Uprooted Tamils demand demarcation of lands seized by SL military in Vaakarai

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 May 2018, 20:38 GMT]
The commander of the 233 Brigade of the occupying military at Vaakarai in Batticaloa was refusing even to recognise the demand of the uprooted Tamils that the SL military should hand back the seized lands back to them. At a meeting held on last Thursday (17 May), the SL commander was claiming that the SL military was mainly stationed in public lands. He was telling them that the SL military was lawfully staying in the lands belonging to five private people. The people have been complaining that the SL military was occupying the lands belonging to 47 families and that the SL military had obtained signatures in white papers during the regime of Rajapaksa through intimidation and threat.

In the meantime, the officials of the Administrative Division of Koa'ra'laip-pattu North were proposing to find alternative lands to the uprooted people.

But, the representatives of the uprooted people declined to accept such offer as their original residential lands were situated close to the coast, which is of paramount significance to resume their livelihood of fishing. They also demanded the SL military to allow them at least access the area to identify and mark their lands.

The meeting on Thursday came as a result of longtime pressure coming from the landowners.

However Tamil politicians should step in exerting real pressure on Colombo to release these lands, the representatives told TamilNet after the meeting.

A group of representatives from 20 uprooted families were present at the meeting.

The occupying Sinhala military of genocidal Sri Lanka is refusing to release the lands of more than 20 families in Koa'ra'laip-pattu North (Vaakarai) division.

The occupying Sinhala military stationed in Vaakarai is trying to carve out coastal access to Polonnaruwa district through Sinhala Buddhicisation of the area.

The SL military forced the uprooted Tamils to put their signatures in blank papers and seized the lands for the military base of 233 Brigade of the SL Army in 2008.

Now, the SL military has put up a Buddhist stupa in the lands.

The area is located 68 km north of Batticaloa city on Batticaloa-Trincomalee A15 Highway.

233 Brigade is one of the three brigades of 23 Division of the occupying Sri Lanka Army, stationed in Batticaloa.

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