Sri Lanka's Ministry of Defence rejected demands made by demonstrators in Kilinochchi day who were calling for their land to be returned to them, stating that the land did not belong to the people.
Asserting that the demonstrators originated from Chavakachcheri, not Kilinochchi, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence, Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya, went on to state that the land was "captured by the army from the LTTE" and the protesters had no legal right to it.
“A group of 40 people arrived in Chavakachcheri staged a protest in Kilinochchi asking for the land. The land was captured by the Army from the LTTE. None of the protesters had legal deeds for the land although they claimed it was theirs,” Brigadier Wanigasooriya was quoted by the Daily Mirror as saying.
See related article: Arrest by military fails to halt landgrab protest in Kilinochchi (28 May 2014)
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
