Uprooted Vaakarai Central residents identify SL military-seized lands after 13 years

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 October 2018, 11:15 GMT]
The occupying SL military, which has seized the lands of Tamils in former LTTE-administered Vaakarai central area, is running a resort for southern visitors in the properties confiscated from Tamil villagers, the people who were allowed to identify their lands for the first time on 01st October after 13 years, told TamilNet. SL Survey Department officials were present at the site when almost 26 of 55 land-owners were allowed to identify their lands at the presence of Ooriyan-kaddu Village Officer of Ooriyan-kaddu and the officials of the Divisional Secretariat.

There are only a few SLA soldiers present at the camp. Most of the occupied lands are without any buildings or permanent structures. While the military was operating a bar and resort, there is no justifiable reason to keep the areas occupied, the people said.

The occupying military seized the lands from the people during the genocidal onslaught on Vaakarai between May 2006 and March 2007.

After the end of the war in Vanni, the uprooted Tamils from Vaakarai wanted to resettle in their village. However, the SL Army threatened them to put their signatures on some papers.

The uprooted people later realised that the papers they were tricked into signing were in fact documents that confiscated their village from them.

However, the people have repeatedly been agitating for resettlement in their village.

Seven of the families that were deceived to put their signatures in papers were later provided alternative lands. Around 20 families have documents to prove their ownership. However, there were also 30 families that have lost their documents or those who were settled in the public lands.

Those who were allowed to identify their lands were initially disturbed by the presence of Survey Department officials along with military. The land-owners said there was no need to survey the lands again as they had clear evidence of their ownership. Only after the GS officer promised that the intention of Survey Department officials was not to seize properties for the military, the people agreed to identify their lands.

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