Land Grab In Mullaitivu

Israel Palestine Conflict: History Repeating Itself In ISRAEL LAND GRAB

• Spolight On Navy….

by Hafsa Sabry-Friday, January 29, 2016

Secretary to the Ministry of Defence,
Karunasena Hettiarachchi

The armed forces occupied many properties in the Northern and Eastern Provinces of the country during and after the civil war. The former government with its powerful politicians, allegedly encouraged the process of illegally ‘grabbing’ land in the North and East during its tenure.

The issue of encroaching into public lands has still not been addressed by the relevant authorities, even after the change of government last year. One of the election pledges by the government of good governance was to release properties forcibly occupied by the forces.

Some people affected by the war live in refugee camps. The Ministry of Defence and the Sri Lankan Navy are now accused of attempting to construct a ‘navy camp’ in the public land comprising 617 acres of land in Mullaitivu. They claim that a navy camp is indeed required as a means of ‘national security.’

People were not allowed to enter the place as the Navy and the forces have built fences and boundaries along the borders the land they have occupied.

Some of the villagers who resided in these areas before the civil war have lost their documents of ‘ownership’ to the place whilst others have them in their possession.

However, the land in question seems to be occupied by the Navy who claim that it does not belong to the people.

When the ‘land owners’ claimed that such a large amount of land was not required to build a navy camp in the north, a group of people is attempting to encroach into their lands while obstructing them. Officials said that the government would take over the land if it decides to but, a decision is yet to be arrived regarding the issue. They also said that the government would compensate the people with land or money if the land will be taken over by the Navy to which the land owners expressed concern claiming that they are not ready to give away their properties.

“If the government will compensate the people with land they will have to deforest some of the natural reservoirs and forests to replace them which is a threat to the environment of the island,” said the Director for the Center for Environment and Nature Studies (CENS) Ravindra Kariyawasam.

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