The Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) has reported that on Christmas Eve, livestock owned by Tamil farmers in Mylathamadu and Maathavanai districts in Batticaloa has been killed and injured by Sinhala settlers settled by the Mahaweli Development Authority.
Close to 1000 Tamil farmers use the grassland of Mylathamadu and Maathavanai for the 35,000 livestock. The TNPF reports that under the Sirisena administration, in 2015 the Mahaweli Development Authority established a new settlement for Sinhala farmers from Polonnaruwa District.
The new settlers are reported to have cleared vast areas of pastoral land so as to cultivate corn. They have repeatedly chased away Tamil livestock and threatened to kill these animals, culminating in the slaughter of livestock on Christmas Eve.
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