Genocidal Colombo attempts to seize lands from resettling Tamils in Ampaa'rai
[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 January 2017, 16:02 GMT]
30 Eezham Tamil families who were uprooted from a housing scheme in Poththuvil division of Ampaa'rai district are now more worried about permanently losing two thirds of their lands to the occupying Sinhala military and the Forest Department of genocidal Sri Lanka. In 1985, the families secured their settlement, which became known as 30th Ward. Initially, each family was provided with 2 acres of lands, including residential and upper-lying lands for agriculture. But, the families lost their houses and their agricultural lands in late 1980's as the occupying SL Army moved in, setting up a military base near the coastal strip of the Kanakar-kiraamam GS division.
The residential and agricultural lands surrounding the SL military base later became a jungle as the people were not able to resettle in the no-go zone. After the en of war, SL Forest Department was quick to move in addition to the occupying Sinhala military. Although, the Forest Department officials were aware of the settlement of Tamil people, they planted GPS-connected border stones and started to claim the entire jungle area as coming under its sole domain. Almost 10 years after the end of military confrontations ended in Poththuvil, the UNP-SLFP regime in Colombo agreed to the demands of Tamil politicians to consider releasing the lands back to the people in late 2016. Tamil Parliamentarian from Ampaa’rai, Kaveendran Kodeeswaran, who was elected through a TELO ticket, representing the TNA in Ampaa’rai, recently informed the land-owners that they could resettle soon in their own village. However, the Government Agent of Ampaa’rai, a Sinhala official, has instructed the Divisional Secretary of Poththuvil to limit the extent of lands to be given back to each of the 30 families to half an acre instead of two acres of lands per family. The remaining lands belongs to SL military and the SL Department, the GA has informed the Divisional Secretary, Tamil civil sources in Poththuvil said.
Related Articles:10.01.17 Sinhala Buddhist monks assault Tamil cattle-herders in Batti.. 02.01.17 Sirisena accelerates ‘Army and Archaeology’, Ampa'rai become.. 05.08.16 Tamil villages in Poththuvil subjected to demographic threat..
Chronology:
|