67,000 acre land under Army in North and East:  Sinhalisation continuing accuses the Vavuniya Citizen’s Committee

On behalf of the Vavuniya Citizens’ Committee, N.Muthiharan, K Arunthavarajah and Kparameswaran, has submitted a memorandum to the Task Force for finding out the opinion of people on the mechanism for reconciliation, stating with supportive evidence that,  67,000 acre lands are still under the control of the Army, without being released.

They have said in their memorandum that, these activities, are proving that they are a part of a massive Buddhist Predominance Scheme undertaken in the guise of ‘assimilation’ as a part of deliberate genocide, destroying the unique identity of the Tamil people on the soil where they have lived traditionally.

They have stated in the memorandum that, State power is acting as the catalyst for this unjustifiable Sinhalization is the problem and without stopping these Sinhala Colonisations, there is no point in speaking about reconciliation.

It is further said in this memorandum that:

67,000 acre consisting of state lands, private lands and buildings are still under the Army control in North and East, without being released.

Sinhala Colonization is continuing in the North and East. The Government is colonizing with its well wishes and security Sinhalese people in the state lands. Recently a village called Kekachchan kulam has been transformed into three villages  of Kalabobaswewa-1, Kalabobaswewa-2 and Namalgama, and more than 3,000 Sinhalese people were settled in these villages by the state. While the lands of Tamil people are being disseised by the Army, in Kokkuweli, the tank area also is being occupied by the army.

The name Kokkuweli had been altered into “Kokeliya” in Sinhalese. The lands of the Tamils has been acquired and made into an Army Camp. The Lands of Tamil people in Thachanakkulam are in the process of being occupied. Arrangements are being made to put up a building here.

The land requested to construct a playground for Vavuniya Rambaikulam Girls College and the Rambaikulam crematorium are under the control of the Air force. We are unable to perform religious rites freely, and had to obtain the permission of the Air Force to cremate or bury the dead. This area also is being in the process of being occupied.

The Tamil families who were living in the 200 acre lands, near Kokkadivankulam, developed for agriculture by the Agricultural Development Department has been chased away and lands had been given to165 Sinhala families. Buddhist Vihares and Buddha statues are being constructed in North and East, where no Sinhalese live. The President himself had announced that a 67feet high Buddha statue will be constructed in Nainatheevu. The foundation for that also has been already laid.

A Sinhala colony, by the name of “Sihala Rawaya” has been established at Navatkuly, which is the entrance to Jaffna Town. The name board “ Sihala Rawaya”  for this village has been planted very recently. “Sihala Rawaya” is an extremist Buddhist organization, managed by Buddhist Bhikkus to propagate Buddhism. That name has been given to this village. This Sinhala colony has been extended all over the area around Navatkuli Railway station. The Government has given permission to build school and Buddhist Vihare in this village.

After the end of the war, in 2010 October 8th, 193 Sinhala families were brought to Jaffna and made to stay at the then abandoned Jaffna Railway Station. The said Sinhala colonists say that they lived in these areas from periods prior to 1983. Sinhalese villages such as Janakapura, Singhapura and 13th Colony had been established along the borders of Mullaitheevu district complete with fully Sinhala name boards.

New Sinhala colonies are in the process of being established in the neighbourhood of 13th Colony. They are moving towards Thennamaranvadi* of Trincomalee. Small houses with tin sheet roofing have been provided for them. The houses meant for war-affected people had been built and given to the Sinhalese people colonized by force in the 13th colony. But the people of Thennamaravadi, who are affected by war for more than 30 years, are still living in temporary housings*. The border villages of Vavuniya near Othiyamalai had been made into “ Gajabapura”. Sinhalese colonization had been effected in Kent Farm and Dollar Farm. From these areas, Sinhala settlements advance towards Othiyamalai at the rate of at least one house per day. All the border areas of Vavuniya are being sieged by Sinhala Colonizations. In Vavuniya such colonization are taking place closer to Mannar – Medawachchiya Road. Sinhala Colonization is also taking place in Musali area of Mannar. The situations in  Trincomalee and Amparai  have undergone changes because of the Sinhala Colonozation.  All these are new colonization**.

Tamil people so far has not done any encroachments in Buddhist Vihres in North and East. But now Tamil Temples have been desecrated and Buddhist temples are being built in their place. Construction of a wall, encroaching the third inner road of Kanakambihai Temple in Kilinochchi is an evidence for this.

These activities, are proving that they are a part of a massive Buddhist Predominance Scheme undertaken in the guise of ‘assimilation’ as a part of deliberate genocide, destroying the unique identity of the Tamil people on the soil where they have lived traditionally.

These colonization undertaken under the guise resettlement and those attempted to be established, are attempts to establish Sinhala Colonization which will attempt to destroy ethnic proportions, the Historical ancientness of the Tamil people and to safeguard the said colonization.

Although the Government is speaking about reconciliation, it has not engaged in justifiable activities, regarding deliberate Sinhala colonization carried out in the past and the occupations carried out now. Above all, the colonies established by the past governments are being strengthened in the period of the present Government.

The problem is that the government authority is acting as a catalyst for the Sinhalization beyond all justice, which will affect the race reconciliation. At this juncture, demanding that the government put forward solution deliberate Sinhala Colonization and the occupations that took place now and in the past is the need for the reconciliation. While the government put forward its solution, it is also necessary that it should reveal as to how it is going to act regarding matters that will affect ethnic proportion.

* This is actually a distorted form of Thonnai Maran Vadi – Thonnai Maran ,a settler from Sera Dynasty- Maran is a name used by people of Sera Dynasty

** These two farms were established by PLOTE movement in an effort to safeguard the border villages.