Sinhala encroachers deny Tamil owners land

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 November 2009, 16:59 GMT]
"More than 1,486 Tamil families are unable to peacefully resettle in their homes in Trincomalee, Vavuniya and Batticaloa due to unlawful and widespread occupation of state land by members of the majority community," Sri Lanka's weekly, The Nation said, according information from Tamil National Alliance leader, Rajavarothiam Sampanthan and member of parliament, Packiyaselvam Ariyanethiran.

“There are more than 500 families of the majority community who have set up houses and are cultivating paddy in areas that were previously occupied by Tamils before the war intensified,” the paper said quoting Packiyaselvam Ariyanethiran.

“I wrote to the President over this issue on September 16 requesting a probe and a peaceful solution. The President in response to my letter had written to the Government Agents [in Vavuniya, Trincomalee and Batticaloa] on October 26 asking for a thorough report on the situation. I believe the GAs are yet to make their official statement on the matter. However, once the holidays are over, I wish to meet them and inquire of what they plan to do,” Ariyanethiran added, the paper further said.

The paper wrote in the story quoting Sampanthan as saying, “[t]hat members of the minority Tamil community comprising of 1,486 families lawfully owning residential property and plantation land within the Grama Sevaka Divisions of Sampur East, Sampur West, Koonutheevu, Navaratnepuram, Soodaikuda, Kakathkaraichanan and Sampurkali have been unable to return because the said places have been declared High Security Zones. All temples and schools that existed in the areas have been demolished as well.”

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Tamils return home blocked by encroachers