In an interview with the Hindu President Mahinda Rajapaksa denied attempts of militarization the North. Asked about complaints that the armed forces were expanding their footprint in Jaffna and other Northern districts and apprehensions of a permanent militarisation of the North, Mr. Rajapaksa responded: I dont think so.
But what was going on in Iraq? How many years have passed; they have not settled any problem there. How many military people are there? A commission was appointed to look into this after five years. I appointed the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) as soon as this [the war] was over. But the army even in the South we have army camps. We have our camps in Hambanthotta, in Colombo, in every Province, in every district. In that way, we will have camps in the North and East. [Lalith Weeratunga, Secretary to the President, supplemented this with the comment, it is not an occupation army, that is important.