Colombo: Tamil Parliamentarians from Sri Lanka's Northern Jaffna district have demanded that government troops pull out of most of the Jaffna peninsula to pave the way for re-settlement of citizens displaced by two decades of conflict.

The MPs, led by Hindu Affairs Minister T Maheswaran, passed a resolution at a meeting in the Northern town to this effect, but exempted the crucial Palaly military Air base and Kankesanturai Naval establishment from their demand for de- militarising the peninsula.

The resolution said government troops could "temporarily" utilise the Palaly and Kankesanturai bases, but should allow unfettered resettlement of people in the rest of the peninsula and dismantle all high security zones.

The resolution, with obvious backing from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), comes amidst increasing signs that the rebel group is impatient to gain full control of the Northern region without any military presence or dissident political activity.

In September, a students' protest against a military camp in the vicinity of a leading school at Point Pedro nearly led to violence, as protesters dismantled security barriers.

The school's Principal was later abducted and beaten up by unknown assailants for speaking out against his students being rounded up for potentially violent political rallies that exposed them to great danger.

A group of people stoned a police station at Valaichchenai in the East a few days ago, but ceasefire monitors are unable to investigate these incidents, as the identities of the assailants are unknown. They can only probe complaints against parties to the truce accord.

PTI