Mahinda Rajapaksa granted presidential "permission" for displaced Tamils from Talaimannar to return to their lands, following a dispute over the lands.
Displaced Tamils from the Talaimannar area had been evicted from their homes by Sri Lankan security authorities who accused the 550 displaced families of "squatting on State land".
In an article, entitled "MR intervenes to resettle evicted IDPs", the pro-government newspaper, The Island, stated that the matter was only settled after the Industry and Commerce Minister, Rishard Bathiudeen, raised the issue with Rajapaksa.
According to The Island, "those evicted had been given permission to return to their land as President Rajapaksa had intervened."
See related articles:
Takers, keepers (23 Sep 2011)
Government uses lifting of emergency to facilitate land grab (11 Sep 2011)
IDPs branded 'squatters on state land' (09 Sep 2011)
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