Shanakiyan urges Govt. to honour pledge on military-held civilian lands

Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam has called on the Government to honour its election pledge to release military-occupied civilian lands in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, arguing that demilitarisation and land restitution are essential to reconciliation, resettlement, and long-term peace. In a statement yesterday, Rasamanickam said that although 17 years had passed since the end of the armed conflict, significant extents of privately owned civilian land remained under military occupation, delaying the restoration of normal civilian administration and undermining confidence among affected communities. He noted that the National People’s Power (NPP), in its election manifesto, had pledged to expedite the release of civilian lands occupied by the military and facilitate the resettlement of displaced communities, and said the Government must now fulfil that commitment. Rasamanickam welcomed the recent release of two military camps in Batticaloa following concerns he raised at the Parliamentary Consultative Committee on Defence, chaired by President Dissanayake in his capacity as Defence Minister, but said the overall pace of land releases remained too slow. He said continued protests in areas including Palaly, Myliddy, and Keppapilavu demonstrated that military occupation of land remained one of the country’s most significant unresolved post-war issues. He added that communities continued to stage peaceful protests demanding the return of their ancestral lands. The MP also pointed out that voters in a Local Government ward in Palaly had backed NPP candidates at the recent Local Government Election largely on the Government’s promise to release occupied civilian lands, and said those expectations should now be met without further delay. Rasamanickam said he had requested the Defence Minister to inform Parliament of the total extent of private and State land occupied by armed forces in each district of the Northern and Eastern Provinces, the extent of land released since the present Government assumed office, the balance that remains under military occupation, and a timeline for the release of all remaining occupied lands. He also sought details of measures to complete land releases in Valikamam North, address ongoing protests in Myliddy and Palaly, restore public access to religious sites, schools, and other public institutions, release lands in Kilinochchi District, including those required for the expansion of the Karachchi Pradeshiya Sabha and the Department of Agriculture, and return the remaining civilian lands in Keppapilavu. The MP further claimed that several longstanding grievances remained unresolved, including military occupation of land in Myliddy Harbour affecting around 700 families, lands in Palaly affecting about 300 families, land required for the expansion of the Karachchi Public Library, the Iranamadu Agricultural Research Institute, and 59.5 acres of civilian land in Keppapilavu. He also disputed claims that alternative lands had been provided to affected residents in Keppapilavu, stating that only 44 individuals had been allocated temporary land at Seniyarmottai, while the Hindu cemetery at Kurumbaichitty also remained under military occupation. Rasamanickam said he expected comprehensive, transparent, and time-bound responses from the Government, urging it to accelerate the release of occupied civilian lands and advance the demilitarisation of the Northern and Eastern Provinces in line with its electoral commitments.

Shanakiyan urges Govt. to honour pledge on military-held civilian lands | Daily FT