MP Sathyalingam calls for release of military occupied LTTE cemetery in Vavuniya
Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) Member of Parliament, Padmanathan Sathyalingam, has urged the Sri Lankan government to release civilian lands that were seized for military purposes, calling for the rightful return of these properties to their owners.
Speaking during a parliamentary debate on 11th March, Sathyalingam specifically highlighted land grabs in Vavuniya, where the Sri Lankan Air Force and Army continue to occupy large tracts of Tamil-owned land.
Detailing the historical militarisation of Vavuniya, Sathyalingam explained that lands had been acquired in three phases for the expansion of an airstrip belonging to the Sri Lankan Air Force. The third phase, executed in 1985, resulted in the seizure of 231.67 acres of civilian land.
“These lands are situated along the A9 highway, in close proximity to Vavuniya town, making them strategically significant for urban expansion,” he stated. “Immediate steps must be taken to return these lands to their rightful owners.”
Sathyalingam further demanded the release of land in Eechankulam, where the Sri Lankan military has established a camp on the site of a former Thuyilum Illam (LTTE war cemetery). Thuyilum Illams are sacred burial grounds for fallen LTTE cadres, but following the end of the armed conflict, Sri Lankan forces systematically bulldozed these cemeteries, desecrating graves and erasing Tamil history. The military has since built army bases over these sites, preventing Tamil families from memorialising their loved ones.
The 561st Division Army Camp in Kanakarayankulam has also been built on illegally occupied land, despite three acres of state land being allocated for the camp. An additional nine acres of privately owned land, along with five acres belonging to a public cemetery, remain under military control. Sathyalingam called for the immediate return of these lands to the Tamil people.
Responding to Sathyalingam’s appeal, Deputy Minister Jalinda Ruwan Kodithuwakku stated that Sri Lankan president Anura Kumara Dissanayake firmly believes that lands should be returned to the people.
Despite such statements, successive Sri Lankan governments have failed to take meaningful action to demilitarise the Tamil homeland. The North-East remains one of the most militarised regions in the world, with tens of thousands of troops still stationed in Tamil areas, occupying vast amounts of land