

There is an alleged mass grave in the lands released by the SL military. But, the Tamil politicians of the ITAK providing unconditional support to the genocidal State from the raws of opposition in the SL Parliament, have not addressed the issue. 

The headquarters of 11th Regiment of the SL Artillery is situated in a residential area of Eezham Tamils in Mu'rakkoddaagncheanai.