LTTE - Muslim leaders meet, resolve Batticaloa land ownership

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 September 2005, 13:48 GMT]
More than sixty five percent of paddy lands owned by Muslims which were in possession of Tamil farmers in LTTE controlled areas of Paduwankarai in the Batticaloa were formally handed back to Muslims in a meeting at Mandavathady in Thalaiyadi Saturday. Mr. A. L. M. Saleem, Regional Manager of Amparai People's Bank who was part of the Muslim delegation attending the meetin said that the event marks significantly improving Tamil Muslim relationship in Batticaloa district.



Documents attesting the ownership of the paddy lands were re-issued in the meeting by the Vatta Vithana officials of the Paduvankarai area in the meeting, sources said.

Mr. Eelamaran from the Tamil Eelam Economic Devevelopment Organisation (TEEDOR), Liberation Tigers Mavady area Political Coordinator Mr. Jeyapalan, Administrative Unit representative Mr. S. Pathmanathan and Muslim representatives Dr. M. Issadeen, Ceylinco Batticaloa Branch Manager Mr. M.H.M Iqbal and Mr. Saleem participated in the meeting.

A series of meetings has been held between Muslim representatives and the LTTE officials on the issue of land ownership. The

Saturday's meeting where legal documents were re-issued on the initiative by the LTTE was a significant step, according to an attending Muslim official.