Three cases CA (Writ) Nos. 125, 135 & 205/2013 challenging the forcible acquisition by the Rajapaksa regime of traditional land of Northern Province Tamils were taken up in the Appeal Court today (27.08.2013) before President of the Appeal Court Justice S. Sriskandaraja and Justice Malani Gooneratne.
In two of the cases, 2176 Jaffna Tamil landowners are the petitioners. In the third case, the petitioner is the Roman Catholic Bishop of Jaffna (Thomas Soundaranayagam) himself, appealing to the court for relief for church owned properties as well as other residents of the Northern Province, whose lands are being forcibly grabbed unlawfully.
All petitioners are pleading for relief to be given to all affected landowners, in a massive land extent more than two-third the size of Colombo City. President’s Counsel K. Kanag-Isvaran with M. A. Sumanthiran, Viran Corea, Lakshmanan Jeyakumar and Niran Anketell appeared for the petitioners instructed by their proctor Mohan Balendra.
Deputy Solicitor General Shavindra Fernando appeared for the respondents in the two cases by 2176 petitioners today and requested for more time to file objections. The court gave time till 07.11.2013 to file objections. Fernando said he wants to see what happens in some similar cases filed in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is now run by de facto Chief Justice Mohan Pieris.
Another Deputy Solicitor General Janak de Silva appeared for the 2nd respondent only in CA (Writ) 205/2013 (the Jaffna Catholic Bishop’s case). Although the other respondents had been issued notice, they had failed to come to court. Therefore the court ordered for the absent respondents also to be noticed to file any objections. In this case too, the court gave time till 07.11.2013 for the DSG to file objections.
A senior political analyst said that it looks like the Rajapaksa regime is deliberately trying to delay filing its position on this matter in writing till the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) is held in Colombo in November of this year.
Reports indicate that the arbitrary manner of the huge land grab is giving big heartburn to the Tamil community and attracting heavy outrage in civil society. The international community is reported to be highly concerned about this matter. According to reports, the Rajapaksa regime is under huge pressure from many democratic countries, for their highhanded actions in this matter.
Don Stanley / August 27, 2013
Not only should the Police be taken from Gota the Goon’s control and given to the Ministry of justice. The Urban Development Authority (UDA) should also be taken away from Defense Ministry that is involved in so many land grabs using guns to silence people in urban areas. Cities are being stripped of trees and foliage and made into military style environments and civilian institutions being destroyed by the Defense Ministry land and CIVILIAN INSTITUTION GRAB.
The militarization of urban development and education should be brought to the notice of MS. Pillai who should make recommendations on how the DEEP STATE or “State within a State” that that Gotabaya Rajapassa is consolidating for the Rajapassa military dictatorship with a Facade of democracy in Sri Lanka must be rolled back.
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / August 30, 2013
I have been told that state land is being blocked off and allocated to new settlers amidst the ongoing campaign for the impending PC elections. One such new village has been named Agbopura and another Namalpura. Is this legal? Is The NP Governor aware of this? If true will he take steps to reverse the process? Should those in the know complain to the Election Commissioner? Are the mice at play even while the cat- Navi Pillai- is sniffing around? Is a similar project underway in Kokillai in the Mullaitivu district?
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran
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