SL military prevents Moothoor Tamil farmers from gaining back their lands

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 April 2013, 15:28 GMT]
Resettled Tamil farmers of Kangkuve'li and Paddith-thidal in the Moothoor DS division are being prevented from cultivating their paddy fields located in Muthalai-madu and Padukaadu areas by Sinhala encroachers, who are backed by the occupying Sri Lanka Army soldiers camped in the area, say Tamil civil sources in Moothoor. The affected farmers have made complaints to the Moothoor Divisional Secretary with valid legal documents and to the Seruwila Police as well as to the Moothoor Police urging immediate action to retrieve their paddy fields in the extent of 750 acres for doing cultivation. However, no action has been taken, the farmers complain.

The Tamil farmers have not been able to cultivate their paddy fields due to the outbreak of the war and they that they were displaced and sheltered elsewhere.   With the end of the war they went to their paddy fields to commence cultivation. But, they were prevented by the Sinhalese encroachers from the Seruvila electorate from entering their paddy fields.   Seruwila electorate was carved out following the state aided colonization scheme under the then UNP government in 1970.

Earlier, there were two electorates, Trincomalee and Moothoor.

Moothoor was a multi member constituency electing a Tamil and a Muslim parliamentarian.

With the formation of the Seruwila electorate, Sinhalese settled under the SL State-sponsored colonization scheme were able to elect their representative.   Last week, Mr.R.Sampanthan, the parliamentary group leader of the Tamil National Alliance and the parliamentarian representing Tamils in the district, accompanied by Mr.K.Thurairatnasingham, former district TNA parliamentarian and Mr.C.Thandayuthapani, the opposition leader of the Eastern Provincial Council visited Muthalai-madu and Padukaadu and heard the views of the affected Tamil villagers.