**Content warning - scenes of animal cruelty**
Valaichenai police have refused to register a complaint after a Tamil livestock farmer alleged that his cow was shot by Sinhala settlers in Madhavanai.
The cow, Mappillai Nampan, was worth Rs.1,50,000, and belonged to Nimalan, the Cattle Farmers Association President.
Nimalan went to Valaichenai police station to report the attack and register his complaint, however, the officer in charge told Nimalan that the complaint could not be registered and claimed it was his cow that was destroying the settlers' crops.
Sinhalese settlers have been encroaching upon land used by Tamil farmers to graze their cattle in Madhavanai and Mayilathamadu in Batticaloa.
Livestock farmers in Batticaloa have been protesting against the encroachment of their lands and the killing of their cattles by Sinhala settlers since at least 2021. In August 2023, a new Buddhist temple was in the process of being built on land traditionally used by Tamil farmers in the border village of Madhavanai and Mayilathamadu.
Tamil farmers continue to be subjected to intimidation and threats by the illegal setllers and government officials for seeking to protect their lands.
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