Jaffna civil-military relations to reach record high
 While
the shift of focus is fast changing, Sri Lanka Army is earnestly
determined to do its maximum by bringing about the reconciliation
between Jaffna people and Security Forces serving the Jaffna peninsula.
Tuesday's (9) ceremonial opening of the new Civil
Affairs and Public Relations Office at Hospital Road, Jaffna by
Commander of the Army Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya, on the
invitation of Major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe, Commander Security
Forces Headquarters, Jaffna, (SFHQ-J) marked a milestone and further
broadened Army's new horizons and prospects on its march to
reconciliation and redevelopment.
Sri Lanka Army in fact made history on Tuesday (9), as
the cream of Jaffna society including Jaffna Bishop, Chief Hindu and
Buddhist Priests, High Court Judges, District and Divisional
Secretaries, Vice Chancellor at Jaffna University, Mayor and Provincial
Councillors, Senior Administrators and a host of other religious and
civil dignitaries assembled under one roof to join Lieutenant General
Jagath Jayasuriya in opening this first-ever twenty-four seven open
Civil Affairs and Public Relations Office, giving pride of place to
Hindu religious rites and rituals.
Lieutenant General Jayasuriya after the ribbon cutting
ceremony launched the first-ever civil relations-oriented SFHQ-J managed
Website www.cimicjaffna.com, through which interested people worldwide
have access to a glimpse of the war-affected northern peninsula of
historic and cultural importance and can learn about healthy relations
being grown between its citizenry and military/Security Forces. This
website also provides a catalogue of ongoing development projects and
civilian oriented welfare projects in the peninsula.
The inauguration of the new office saw Commander of
the Army ceremonially give away 100 new push bicycles to children from
selected schools in the peninsula as a token of Army's goodwill and a
relief for their traveling purposes. As the next item on the agenda, the
Commander gifted ten fiber glass fishing boats to fishermen in the area
who are now able to go fishing without any time restrictions in the
whole of the Jaffna sea lagoon. Appreciative of their swelling
enthusiasm for sports, Lieutenant General Jayasuriya afterwards
distributed a stock of sports items and accessories to seven cricket
clubs in different schools in the area.
The next moment was rather solemn and moving as family
members who recently lost two of their sons in Columbuthrai while they
were unknowingly meddling with a 60 mm mortar bomb that has been left by
Tiger terrorists, came forward to receive special but memorable gifts
from the visiting Commander of the Army. This was the first tragic
incident that was reported after the War ended in May, last year. All
three remaining children, two girls and one boy in the family were
exceptionally lucky at the occasion to receive three brand new push
bicycles plus some separate gift parcels from the Commander. Parents,
the only brother and sisters present at the occasion burst into tears as
memories returned when the Commander gifted them with those valuables on
the occasion.
This community project seen as a long- felt need in
the peninsula is able to reach hearts and minds of the people since
anybody, burdened with any sorts of civil grievances, be they are of
administration, welfare or any other civic matter is now able to seek
redress from this special office, open round the clock. Tuesday's
ceremony was attended by senior officers and police personnel.
In the meantime, as part of a gigantic welfare
project, SFHQ-J has already launched a project for construction of 680
new houses for displaced civilians who have now returned to the
peninsula. The Army's enthusiasm has deepened further as scores of
Jaffna based donors and philanthropists have volunteered to help the
Army by way of donating building materials and other essentials for this
praiseworthy cause.
Courtesy : Sri Lanka Army | 
