Ampaa’rai Tamils side-lined by Sampanthan polity : TNA Councillor

Tamil National Alliance Councillor representing the Ampaa’rai district in the Eastern Provincial Council (EPC) T. Kalaiyarasan on Sunday condemned TNA Parliamentary Group Leader R. Sampanthan for failing to secure the release of the occupied lands of Eezham Tamils in the district. “Nothing has been delivered to Tamils in Ampaa’rai district despite Mr Sampanthan representing the TNA being a member of the apex body of the present SL Government in Colombo,” the TNA Councillor from the East said. The so-called National Executive Council has failed to deliver anything to Tamils in the 100-day programme, he said.

“I have made repeated complaints about a Buddhist monk who had appropriated 183 acres of agricultural lands that belong to 56 uprooted Tamils at Thoddaach-churungki-vaddai of Malvaththu and another 97 acres of agricultural lands at Malaiyadi-vaddai in Ampaa’rai district.

These lands have been transferred to a Buddhist Vihara and to the families of the Sinhala settlers, the EPC councillor said. The Vihara and the settlers are cultivating in the lands of Tamils.

Only 5 people have managed to get back their lands after they filed their cases at the courts in 2007.

The Buddhist monk who appropriated these lands has passed away. But, the SL military stationed at the Radio Station near Malvaththu village has appropriated the lands belonging to 43 Tamil civilians for the establishment of their military cantonment, Mr Kalaiyarasan further said.