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A protest held by villagers in Mathakal, Jaffna prevented the Sri Lankan navy from surveying lands which were to be acquired by the military this week.
When surveyors from the military arrived at the area, villagers protested against their presence, reports Uthayan. The villagers, who were told to produce documents confirming their ownership of the land by surveyors, refused to allow the military personnel on to their property, stating they would not allow any surveying to take place.
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4 acres of land were marked to be seized by the Sri Lankan military.
Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan army went on to survey land around the Sunnakam, Sabapathippillai and Madaththadi Welfare Centres.
The Sabapathippillai and Madaththadi Welfare Centres host 287 families across some 160 acres of land, reports Uthayan.
One of those living at the centre told the Jaffna daily,
“The army brought land surveying officers in the morning and measured the lands. It seems as if it is an attempt to settle us [permanently] in the particular lands. We cannot accept this. We want our own lands, not any other lands.”
“Tamil politicians should come forward to somehow recover us our own lands”, the people in the welfare centres requested.