Land Grabbing in Northern Vavuniya – Dr. Sathiyalingam

25-Jul-2025

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Dr. Sathiyalingam, MP from the Tamil National Alliance, alleged that ancestral lands of Tamil people in Northern Vavuniya are still being illegally occupied.

Speaking in Parliament during debate on budgetary amendments and minimum wage laws on July 23, he stated that the Vedivaithakallu GN Division in Vavuniya North has historically been Tamil land, but due to the 1983 Sinhala settlements and war, many locals were displaced.

Post-war, some original landowners returned and cleaned lands in 2019, only to be arrested and prosecuted by the Department of Forest Conservation. 

Although the case was dismissed in 2024, settlers with support from the Mahaweli Authority have now taken over those lands.

At least 200 acres have been illegally cleared recently using heavy machinery like bulldozers and JCBs over 45 days, raising questions about government collusion. 

Meanwhile, Tamils are punished for cutting trees, whereas massive deforestation goes unnoticed.