Radical Tamil groups in the north of Sri Lanka have slammed proposals by President Mahinda Rajapakse to rebuild the former Dutch military fort in Jaffna in the north  of the island, which is Tamil territory. They say the current plans do not acknowledge the rights of the Tamil people.

The Jaffna fort was built in the 17th century by Portuguese merchants and missionaries in the area. A few decades later the Portuguese lost the fort to the Dutch East India Company (VOC) after a siege. The Dutch rebuilt it and occupied it until the late 18th century, when the British rulers took over.

The Dutch constructed various buildings, houses and churches inside the fort walls, most of which survived well into the late 20th century.

Destroyed
During the Tamil war (1983-2009) parts of the fort, including several buildings, suffered heavily. The fort was used by the government army as its encampment, surrounded by many Tamil rebel forces.

During the war, the fort changed hands several times. It is currently used by the Sri Lankan army, which occupies several offices and a training facility.

Dutch pledge
The Jaffna fort is currently being renovated. In 2010, the Dutch government pledged approximately 60 Million Rupees (400.000 Euros) to rebuild and renovate the fort's outer walls as part of a scheme to improve tourism to this part of Sri Lanka. It is also cooperating in de-mining the fort's moats. For this, the Dutch are working with Sri Lanka's archeological department.

Queen's House
In addition to the renovation plans, Sri Lanka's President Majinda Rajapakse is also planning to rebuild the Queen's House, a mansion that was formerly used by the British rulers as a regional residency. Mr Rajapakse is reportedly planning to use the mansion as an official Presidential residency once the project is completed.

As tensions between Tamils and the government have remained high since the end of the Tamil war in 2009, the President's plans have led to heated reactions from radical Tamil groups in the region.

Colonial oppression?
Pro-Tamil website TamilNet, which represents radical Tamils in Sri Lanka and abroad, has slammed the President’s plans, saying that this “symbol of colonial and post-colonial oppression evokes righteous indignation among Tamils, without recognizing the territorial and heritage ownership of Tamils.”

'No Dutch involvement'
TamilNet is also critical of the Dutch involvement in the renovation plans, but Jaco Beerends of the Dutch embassy in Colombo stresses that there is no Dutch involvement in the rebuilding of the Queen's House. "We only particpate in renovating the fort's walls and the moats," he told RNW.  

"We do not fund any other intitiative inside the fort, such as the plans for the Queen's House. We're only in it from a heritage point of view, and to help improve the region's tourist development", says Mr Beerends.

He also stresses that the renovation works employ many local residents, including Tamils.

'De-militarise'
Nevertheless, radical Tamil groups in the Jaffna region have now called upon the Dutch government to pressure Colombo into "de-militarise the fort".

“After all, the Dutch are paying for this in the name of ‘tourism development’. Keeping the fort as a military and political state facility has nothing to do with tourism", one Tamil representative was quoted by TamilNet.

But Mr Beerends strongly disagrees: "We don't pay for a presidential mansion. There is simply no Dutch involvement in that at all".