In September, the checkpoints in front of Army camps, set up in 1995, were being removed. Defence Minister Tilak Marapane told Parliament on 10 September that 124 military camps in public buildings in the north-east had been removed within 160 days from the signing of the ceasefire agreement.
Mr Marapane claims that camps are being rebuilt beyond 300 metres from the buildings earlier occupied, for security reasons. Local people oppose construction of military camps near or in populated areas, particularly near schools. According to the minister, there are currently 686 military camps in the north-east. Sixty one of them are in public buildings with 6,200 soldiers.
The Army allowed Hartley College and Methodist Girls School in Point Pedro to open on 9 September. The schools were closed following a demonstration a week earlier, demanding easy access to the schools and removal of the Army headquarters. Defence Secretary Ostin Fernando says that the headquarters lies in a high security zone and anyone entering the area, other than students and teachers, must undergo security checks. Hartley College principal M Sripathy was attacked by unidentified persons on the night of 24 September.
The Army also permitted opening of the road from Chavakachcheri to Kachchai, three miles east, on 15 September. This road was closed to the public for the past six years. The Army has warned civilians that both sides of the road are heavily mined. The LTTE have requested the Army to also open the Point Pedro-Nagarkovil road, further north-east, to facilitate resettlement.
The Gurunagar Fishermen Union has urged the Army to permit deep sea fishing in the south-west. The Union says that a large number of displaced fishermen have returned from the Vanni and more are expected. This is causing considerable difficulty to fisher families. Reports say deep sea fishing has been allowed in north-eastern Vadamaratchy.
Jaffna health authorities issued a warning after 11 people were admitted to the Jaffna hospital with cholera in early September and one of them died. Reports say that in Pachchilaipalli area, north of Elephant Pass, some 850 families resettled have no health facilities. The hospital at Palai was damaged in the war and the people have to go to Chavakachcheri or Jaffna hospital for treatment. There are also no postal services in the area.
In September, students and teachers of Nagarkovil Maha Vidyalayam school commemorated the death of students seven years ago. On 22 September 1995, the Sri Lankan Airforce bombed the school killing 34 children and wounding 150. The Sri Lankan government denied that the school was bombed.