Point Pedro Urban Council Demands Military Bases Be Removed From Its Territory

ACTC-controlled council takes a stand against military presence in northern coastal town

The Point Pedro Urban Council has formally called on the government to withdraw two military bases operating within its administrative boundaries, marking a significant escalation in tensions between local authorities in the north and the national security establishment.

The council, which is governed by the All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC), recently passed a resolution to mobilise a large-scale public protest campaign specifically targeting the army detachment stationed at the Point Pedro jetty. The move signals growing frustration among elected local representatives in the area over what they consider an entrenched and unwelcome military footprint in their community.

Long-standing grievance comes to a head

The presence of military installations in civilian areas of the Northern Province has remained a deeply sensitive issue since the end of the civil war in 2009. Tamil political parties and community leaders have repeatedly argued that the continued occupation of land and facilities by the armed forces hinders reconciliation efforts and restricts the daily lives of residents.

Point Pedro, a coastal town situated at the northernmost tip of Sri Lanka, holds particular strategic and symbolic significance. The jetty, around which the army detachment is based, is a vital hub for local fishing communities who depend on unimpeded access to carry out their livelihoods.

Council set to take protest to the streets

By deciding to organise a public demonstration, the ACTC-run Urban Council is moving beyond formal resolutions and into direct civic action. The planned protest campaign is intended to draw widespread community participation and put public pressure on Colombo to act on the council's demands.

• The council is demanding the removal of an army detachment at the Point Pedro jetty
• A second military base within the council's jurisdiction has also been identified for removal
• A large-scale public protest campaign is being planned to support the demands

The development is likely to draw attention from Tamil political circles across the Northern Province, as well as from civil society groups that have long advocated for the demilitarisation of civilian spaces in the region. How the government responds to the council's demands remains to be seen, but the move adds fresh urgency to an issue that has lingered unresolved for over a decade.