Ranil got army occupied land area numbers wrong?

Siva Parameswaran-Senior International Journalist

Thai Pongal day events in the Tamil heartland of Jaffna seems to have gone wrong for the President Ranil Wickremesinghe. 

While on one side protesters demanding the return of their lands and seeking to know the whereabouts of their relatives who surrendered, were brutally attacked with water cannon without being given answers on the other side the visit itself perse was disappointing for the Tamils, they say.

Mocking the brutal action of the security forces the Tamils in an act of defiance had a shampoo bath as the water cannons sprayed water amidst breaking down.

As release of lands were being discussed, land grabbing attempts continues by the government and at many places, the public have thwarted such an attempt.

Now, serious questions have been raised by the war affected Tamils in the North and East about his claims of the area of the land held by the security forces. The actual area including government and departmental lands held by the army is by far huge than the actual number the president told in Jaffna. 

According to the report of the UN Human Rights High Commissioner, “In his 8 August 2022 speech, the president acknowledged that there are many land issues that need to be resolved”.

The report further said, “The Government reports that the total number of private lands released by the Armed Forces from 2009 to June 2022 is 2,601,796 acres or 92.42%, with a further 53 (0.19%) acres proposed for release”.

Accordingly, the president has confirmed that more 2.8 million acres of land were forcefully taken over by the state’s Armed Forces. That being the case 6.52% amounting to 1,83,589 acres are still occupied by the security forces. 

But the president in his speech on Thai Pongal day in Jaffna said, “We are also discussing the return of land in Jaffna. During the war, the army kept about 30,000 acres under their control because they wanted to protect these areas”.

He further added, “Today only 3,000 acres are left under the security forces. The army has expressed its willingness to hand over another part of it. We are discussing it”. 

However, at a meeting at the Jaffna District office, President Wickremesinghe ordered the release of 110 acres in Valikamam North, 4360 acres in Vadamaratchi East and 354 acres in Kuruthurmalai.

Even if it is assumed that those 3000 acres are in the Jaffna peninsula, he has not said anything about the 1,83,589 acres of land mostly in the Vanni area, which is where the maximum number of security forces camp exist in the whole nation.

According to TNA MP Sivagnanam Sritharan 4374.5 acres of land in Killinochi district alone continues to be under military occupation. This mostly refers to private lands forcefully occupied by the army depriving the livelihood of hundreds of thousands of Tamils. In adjoining Mullaitivu district the situation is even dire.

Apart from this the security forces are also occupying government and department lands like belonging to Agriculture/Wildlife/Health/Education etc.,

In such a scenario, the numbers quoted by the President appears very much misleading. 

Meanwhile former Chief Minister of Northern Province and former Judge of the Supreme Court justice C V Wigneswaran has told the president that over 60,000 acres of land are still under the security forces throughout the province. However, it is reported the president replied that only 16,000 acres are with the forces. Also, Wigneswaran says the president has agreed to check the details of the lands occupied by the state’s armed forces provided by him.

As in any Executive Presidency system when the President is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, instead of ordering the security forces to release the lands immediately, Ranil Wickremesinghe says discussion is on with the army on handing over back the land legally belonging to the public.

Tamils whose lands were forcefully grabbed under the guise of war and security say the president should stand by his words of ‘doing everything’ to get back their lands while he was leader of the opposition (LOP) and subsequently Prime Minister.

Information gathered from various sources clearly indicate the numbers quoted by the President and the state do not tally with the actual occupation. 

In 2012 when Ranil Wickeremasinghe as LOP participating in a meeting along with now Tamil Progressive Alliance Leader and Colombo district MP Mano Ganesan and all TNA MPs in front of Tellipalai Dugai Amman Kovil assured that he stands with them and will ensure lands are returned. This incident has been well documented. 

In spite of his assurances more than a decade ago in Vanni alone 45,000 acres of lands are occupied by security forces camp, out of which 5000 acres are pvt land, 6000-7500 govt lands, rest all dept lands.  For example, in Killinochi dist Vaddakachi village army is doing agriculture in 672 acres of private ownership lands.  

While in Thiruvayaru village 450 acres of land belonging to the agriculture department a model farm is run by SL army camp. Also, in Mannar district Manthai West DS division Vellankulam village 1000-acre model cashew and coconut farm were taken for army camp. 

Now, all the commercial proceeds of such fertile lands are being taken away by the security forces, while the locals who fled to save their lives are left struggling for their livelihood. Most of them say they survive as daily wage labourers and finding a job amidst serious economic challenge is a huge task.

Meanwhile in Mullaitivu district PTK DS division- Moongilaru and Viswamadu villages in the forest dept land, SL civil security division is having a model tree planting village in 1000 acres where the army is cultivating and selling the produce, in what would have been a source of living of thousands of locals whose survival has become a question mark as increasing threat of land grabbing continues.

Similarly, in Killinochi District Poonagari DS division Mudkomban village 200-acre model farm area taken over by the army depriving the war affected Tamils of their daily living.

Although, according to sources Ranil Wickremsinghe is said to have ordered returning 354 acres of land in Kurunthoormalai area immediately, the Buddhist clergy and army are stay put there forcefully and have constructed a Vihara with utter disregard to a court order. 

Locals are apprehensive if the army and the clergy will agree to the release of the land which is a traditional Tamil sacred area with the Adhi Ayyanar Sivan Kovil there.