Release Kepapulavu and Valikamam North lands: TNA

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has requested President Maitripala Sirisena to direct the authorities concerned to release land occupied by the military in Valikamam North in the Jaffna District and Kepapulavu in the Mullaitivu District.

“The Civilian population entitled to those lands are now staging demonstrations opposite their lands urging that they be released. The land at Valikamam North in the Jaffna District has been occupied by the Army for more than 25 years.these lands were first occupied by the Armed Forces when the LTTE was active and was in possession of heavy artillery and posed a threat to installations of the Armed Forces. This position ceased to exist several years ago. These Lands were owned and used by Civilians for generations both for residential and farming purposes. There can be no justification for not returning the Lands to the Civilians entitled to them. The civilian population claim that the Government promised to release these lands but that the promise has not been honoured. May I kindly request that very early action be taken to release these lands to the civilian population,” TNA leader R. Sampanthan, who is also the Leader of the Opposition, said in a letter to the President.

The land at Kepapulavu in the Mullaitivu District had been re-occupied by the armed forces, for about eight years.