Attacks against Tamil farmers escalate in Vellaave’li, Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 February 2013, 23:11 GMT]
A Tamil village official looking after agricultural tracts (Vaddavithaa’nai) in Kevu’liyaa-madu in Vellaave’li division of Batticaloa district was severely assaulted four days ago by a group of Sinhalese settlers who have occupied the farm and grazing lands of Tamils. Two weeks ago, Sinhala ‘home guards’ had assaulted Tamil youths who were breeding their cattle in the same area, news sources in Vellaave’li said.

Earlier, the land official had made a complaint with the SL police in Kevu’liyaa-madu that the cattle of the Sinhalese person were daily causing damage to paddy crops of the Tamil farmers.

As the SL Police did not take any action to the complaint, the Vaddavithaa’nai official went straight to the Sinhala owner of the cattle, requesting him not to allow his cattle to damage paddy crops of Tamil farmers.

The Sinhala settler denied the allegation and started attacking the land official.

The Vaddavithaanai official, who was subjected to the assault, again went to the SL police and made another complaint about the assault by the Sinhala dairy farmer. The SL police did not take action on that complaint too.

Kevu’liyaa-madu is located along the border of Ampaa’rai district.

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