Sri Lanka military dismisses reports of stoning of its camps

Sri Lankan military today dismissed as "rumours" the reports that its camps were stoned in the Tamil-dominated north after the conclusion of presidential polls won by former president Mahinda Rajapaksa's one-time minister Maithripala Sirisena.
"(The) post-election period is peaceful. No threat on North & East military camps," military spokesman Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasuriya said.
"Don't be misled by rumors," he said.
Wanigasuriya also denied reports that flags in support of the LTTE were raised in the former conflict zones in the north and the east.
"The LTTE is a banned organisation. So its flag would not be allowed to be raised anywhere," said Wanigasuriya.

He, however, said security in the country has been tightened in the aftermath of the election.

After the victory of Maithripala Sirisena, 63, in the presidential poll yesterday, nationalists believe the new administration may go soft on Tamil supporters.
Angered by the indifference of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa who failed to reconcile with Tamils after the nearly three-decade war with the dreaded LTTE, they voted overwhelmingly in favour of Sirisena's opposition coalition.
The 69-year-old Rajapksa, though a hero of Sinhala majority, earned the wrath of ethnic Tamils over the alleged human rights violations during the final phase of war that ended in 2009 with the defeat of the Tamil Tigers.

Rajapaksa's 10-year rule was marked by allegations of family rule, corruption and authoritarianism.