SL Intelligence intimidates Tamils to sell lands of Batticaloa coastal villages

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 June 2011, 07:06 GMT]
Tamil families in the coastal villages I'raal-oadai, Vadduvaan and Kaayangkea'ni are being forced to sell their lands to Sinhalese who are brought by Sri Lankan military intelligence personnel from elsewhere, according to complaints by the residents to the Divisional Secretary of Koa'ra'laippattu North DS Division in Batticaloa district in the Eastern Province. Some of the villagers have already been forced to sell their lands.

Quarter of an acre is being sold at the rate of sixty thousand rupees and SLA intelligence unit takes ten thousand rupees from that amount as their ‘fee’ leaving the balance with the land owner, complaints further state.

These coastal villages were destroyed in 2004 December Tsunami disaster and several non-governmental organizations reconstructed destroyed houses and handed them over to beneficiaries.

Meanwhile, Vaakarai Police, collaborating with a Sinahala occupier from Kandy, S.K.S Senewiratne, has threatened five Tamil families residing in a ten acre plot in Murungkaiyadi-munai, a coastal village in Paalcheanai Village division to vacate their lands. The occupier had brought forged documents from Kandy to state that the said lands belonged to him.

After the post-war ‘resettlement’, the ownership of the said lands was confirmed on 10 May 2010 to the original owners of the land. However, on 06 June, 2011, Mr. Seneviratne from Kandy came to Murungkaiyadi-munai village with two SL constables and threatened the Tamil residents to leave the lands.

Murungkaiyadi-munai Tamil families have now lodged a complaint to the Divisional Secretary of the area and regional office of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka.

Tamil government officers who refuse to ‘collaborate’ with the occupying Sri Lankan authorities receive death threats and transfer orders.

Illegal land acquisition in the Batticaloa district is being carried out with the active role of occupying SL military, police and their intelligence units.

Chronology: