The Sri Lankan navy has acquired 66 acres of private land in Mathakal, Jaffna reports the Uthayan.
The latest acquisition by Sri Lanka's military comes after a protest earlier this week. Villagers in Mathakal prevented the Sri Lankan navy from surveying lands, which were to be acquired by the military this week.
See our earlier post: Protest prevents Sri Lankan military land grab attempt in Jaffna (18 November 2014)
Following the protest military surveyors arrived at the village again stating that they had now acquired the land from its owner and could not stop them from undertaking their activities.
The owner of the land reportedly said that the navy occupied his lands for a long time and he still did not know when his land would be returned to him, thus decided to sell it to the military instead.
The latest acquisition by Sri Lanka's military comes after a protest earlier this week. Villagers in Mathakal prevented the Sri Lankan navy from surveying lands, which were to be acquired by the military this week.
See our earlier post: Protest prevents Sri Lankan military land grab attempt in Jaffna (18 November 2014)
Following the protest military surveyors arrived at the village again stating that they had now acquired the land from its owner and could not stop them from undertaking their activities.
The owner of the land reportedly said that the navy occupied his lands for a long time and he still did not know when his land would be returned to him, thus decided to sell it to the military instead.