Leader of the Opposition and Tamil National Alliance, R. Sampanthan has demanded that the government immediately return lands held by the military in the North and the East back to civilians.
Sampanthan
In an adjournment motion moved in Parliament on June 10, 2016, Sampanthan said that even though seven years have elapsed since the end of the armed conflict in the country, several hundred thousands of Tamils and others continue to be displaced from their original places of residence in the North and the East during the period of the said armed conflict.
“Unambiguous assurances were given by His Excellency the President and others that displaced people would be resettled in their original places. This was stated to be the definite policy of the new Government. Large numbers of those persons are still prevented from returning to their original homes and to their lands and resuming their livelihood activities/ occupation, primarily due to the fact that the military continues to occupy their lands or due to the fact that though the land is not used, the military has not released the land,” Sampanthan said.
According to him, although some steps have been taken to hand over some parts of the said lands to the original owners, large swathes of land are still occupied by the military, which prevents the owners of those lands from being resettled in their own places, and putting the said lands to productive use.
“In addition to the land already under occupation by the military, more lands have been requisitioned by the military, the surveying of which has led to agitations by the people against Government surveyors and other officials,” he said.
In his adjournment motion, Sampanthan urged that that all lands possessed or held by the military in the North and the East be immediately returned to the civilians, entitled to same; that a structured programme be implemented urgently to enable the displaced and affected people to meaningfully rebuild and recommence their lives; and that immediate action be taken to reverse, rectify and redress the several actions that have adverse political, economic, social and cultural consequences to the Tamil people and thereby impedes genuine and meaningful reconciliation, and the evolution of permanent peace in the country on the basis of justice and equality.”
Sampanthan also noted that even though assurances were also given last year that most of the prisoners held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act would be released, however, apart from around 50 persons released on bail, others continue to languish in prisons under law that the Government has promised to repeal. “These prisoners complain that other prisoners similarly held have been released in the past and that there is discrimination against them,” he said.
“There is no structured programme of action taken to address the urgent and essential needs of the affected people to enable these people to rebuild their lives by providing them with housing and livelihood support. The engagement by the military in economic activities causes immense harm and deprivation to the local civilian population,” he said.
To Read the motion and his full speech check here
Patriot / June 13, 2016
[Edited out]
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shankar / June 13, 2016
patriot
i know you want to kill him,but he is an old man,let him go peacefully.
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Patriot / June 14, 2016
I don’t need to. You guys have a self defeatist culture Thambi is a good example.
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Tamour il from the north / June 16, 2016
Patriot are you the one who was hiding under the bed when the war was on. Time to time you would come out and cry to momma how scared you were and you urinated in your sarong? Sad bugger.
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Native Vedda / June 13, 2016
Patriot pathetic
“[Edited out]”
Thanks for keeping it brief.
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Joseph De Vazz - Kotte / June 15, 2016
Correction
These Lands are stolen from the Poor Tamil Civilians after the LTTE was defeated and those Tamils are still living in Refugee camps.
A SHAME on these so called RANAVIRU’S.
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senthil / June 13, 2016
The main reason for we are unable to control/eradicate the anti-social Tamil elements from North is due to the Gotha-army protection and finance given to them. If army leave and appoint some Tamil police, the tails from those anti-social could be chopped off in no time. Also the finance from Swiss will be stopped in no time. If the government actually wanted piece in North followed by Srilanka, then the government can remove the army in no time. The government won the war with the help of many countries and now they can do this with the same help. Hope for the best. Every one have to accept that doing politics in North among the army is very difficult – they may go mental any time. Now after the recent fire, some Singhalese could understand the difficulty in living among army – hope majority will experience this difficulty soon – Mighty God will teach those ignorant zero causality lot.
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shankar / June 13, 2016
“Sampanthan Wants All Lands Held By Military In North-East Immediately Returned To Civilians”
if not,he will,he will,grrr..grrrr…grrr
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Alfred / June 16, 2016
He placed a ‘motion to take note’ because BodhiSira reiterated his commitment to Obama and the G7 members at Japan summit meeting on 27th May 2016.
Good for him.
if not? Yes it will not materialise because Samanta is taking the soldiers for UN peacekeeping duties.
He and the concerned better direct energies towards supporting Trump like they did with Boris and at least got rotten eggs while all the others in the west were google, waffle, google.
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Naufer Mohamed - Kotte / June 16, 2016
The Sri Lanka Army forcibly took thousands of acres of lands belonged to the Tamil civilians living in the North & East during the final war and chased them away to the Refugee camps.
The President should immediately intervene and release those Lands to the rightful owners.
a shamed on our so called RAVAVIRUS.
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Alfred Domino / June 16, 2016
“The President should immediately intervene and release those Lands to the rightful owners””
The dust hasn’t settled even in seven years so,
how many more you never know.
Surely they would not want ghettos anymore in the new development and that means sale of some properties to other ethnics and proceeds used to award alternative to private property owner. multi-ethnic north -east.
This would take 6-12 months.
Don’t rush before plans get drawn.
BodhiSira showed displeasure while at Japan (he is con man)that the private properties are not being returned.so take it from there.It has to be multi-ethnic pressure on Sira for world to take note.(money of his is tight)
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Native Vedda / June 17, 2016
Alfred Domino
“Surely they would not want ghettos anymore in the new development and that means sale of some properties to other ethnics and proceeds used to award alternative to private property owner. multi-ethnic north -east.”
Great idea. Social engineering at its finest.
Now could you inform other’s also to do the same.
Would the Kandyan’s agree to sell their properties to Muslims?
I have been hearing a whispering campaign among Kandyans that no land or property should be sold to Muslims.
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Alfred Domino / June 17, 2016
“Great idea. Social engineering at its finest. “
That’s your vocabulary for another field.- of uprooting!!
We learn’t our lessons in history but cant live there- past..
We live in the present Now Germany moving the 1.5 million refugees throughout the land is nothing new to developers. This has been established with decades of realistic test on crime,no go areas, integration, resource distribution, etc.
Next, if not it does not make it easy for the military to move out for another generation similar to the allies at Germany-2020.
Safety First: Do not expect anything that might assist to retain the structure that permitted the rise of remote controlled terror to get back its space by diaspora n.go resistance. The war has cost the island while the Tamils paid for it with drugs and stealth enterprises.
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justice / June 13, 2016
In no other country, have armed forces continued to occupy homes and lands of its own citizens, after cessation of civil conflict for up to seven years.
This did not occur after the civil conflicts of 1971, and 1988/89.
Every citizen has the right to return to his home and land, once the conflict is over.
In no other country, do armed forces decide on their own with regard to occupying citizens’ homes and lands all by themselves and thus enjoy powers equal to civilian administration.
Every army in every democracy takes orders from the civilian government.
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anonymous / June 15, 2016
“In no other country, do armed forces decide on their own with regard to occupying citizens’ homes and lands all by themselves and thus enjoy powers equal to civilian administration.”
Wrong, can not agree! What about ‘Israel occupancy’????? and depriving the ‘Palastinians’ of their’s ???????
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bandito / June 16, 2016
Wrong, can not agree! What about ‘Israel occupancy’????? and depriving the ‘Palastinians’ of their’s ???????
So according to you Sinhalese and Tamils are both settlers like the Americans? While you are a immigrant Muslim.
He is spelling out the fact that tamils are natives to the land.
your stupid free education is showing .
stick to buying and selling from Pakistan.
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Naufer Mohamed - Kotte / June 15, 2016
SHAME on the President to give away the Lands forcefully stolen from the Poor Tamil civilians. Sinhala Army has no rights to occupy these lands that is rightly belongs to the Tamil civilians.
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kailainathan / June 13, 2016
How about the the Buddhist temples , war victory memorial they the government and forces built in our lands!!And also occupied temples schools churches and other public buildings !!
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Helayeh maha kalu Johnson / June 14, 2016
” How about the the Buddhist temples , war victory memorial they the government and forces built in our lands!!”
“Our Lands” ? yeah.. sure.. your lands… :D
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Spring Koha / June 13, 2016
Mr Prez, Mr PM are you listening? It is about time you ended this festering nonsense. You CAN reorganise the security and keep us safe.
RETURN the unnecessary lands held by the forces (both in the North and SOUTH) (I hope you learned the lessons of Salawa). (Anyone for another Salawa??)
END the ‘commercial’ activities, including the degradation of soldiers who are given menial jobs below their station.
I don’t need to recite the benefits, and the boost to esteem that will follow.
SET THE PEOPLE FREE!
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Sinhala_Man / June 14, 2016
Yes, there’s far too much armed forces presence in the North of Sri Lanka.
I’m writing from my home in the “salubrious climes” of the hill country, on a Monday night. Last Friday, I was one of a party of 34 who went North on what was described as what was described as a pilgrimage of the retired teachers of school. We travelled in the bus belonging to the school, so we saw a lot, while paying little.
We set out at 4.30 a.m., and reached the peninsula area by around 1.30 p.m., passing through Badulla, Mahiyangana, and Mihintatale. Yes, after Anuradhapura, let’s say from Vavuniya on, there is far too much of military presence.
We stopped at the shrine (smarakaya) of the hero from Hasalake, and I, too contributed something towards some fund for “education for peace”. Something like that! Then on to more shrines commemorating other heroes. It would have been so much better f we had no war in the first first place!
So much to commemorate the soldiers, who I’m sure were from decent, yeoman families.
But what about the fallen Tamil enemies. They are often described as ruthless, unlike our dead who were “valiant”. We must pull the army out of the North if we want reconcilliation. The party spent Friday and Saturday nights in the “Sri Naga Viharaya”, but my erstwhile colleagues (now all of us retired) allowed me to stay out since I had a friend who had been a classmate. I met Rajan H. after 46 years, although we’ve been in close telephone contact for the past two years.
Yes, it was a wonderful trip, and my friends were perfectly behaved and quite respectful towards the local Tamil population. But I felt that we have too many intruding Sinhalese in the North.
I know that now (after a long day of work, today, Monday) I’m not able to write eloquently; but please take this as a sincere appeal: let’s work ACTIVELY for Peace!
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Alfred Domino / June 15, 2016
The poison in the Lankan well due to:
Both sides are glaringly left leaning and added to it the nasty bit continues with the left leaning democrats of USA.
All three in denial that they are left leaning- but like poles repel.
Await an alternative to the right at USA for something realistic to be forced down the throat.
Margaret Thatcher — ‘The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.’
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Shrikharan / June 13, 2016
We do not want a Government that looks after the interests of the military.
We want a Government that looks after the people, the civilians.
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KA Sumanasekera / June 14, 2016
Poor people…
Where do all those Jaffna inhabitants live?..
I know Mr Sambnadan lives close to Barnes Place one of his mates, Dr Mervy has picked up a patch fairly cheap about 3 years ago.
What is holding back Batalanada Ranil, giving all these land back, if they have titles. Any title because Dr Mervyn apparently bought one for his Barnes Place.
Holding back Federal Land rights is different.
But this is a straight open and shut case… Right…
Wonder where that Jaffna Super Mall get their customers from to eat KFC and Rio Ice Cream.
What happens if all the Army dudes are kicked out as Mr Sambandan demands.
Will Dr Yadehige close it down .. Or is it owned by Colombo Mormons?…
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Marrikar / June 16, 2016
KA Sumanasekera ,
Gleneagles please convert to a Islam then feel like Nawab than run a proxy October Revolution.
Others money has run out so there possibly cannot be socialism but communism.
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Tamil from the north / June 18, 2016
KA Sumanasekeram, the parayapaksa prostitute will sell his body and soul to protect the parayapaksa interests. Disgusting filth.
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BBS Rep / June 14, 2016
Yes, agreed, all lands forcibly taken by the military must be returned to the original owners. Or adequate compensation paid if lands are imperative for military use.
In the same token, does Sampanthan demand all evicted Muslim’s lands be returned to the original owners?
What is good for the goose should be good for the gander as well.
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Paul- real Siva Sankaran Sarma / June 14, 2016
very few Muslims owned lands in the north and in the east they ethnically cleansed Tamils and stole their lands and have not returned them yet. No one is preventing these northern Muslims from returning to their lands other than armed forces. A Muslim minister from Mannar was in charge of rehabilitation, however this Shaitan, instead of settling genuine displaced people, Tamil Muslim or Sinhalese, was very busy settling thousands of southern Muslims in the Mannar,Vanni and Mullaitivu districts, especially along the Wilpattu corridor to create new Muslim enclaves that were never there.
Very few Sinhalese were displaced and other than the northern Muslims, who as I earlier stated hardly owned any land, Muslims in the other areas only greatly benefitted from marginalisation of the island’s Tamils. Especially in the East and West. This is why this immigrant community from South India( not the Arabian Gulf) are so against reconciliation and the island’s indigenous Tamils gaining any form of self rule. It is the Tamils who suffered immensely at the hands of everyone. The government armed forces Muslims and the LTTE to some extent. However the Muslims and Sinhalese are now falsely crying they have suffered when they really have not( other than the northern Muslims who number around 75000 out of population of 1.9 million Muslims in the island)
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BBS Rep / June 15, 2016
Siva,
The horrific treatment meted out to Tamils based on unadulterated racism by the Sinhalese must be decried.
In the same token Tamil racism against Muslims which is well documented, perhaps more subtle than the Sinhala racism against Tamils, is real and exists and when the LTTE ruled the roost, simply kicked out of Jaffna wholesale, forced to leave all their valuables – meaning plunder.
I don’t know where you got the idea that Muslims did not own lands in the Jaffna Peninsula. In a way you are right, as soon as the 90000 Muslims were evicted from Jaffna at gunpoint, Tamils squatted on those lands and now claim such lands to be owned by them.
Let us all fight against all forms of racism.
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Paul- real Siva Sankaran Sarma / June 15, 2016
Actually it was around 75000 living in the entire north mostly in the Mannar region and only around 13000 in the Jaffna region, so do not understand where you are getting this number 95000 in the Jaffna region.
There may have been a few rich/middle class Muslims who owned land in Jaffna, however the vast majority of them were dirt poor and did not own any land.
Muslims in Sri Lanka are Tamil by ethnicity, a few hundred families largely living in the south having a little bit of Arab and other western Asian ancestry does not make them a different ethnic or racial group. They should be correctly classified as Tamil Muslims. A little bit of Arab does not make you Arab or Moorish.
Moors are from North Africa Morocco and definitely the ancestors of the Sri Lankan Muslims never came from there.
They are cunningly using the incorrect classification that the Portuguese gave to all South Asian Muslims. Moors. As these were the only Muslims they had encountered prior to their travels. This classification was only related to their religion not to their race/ethnicity. All other South Asian Muslims immediately discarded this incorrect classification, as Muslims from South Asia have very little Arab, Moor West Asian or Central Asian blood. More than 99% of them are low caste Hindus who converted to Islam to escape the harsh caste system. The Muslims in Sri Lanka are ethnic Tamil immigrants from Kerala and Tamil Nadu whose largely low caste Hindu ancestors converted to Islam.
It is only due to dirty politics and selfish power play both by the southern Muslims and the Sinhalese establishment, to divide and rule the island’s Tamils that this incorrect classification of Sri Lanka’s Muslims as Moors remain. If the island’s Muslims want to remain separate from their Hindu and Christian Tamil ethnic kin that is fine, however they should be correctly classified by their correct origin Tamil Muslims and not an incorrect classification as Moors with some fake Arab identity and heritage that they hardly have. Deny their 99% Dravidian Tamil heritage and pathetically claim and cling to a 1% Arab or some other western Asian origin.
Tamils have not been racist toward the island’s Muslims on the contrary they been in the receiving end of Muslim hatred and backstabbing from the time of independence. Other than in the north, these immigrant fake Arab Indian Tamil low caste converts have been largely conniving with the Sinhalese on how to marginalise and discriminate the island’s Tamils. Culmination in the standardisation of marks for Tamil students to deliberately keep them out of university and other forms of higher education. The architecture of this was a Muslim during Bandaranaike rule in the 1970s. It was during this era the large scale marginalisation of the Tamils in the east by Muslims started in earnest and is still continuing. Thousands of Sinhalese were also illegally settled in the Trincomallee district during this period. Have you forgotten the Muslims mobs and thugs shouting and speaking loudly in Tamil looting Tamil homes shops and businesses in the Sinhalese south every time a state sponsored pogrom took place? The large scale ethnic cleansing of Tamils in the east by the Muslim home guards who were armed by the STF in the east. These stolen ethnically cleansed Tamil lands in the east still have not been returned, despite even the court ordering them to be returned. These northern Muslims were not innocent. Instead of being neutral and minding their own business, they started to spy for the racist Sinhalese armed forces and store arms. The LTTE found this out and did not want a repeat of what happened to the Tamils in the south and in the east and packed them away. They were acting as a fifth column and backstabbing the Tamils as usual for a few crumbs from the Sinhalese pie for their converted low caste immigrant refugee community from Tamil Nadu/Kerala.
These southern Muslims like Izeth and the rest look down on the Muslims from the north and east. They very rarely will socialize with them or even marry into them. Unless the boy is highly qualified and holds a good job or the female is extremely pretty or the family has a lot of wealth. Otherwise they derogatively call them Tamils(As if they are Arabs sic). They want to live amicably with the majority Sinhalese in the south but do not want these Muslims in the north and east to live peacefully and amicably with their Hindu/Christian Tamil ethnic kindred but want them agitate against them in the name of Island for their own selfish political and economic power games down south. They are virtually using them as pawns for their selfish gains but care tow hoots for them. Especially the Muslim elite living in Colombo,Kandy, Galle and other major southern cities.
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BBS Rep / June 16, 2016
Well Siva,
Your justification and convoluted history and arguments are of no use to the thousands of Muslims made to flee their lands and livelihood in Jaffna during the hay day of the LTTE.
If Tamils feel justified in pointing out Sinhala racism towards them (rightly so)it is also right that Muslims feel the same way about Tamil racism. Any form of justification, whether based on religion, language, colour, history, culture, hallowed lands or based on gods chosen people, is no justification of the utterly base and inhumane hatred, bias and racism that sits in our heart.
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simon / June 16, 2016
“are of no use to the thousands of Muslims”
1948 to 2016 many Muslim ministers and getting stronger on the back of Tamils?
“bias and racism that sits in our heart. “
Give up your koran then to abide by agreements is as easy like Sunday morning.
Is Islam a violent religion. ??
There’s something definitely going on.^
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Native Vedda / June 16, 2016
BBS Rep
“simply kicked out of Jaffna wholesale, forced to leave all their valuables – meaning plunder.”
Don’t forget LTTE also dragged most of the Tamils out of Jaffna and forcibly settled them in Vanni, movement out of LTTE controlled area was banned, and VP plundered the Tamils well before they confiscated Muslim assets. LTTE killed Tamils, Sinhalese and Muslims, irrespective of their race, religion or region.
Do you still think VP was motivated by racism or he was simply a psychopath, who exercised mind boggling violence without any restraint?
One does not need evidence to prove the existence of racism among Sinhala/Buddhists, it has been out in the open and form major part of the tragic history of this island.
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Lone Wolf / June 16, 2016
Native Vedda,
“Don’t forget LTTE also dragged most of the Tamils out of Jaffna and forcibly settled them in Vanni, movement out of LTTE controlled area was banned, and VP plundered the Tamils well before they confiscated Muslim assets.”
But surely you must understand that all of the above was done to protect us.
Luckily this kind of protection is over or is it?
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Native Vedda / June 16, 2016
Lone Wolf
“But surely you must understand that all of the above was done to protect us. “
Yeah, yeah. yeah, I too heard about it many, many moons ago. LTTE couldn’t even protect VP’s bum leave alone the entire people.
“Luckily this kind of protection is over or is it?”
Can you protect every single person from, tsunami,
Chikungunya, environmental disasters, man made disasters (the one in perpetual existence in this island), national stupidity and madness, globalisation, man’s insatiable greed, from Rohana Prabaharan, Gnanasara, Wimal, Champika, HLD M, …… ?
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Lone Wolf / June 16, 2016
Native Vedda,
“Can you protect every single person from, tsunami, Chikungunya, environmental disasters, man made disasters (the one in perpetual existence in this island), national stupidity and madness, globalisation, man’s insatiable greed, from Rohana Prabaharan, Gnanasara, Wimal, Champika, HLD M, …… ?”
The “……” in the end hopefully refers to what I tried to say without naming names.
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / June 14, 2016
The title is misleading and probably mischievous.
What Sambanthan demands is privately owned land taken over during the war years be returned to the rightful owners.
Sambanthan should also highlight the large extents of privately owned land that lie abandoned/unused in the peninsula and the organized land theft being orchestrated by organized criminal gangs of Tamils. This is happening even in the vicinity of the Northern Provincial Council in Kaithady. From what I understand this land theft is also taking place in parts of the Batticaloa district.
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran
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KA Sumanasekera / June 14, 2016
Oh I see..
I thought the TNA boss was demanding that even Nanthikadal be returned to the Vellalas, denying us a nice Golf Course to enhance Batalanada Ranil’s terrorists Boom , sorry Tourists Boom which he is bragging to give Yahapalana jobs to our Dalits.
So who are these abandoned / unsued land belong to ?.
Why are they unused and abandoned?.
I mean a perch even in Ambalantota fetches about 80 Lakhs if it is over 80 perch blocks and close to the beach.
Just imagine how much Mooley these LTTE lands will fetch, when the Dual passport holders start invading us.
These Land Gangs .. Are they like the ones who nicked that 38 perches in Barnes place close to where Vellals live?.
Is Dr Mervyn advising them on Real Estate Investments before the Boom starts?…
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Lone Wolf / June 16, 2016
KAS,
“So who are these abandoned / unsued land belong to ?. Why are they unused and abandoned?”
Absent or elderly land owners who cannot find laborers even if they try.
How to run a farm when farming is not profitable?
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Ajith / June 14, 2016
Dr Narendran,
You must be having all the information regarding the land grab by criminal gangs of Tamils. NCP has no power over lands and police. So, why can’t you bring this matter with Central government?
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Lone Wolf / June 16, 2016
Ajith,
“You must be having all the information regarding the land grab by criminal gangs of Tamils. NCP has no power over lands and police. So, why can’t you bring this matter with Central government?”
Where are the northern whistle blowers and investigative journalists? Why is there no Freddy Gamage in Jaffna?
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Lone Wolf / June 17, 2016
Ajith,
“So, why can’t you bring this matter with Central government?”
I can not speak for Dr RN but I have myself made a complaint to the president regarding an other matter. Unfortunately there has not been any reply nor action to my best knowledge. In my opinion it would be pointless to complain to the NPC or GA of Jaffna.
The best way to approach some of these problems is to ask if INGOs and other foreign sources of money are aware of what is achieved with their funding.
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Dragos / June 17, 2016
“Unfortunately there has not been any reply nor action to my best knowledge.””
Something wrong somewhere…..falling leaves.
try re-writing the complimentary complaint in Sinhala so it reaches the masses…you may strike figures and sense.
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / June 18, 2016
Lone Wolf,
Two-a man and a women- who were members of a gang were jailed on my initiative in 2013. However, it is a cumbersome process, because the police refuse to take preventive measures, when attempts are reported. They will take action only when a de-facto situation evolves. Their frequent advice is to remove any illegal fences that are put up. Bribery is also frequently at play and as in everything else there is a political hand in the shadows.
Dr.RN
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Lone Wolf / June 15, 2016
Dr RN,
“Sambanthan should also highlight the large extents of privately owned land that lie abandoned/unused in the peninsula”
Exactly. Almost nobody admits this fact. Of course the land owners have the right to do what they want.
“and the organized land theft being orchestrated by organized criminal gangs of Tamils. This is happening even in the vicinity of the Northern Provincial Council in Kaithady. From what I understand this land theft is also taking place in parts of the Batticaloa district.”
I suspect that the ownership of a lot of the land needed for the housing, fisheries and other development projects is not “clean”. The land is taken from absent land owners and sold at higher than market prices for the projects using middle men and companies.
A lot of the construction involved in these so called development projects would never survive a real audit. Money goes missing without proper book keeping and quality is very low. I have e seen new buildings with cracks in the walls and roofs blown away.
Another question is that what is constructed is often not needed at all by the people.
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / June 15, 2016
Lone Wolf.
During a recent visit, I have seen in a Batticalia village, tube wells which have not been provided with hand pumps, toilets without water supply, a milk collection Centre that does not collect any milk and a well built nursery school that is not operating! All these have been funded by the government. The tube wells were apparently drilled six years ago !
The whole system is rotten. There are no physical audits nor accountability. The worst is that people have walk long distances to collect water and bathe. Of course they yet use the bush as toilets.
This is what we call a middle income country and the miracle of Asia!
Ajit,
You should ask what the TNA and the MPs what they are doing about this problem and to what extent they are involved.
Dr. RN
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stop20 / June 16, 2016
Naren,
“You should ask what the TNA and the MPs what they are doing about this problem and to what extent they are involved. “
Hell yes, they should consult you of all people considering the fact you are the all knowing dog inspector turned politician city planner putting spokes on every alley.
Sampa is colombo 7 and he does not think like a village rascal. He has just batted out to BodhiSira’s commitment at G7 summit on 28th May.
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Lone Wolf / June 16, 2016
Dr RN,
“There are no physical audits nor accountability.”
I believe that the buildings, roads etc are inspected and accepted but nobody “discovers” the low quality and the same contractors are chosen again.
Funding is not only government. There is foreign funding that can be seen in the boards that are proudly put up next to the projects. Even local and diaspora donations come in.
I know of empty tuition centers because there is no tuition master and local vegetable and fish markets that nobody uses. Drinking water was sent in browsers to places where inhabitants cannot pay for it. There is an IT lab where the computers remain unplugged and nobody knows how to us them.
I read that Kokuvil Hindu received a Hindu statue worth 700,000. Don’t know who financed it but was it really the priority of the students and staff? Does the school have a good library and IT lab?
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Native Vedda / June 16, 2016
Lone Wolf
“I believe that the buildings, roads etc are inspected and accepted but nobody “discovers” the low quality and the same contractors are chosen again. “
I am encouraged, soon you will discover, fire, wheel, zero, O2, ….
Congratulations.
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Lone Wolf / June 16, 2016
Native Vedda,
“Congratulations.”
Thank you.
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / June 16, 2016
Lone Wolf,
In this instance, it was government money that was wasted. There are many such incidents involving the NGOs, INGOs and other non-government players. I have seen a solar pump in Nilaweli, put up by an NGO that has not been maintained and is beyond repair now. In Batticaloa too I have seen a tube well drilled by an NGO where the hand pump failed and has not been repaired. It is idle for about three years now. The more one travels,the more one sees the orgy of waste and tragedy behind the facade that is called service to the poor.
Dr.RN
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stop20 / June 16, 2016
The man who wanted northern’s to live in European beach huts!!
“”tragedy behind the facade that is called service to the poor.””
You are shocked and awed because you have not traveled much nor are you a qualified to be a planner of cities.
give a gypsy community a tap and they would break it in no time- is standard in Europe or India.
what next foxy?
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Lone Wolf / June 16, 2016
Dr RN,
“I have seen a solar pump in Nilaweli, put up by an NGO that has not been maintained and is beyond repair now.”
Relatively new solar panel systems have been abandoned also. Easy come easy go.
/
Lanka Watch / June 14, 2016
Soon after the presidential election was won by Mr. Sirisena and subse
-quently a coalition Govt.(UNP/SLFP(S)) was formed after the general election, there was a friendly atmosphere prevailing among the two major communities and between the governing coalition and TNA. The
people, specially the majority community felt that the Tamils saved
the country from dictatorship as Tamil votes decided the victor.
The people of N/E sincerely expected that all existing problems facing
the Tamils will be solved within six months of formation of the Govt.
i.e. reduce the strength of the armed forces to a reqd.level, return
of lands to the rightful owners and development work in N/E to commence
The President made official visits to Jaffna and assured the people
that the lands will be returned to the owners within six months of his visit, which date passed long time back.
The infighting began among the TNA stalwarts and they did not engage the Govt. to talks at initial stages but kept busy trying to solve their problems within their party and left the people in the lurch. Now the situation is different.There is pressure from the Jt.opposition
not to give any concession to the Tamils and the Govt.is in a dilemma as their popularity too is diminishing and cannot accede to all the promises given in the past. Mr. Sabmanthan and the TNA have woken up from a deep slumber for the last 18 months and only now they are making
a hue and cry over excess armed forces in the North/East, most of the confiscated lands during the war are still in the hands of the army and not handed back to rightful owners,seven years after the war ended,
devolution of power to N/E and no development projects for N/E. except building roads and stadiums and there is unemployment everywhere in N/E which has brought the people below poverty level
TNA pls wake up to reality and start working if interested in keeping
the Tamils happy and contended. Its worthwhile if Mr. Sampanthan
releases a statement as to what they have done for the Tamils for the
last 18 months, when they had cordial relationship with the govt.
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ballah / June 14, 2016
[Edited out]
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Lone Wolf / June 14, 2016
Sampanthan,
“According to him, although some steps have been taken to hand over some parts of the said lands to the original owners, large swathes of land are still occupied by the military, which prevents the owners of those lands from being resettled in their own places, and putting the said lands to productive use.”
The security forces should hand over land that they do not need and buy land for their needs paying a market price.
Have you and other politicians noticed how many land owners have not returned to their places of origin even when they can?
Have you ever noticed the empty or almost empty houses and abandoned land?
Do you seriously expect that the original owners who are now elderly or their children or grandchildren return to the North and East to take up farming? During a very long time people have migrated from the North and East because farming is not profitable.
How many Tamil politicians with land are farmers? How many of them live in the North and East?
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / June 16, 2016
Lone Wolf,
The scene you describe is very accurate. Many return trying to find buyers for their lands and houses, in a market where there are less buyers and more sellers. They also expect very high prices for their lands. Lands currently worth Rs.1 150,000 per parappu presently, are sought to be sold at Rs 500,000 per parappu ( acre = 16 parappu).
I jibe friends from abroad who visit me while on this mission with the question,” Are you trying to sell a piece of your Eelam, which you supported?”
A land bank should be established to buy these lands and sell them for for development -buildings, industries and farming.
Dr.RN
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / June 16, 2016
Lone Wolf,
Correction: Rs.150,000 per parappu.
Dr.RN
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Kumar R. / June 16, 2016
Oh Rajasinghams,
This pretend chinwag between the two of you (yes, the Lone Wolf and DR NR) would be comical if not for the nauseating sham that it is. Of course it is vividly transparent that it is nothing but a coordinated public-facing chatter between siblings, a cheap attempt at deception, and nothing more.
It is this type of underhanded, naïve attempts at trickery that undermines all your attempts at gaining “goodwill” among the CT readers and the “pseudo-wisdom” that you try so hard to sell.
Any time the Land issue comes up the ears of the sibling perks up – he has made several attempts in these columns (first an article pleading for CT-reader support after his visit to the country trying to reclaim some lands, and next an idiotic draft manifesto for a presumptive group of Tamil saviours — NRTSL was it? – that actually focused on the “rights of the Diaspora to take back lands that they had abandoned three decades ago” while pretending to be protecting the interests of the war affected).
Be forthright – cowardice and attempts at deceit will not work!
And for some added comic relief – here are some laughable excerpts from several of the duo’s comments in this specific blog:
On why land remains unused: “Absent or elderly land owners who cannot find laborers even if they try. How to run a farm when farming is not profitable?” As an absentee (Diaspora) land owner, you want to keep the land, it is your choice. If it is unprofitable to farm, don’t farm. Economics would dictate where land prices would go. You want to hold on to land based on your expectation of future value, that is your problem. If you cannot find labourers even when you try, it just shows you want them at less than the going rate. It is all economics, my dear! Or, if really you have offered going rates, and they still refuse then it must be the case that even the labourers are apprehensive of your intentions and credibility! Good for them!!
“The land is taken from absent land owners and sold at higher than market prices for the projects using middle men and companies.” Who exactly are these middlemen and companies buying at higher than market price?! I am sure there many, many non-absent land owners who would be willing to sell a whole heap on those terms – higher than market price! Do you guys really find fundamental economics so difficult to understand?
“Another question is that what is constructed is often not needed at all by the people.” And “I have seen in a Batticaloa village, tube wells which have not been provided with hand pumps, toilets without water supply, a milk collection Centre that does not collect any milk and a well built nursery school that is not operating! All these have been funded by the government. The tube wells were apparently drilled six years ago! The whole system is rotten. There are no physical audits nor accountability. “
Are you not the same guys who were raving about the phenomenal construction work the regime was doing as a favour to the Tamils and insisted that Tamils should be thankful for their altruism and mercy?!
What do you guys smoke before writing in these columns?
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Karthigesu Nirmalan-Nathan / June 14, 2016
Ideas and notions cannot be controlled by the presence of armed forces. World history is full of such failed efforts.
It is nice to see our toothless tiger making some noise in the legislature. My3 and Ranil think they are being clever but they are not. There handling of the Rajapaksha family’s law breaking excesses is going to set them loose again.
The words that comes to mind to describe this administration’s activity since coming to power is not printable.
I will just say that they simply do not know the meaning of reconciliation.
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punchinilame / June 14, 2016
“I will just say that they simply do not know the meaning of reconciliation”
That is simple – they know their Politics too well to understand
Reconciliation. They are more mindful of staving foreign content
to meet “smart-patriotism” They are sure of marching upto the end of term maintaining this position, for sake of SB Votes is obvious.
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senthil / June 14, 2016
Both side politicians are doing well but the country and its people are slowly and surely sinking while Tamils and Singhalese fight each other and Muslims steal from both sides. Eventually those politicians will settle in some other country and their children do not care about or speak Tamil or Singhala and marry each other and live happily. The looser are country side modias who were used by Singhalese politicians to fight and die for their political game. If there is a war between two countries in the future srilanka will be a big mullivaikal with the same country side modias trapped inside – MR & co already put strong foundation for that – these things are one way traffic.
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Sirisena Yatawara / June 14, 2016
TNA main slogan is politically base on Land for Tamil and Police power for Tamils. In fact how leader of Opposite by calculating politics of nation! He has not give up Tamil racism? As the same themes of politics apply by LTTE and diaspora in oversees.
How can you build reconciliation and peaceful harmony between majority communities? Mr Sampatahan?
War run by LTTE 30 years, Tamil chauvinisms and separatism by Tamil political class run more than 70 odd years. In reality there was No Tamil Eealm or Tamil state in Sri lanak last 2600 years. That was historical fact. Well you had your own state in Indian Tamil nadu, but it was under Orbit of central Govt. of India.
This not national political agenda. That is how he become Leaders of opposition in sovereignty Parliament of Democratic Republic
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Native Vedda / June 14, 2016
Sirisena Yatawara
“That is how he become Leaders of opposition in sovereignty Parliament of Democratic Republic”
I have seen many mentioning the word “sovereignty”.
Could you define and explain to us what it means to you to the people to the country to the visitors, what does it give you, …. when did we buy it, what responsibilities do we have towards this word, does it apply to people of this little island, …..
If you do not know the answers please don’t bother as many have done in this forum before will do it again.
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senthil / June 14, 2016
Sirisena Yatawara , you are very pathetic. Still talking the same old rubbish. Without your knowledge, the world advanced so much- a person from US in front of a screen can control you in your banana republic. You sounds like you are going to live for ever, one small accident and next day you are history and very doubtful any one will miss you. Today what is yours is not yours tomorrow, brother learn good books and listen to some intelligent people. At least learn good things about your religion.
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Sirisena Yatawara / June 15, 2016
TNA key politics is only “Lands for Tamils” and “Police power for Tamils ” or “Federal regime for Tamils”—- run by Tamils speaking people in Sri lanka? TNA has one and only this voice!
Later for Tamils speaking nation in world that demand by World Tamil Congress !
Why not that Tamil Nadu speak separate state for 75 Millions Tamils in India?
Is that TNA speaking on behalf of all Tamils in the world?
First they want get foot hold Tamils in Eealm in Sri Lankan soil?
This was same reason LTTE got Gun rule politics by blessing of TULF and FP.
TNA has to change Old Road Map of Tamil land policies in Island.
Come on! TNA must enter into New Era of that national politics of capitalist democracy been accepting by Samapadan of their masters which that UK and USA of your original thinking of western base democracy has to be follow:
TNA has to know there is NO Tamil Capitalism ! The system of capitalism of all type of racisms has been eradicated during French Bourgeoisies revolution in 1789. TNA is still living in old bourgeoisie revolution if not that feudal in nature of pre-capitalism.
That is why TNA is politically backward class been operating hard landing of anti-capitalist mode of politics in current changes has not taken into account by leadership of TNA political class and their “democracy” been totally invalid.
No doubt LTTE is more or less represtantive of the lumpen Tamil political class, they that WORK ON BARBARIM TYPE OF TAMIL TERRORISM over more than 40 odd years. That not struggle for liberation of Tamils ,that has no link with Marxism -Leninism ideology of socialism.
Their politics as no room for modern politics of democracy in 21st century. The defeated of LTTE is not that only by war of gun, the very key factor defeated was the backward system of politics cannot survival in present context of new road map of democracy in Globally.
It is quite an impossible to build Racism state in Asian conditions are NOT permitted that mode of politics are NOT allow which is not suited ours democracy.
We need new version of modern capitalism of sustsnibility of all races, religion and ethnic groups can sustain that base on economic sovereignty of each communities who can live and work together.
That is capitalism accommodated all ills many classes in the society by natural unity of all races of democracy.
Tamils will be included that for the national politics by TNA of will be reflex freedom and necessity of democracy of Island of Sri lanka.
If possible TNA is wish acknowledge the very interest of Majority of Tamils Peoples has line up with new political trend democracy led by emerging bourgeoisies classes not that feudalistic politics of racism has to give up as quick as possible, to be approach your line democratic of convection by TNA leadership.
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arancha / June 16, 2016
Sambanthan request tabling motion is for
“privately owned land taken over during the war years”
Sirisena came up with this on his own to Obama and G7 nations 28th May. Or else how do you think IMF (american) approved US$ 1.5 +0.75 billion loan starting 15 June.
The Chinese won’t give because too many bad loans to 3rd world worldwide.
There comes a time beggars cant choose.
Rajapakse did both a broke democracy does – go to war and print.
But he and the sinhaleses muslims stole from countrymen not from another country.
Don’t play geopolitics without understanding your own madda wella.
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shankar / June 15, 2016
“Sampanthan Wants All Lands Held By Military In North-East Immediately Returned To Civilians”
the deadline given is wednesday the 29th 2016, 7.54 PM.No extensions will be allowed under any circumstances,and no lands will be exempted.
If not,he will,he will go and jump into nanthikadal.
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