Sinhalese encroach into Kurangkuppaangnchaan Muslim village

[TamilNet, Saturday, 09 January 2010, 10:06 GMT]
Sinhalese are being settled down in Kurangkuppaangnchaan, one of several predominant Muslim villages in the Ki'n'niyaa DS division in Trincomalee district. 22 Sinhalese youths were brought from the south to Kurangkuppaangnchaan last Tuesday and are being given lands earlier occupied Muslim farmers.

Muslim residents of the village fled in 1990 when ethnic conflict reached its climax and sought refuge elsewhere till a normalcy returned.

IDP Muslim families have been slowly returning to Kurangkuppaangnchaan village to locate their earlier dwellings to renovate and resettle.

But to these families' dismay, last Tuesday, they found about 22 strangers, all from Sinhalese community from the south, fencing their lands.

Former parliamentarian of the Trincomalee district Mr.M.S.Thowfeek has complained to the Divisional Secretary of the Ki'n'niya DS division to stop colonizing Kurangkuppaangnchaan village with Sinhalese.

Thowfeek has pointed out to the DS that when Muslims fled in 1990 there was no Sinhalese person living in the village.