Despite the announcement, fishing was not permitted in places such as Thondamanaru and Athikovilady. Fishermen continued to protest before the Jaffna government secretariat in early February demanding removal of all restrictions on fishing. They also want compensation for the denial of fishing between Thondamanaru and Thikkam for the last seven months, and permits for fishing removed.
While protests continued, minister of Rehabilitation Jayalath Jayawardena visited Chavakachcheri in early February and was shocked by the destruction. He said that the town looked like ‘Hiroshima destroyed by the atomic bomb’. Some 30,000 books in several libraries in the area have also been destroyed.
Later, at a meeting in the Jaffna secretariat, the minister promised that the Rehabilitation Ministry would hire a ship to transport food and medicines to Jaffna. The peninsula has continued to suffer by shortage of food and medicines and rise in prices, despite the ceasefire. Another meeting at the secretariat on 18 February decided to open some of the roads in Jaffna which were closed to the public by the military for the past seven years.
Several service stations in Jaffna stopped supplying fuel in mid-February because of shortages. Each family receives only four litres of kerosene per month from cooperative stores. Kerosene is used for domestic as well as agricultural purposes and people say that the amount supplied is insufficient.
The Jaffna secretariat announced that the rule requiring permits to travel outside the peninsula will be removed from 15 February. The rule imposed on Sri Lankan citizens to obtain permits from the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to enter Jaffna, had been removed on 11 February. But travellers must establish their identities at checkpoints. Foreign citizens must obtain MOD permission to enter Jaffna, through the Sri Lankan diplomatic missions in their countries.
Replanting schemes have been urged to replace the trees destroyed in the 18-year war in the north-east. The trees are vital to the local economy and a large number of families depend on the income derived from their products. Reports say 2.5 million palmyrah trees and 600,000 coconut trees have been destroyed.
The Jaffna police received complaints that a 13 year-old girl was sexually assaulted by a soldier at a checkpoint in Mallakam, seven miles north of Jaffna town, on 14 February. Local people say that the soldier has not been arrested.