Jaffna, June 27: Thousands of Tamils, made homeless by Sri Lanka's protracted civil war, assembled in this Tamil town today to demand that government forces vacate their homes and land. Most shops and offices were closed in the northern city, as university student groups, backed by Tamil Tiger rebels, asked people to take part in the protest.
The Jaffna University Students' Union said it expects more than 200,000 people to participate in the protest, called ``Pongu Tamil,'' or Tamil resurgence festival. ``The festival intends to send a powerful message both to the Sri Lankan government and the international community about the plight of people living in the northeast,'' a student group said in a statement.
Sri Lanka has an estimated 40,000 troops stationed in the northern Jaffna peninsula, the traditional home of most of Sri Lanka's 3.2 million Tamils. The troops are scattered around the area and often occupy homes of civilians. The issue is one of the sore points in relations between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Bureau Report