Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake addressed a campaign rally in Vavuniya this week, making a series of pledges ranging from land restitution to “national reconciliation”, ahead of local government elections next month.
Dissanayake announced that all lands marked by the Sri Lankan Forest Department using Google Maps—including farmlands and reservoirs—would be re-evaluated and returned to their rightful owners. Tamils across the North-East have long accused state institutions such as the Forest Department and Archaeology Department of unlawfully seizing land under the guise of conservation or heritage protection, often denying Tamils access to ancestral property.
He further stated, “Our ancestors may have waged war, but we will not pass that burden onto future generations.”
“Even after 16 years, remnants of that suffering still persist,” he said.
Addressing the contentious issue of Tissa Vihara in Jaffna, where a Buddhist vihara has sparked protests over illegal construction on private Tamil-owned land, Dissanayake accused unnamed political actors of “exploiting land disputes to stir ethnic tensions.”
He claimed such issues could be resolved through mutual agreement and added that his administration would consider legislative reform to end such disputes and foster reconciliation between landowners and religious institutions.
“We have allocated 1 billion rupees for its restoration,” he said referring to the Jaffna Public Library, calling the library’s burning an “unparalleled event in world history.”
The president also announced several economic and development initiatives, including the construction of an international cricket stadium in Jaffna during the National People’s Power (NPP) first term in office.
Touching on agricultural policy, Dissanayake pledged price protections for farmers, stating that 5 billion rupees had been allocated to purchase paddy. “A fair price has been set—if the market price is lower, farmers can sell to the government; if higher, they are free to sell to private buyers,” he said.“Paddy prices will never fall again under our watch.”
