Uprooted Valikaamam people launch new protest demanding release of lands
[TamilNet, Sunday, 05 November 2017, 22:11 GMT] The uprooted people of Vasaavi'laan and Palaali South in Valikaamam North took the streets amidst pouring rains on Sunday to protest against the position of the occupying SL military that no more lands would be released from the Sinhala Military Zone surrounding the Palaali military base for the next two years. People demanded immediate answer from SL President Maithiripala Sirisena, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the SL armed forces on the release of their lands. The protest saw hundreds of people emotionally articulating their demands.
The uprooted people complained that a one-year-long negotiation process with the SL establishment has failed to give any results and that their lands are being exploited by the Sinhala military as farmlands.
Some families also complained that the SL military was housing its families from South as their guests in the houses of the uprooted people.
The SL military is still putting up constructions in the lands seized from the people, they complained.
The Northern commander of the occupying SL military, Major General Darshana Hettiarachchi, was present at the archway entrance to the Sinhala military settlement at Palaali.
His predecessor, Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake, who became the commander of the SLA earlier this year, was instrumental in deceiving the struggle of the uprooted Tamils before his promotion.
Apart from Mahesh Senanayake, ITAK Leader Mavai Senathiraja was also behind suppressing the struggle of the uprooted people, the protesters said.
ITAK or TNA parliamentarians failed to attend the protest.
In the meantime, ruling UNPFA ‘national list’ parliamentarian Angajan Ramanathan was present. Angajan received the appeal from the people and handed it over to SL military commander Darshana Hettiarachchi who received it with a pitying facial expression.
URL: http://www.tamilnet.com