Local Tamils managed to block off another land grab attempt by the Sri Lankan military this week, as armed troops from the navy squared off against demonstrators in Jaffna.
Residents state that Sri Lanka’s land survey department was attempting to acquire at least 1 acre of private land for the navy in Mathagal, Jaffna.
One local said that the Sri Lankan navy visited his house at 11 pm the night before and asked him to sign an agreement to hand over the land to the military. He refused.
As land survey officials arrived, demonstrators gathered to protest, with local politicians joining locals in the demonstration. Armed members of the Sri Lankan navy were deployed as the demonstration continued. Troops stood on guard with their rifles, whilst other soldiers photographed the protesting Tamils.
Eventually, the land survey department abandoned their attempt.
யாழ்ப்பாணம் - மாதகல் கிழக்கு பகுதியில் கடற்படையினரின் தேவைக்காக தனியார் காணிகளை சுவீகரிக்கும் முயற்சி தற்காலிகமாக நிறுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளது.
குறித்த போராட்டத்தில் @Mavai_S, @ImShritharan எம்.பி மற்றும் மேனாள் எம்.பிக்கள் பிரதேச சபை உறுப்பினர்கள் பொதுமக்கள் எனப் பலரும் கலந்து கொண்டனர் pic.twitter.com/YybLwTQ2MI
— Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (@ITAKMedia) November 29, 2021
தமிழ் மக்களின் காணிகளை அபகரிக்க தொடர்ச்சியாக இரண்டாவது நாளாக கடற்படை முயற்சி-
பொதுமக்கள் மற்றும் அரசியல்வாதிகள் ஒன்றினைந்து எதிர்ப்பு-
காணி ஆக்கிரமிப்பை இன்றும் தற்காலிகமாக கைவிட்டு கடற்படையினர் முகாம் திரும்பினர் pic.twitter.com/a4biKDamW3— Tamil National People's Front (@TnpfOrg) November 30, 2021
Last month, locals managed to successfully push back against similar land grab attempts in Mandaithivu and Pungudutivu.
Tamil politicians from across the political spectrum have slammed Sri Lanka’s attempts at acquiring land across the North-East as a move to alter the demography of the Tamil homeland.
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.
