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Uprooted Champoor Tamils call off hunger-strike

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 May 2015, 16:32 GMT]
The uprooted people of Champoor, who were promised that their lands would be released by the new regime launched a protest on 18 May after the Sri Lanka Gateway Industries (Private) Limited had sought the SL Supreme Court to revoke the decision of the SL President. A temporary ban on resettlement was issued by the SL Supreme Court. However, the uprooted people of Champoor were determined to take forward the struggle with hunger strike and a fast-unto-death. Latest reports from Colombo said the people have now been allowed to resettle in more than 800 acres of lands. However, around 5,000 acres of lands still remain under the SL military occupation in Champooor.



Thavaraja Premkumar, who had begun a fast-unto-death campaign at Ki'liveddi camp of the uprooted Champoor Tamils, has now called off his campaign, news sources in Trincomalee said.

Although more than 800 acres of lands, seized by the SL State and handed over to the Sri Lanka Gateway Industries (Private) Limited by the Board of Investment (BOI), there was no activity launched on the ground. Only a noticeboard and two containers of the SLGI constituting a field office are found at the occupied zone. However, the company had lodged a case against the release of lands.

Following the fast-unto-death and the hunger-strike gaining momentum, the new regime was under increased pressure as TNA's Parliamentary Group Leader R. Sampanthan was under increased pressure at his own constituency in Trincomalee for collaborating with the new regime without any pre-conditions.

However, the SL Governor in Trincomalee has begun asking for another 6 months to release the lands occupied by the SL Navy, Tamil civil sources in Trincomalee told TamilNet on Thursday.



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