The Defence Secretary of the occupying military of genocidal Sri Lanka, B.M.U.D. Basnayake this week demonstrated to the secretaries of SL Minister D.M. Swaminiathan in Jaffna that it was the SL military commanders in Jaffna, Ki'linochchi and Mullaiththeevu, who were the ultimate decision makers on matters related to releasing back military-occupied lands to the civilians in the Northern province. The SL Defence Secretary, appointed by SL President Maithiripala Sirisena, was on his first visit to North on Saturday and Sunday. In the meantime, EPDP leader Douglas Devananda has gone on record stating that the pockets of lands released so far by Maithiripala regime were those already prepared for release by former SL President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
SL military commander in Jaffna addressing the civil and military officials at Palaali on Saturday
Mr Basnayake categorically told the civil officials of the SL Resettlement Ministry, who met him at the SL military headquarters in Palaali on Saturday that the respective ‘SFHQ’ commanders in Jaffna, Ki'linochchi and Mullaith-theevu were the competent authorities having a final say on matters regarding the lands that had been seized by the SL military.
The Jaffna Commander of the SL military, Major General Nandana Udawatte, was asked to give a ‘presentation’ to military and civil officials at the presence of Mr Basnayake.
Nandana Udawatte, the ‘SFHQ-J Commander’ of the occupying SL military, refused to open the 2 km distant road needed by the resettling civilians at Vasaavi'laan.
When Swmaminathan's officials asked about the possibility of releasing the coastal road linking Tho'ndaimaanaa'ru, Palaali and Kaangkeasan-thu'rai, the SL Commander in Jaffna responded by questioning them why the people needed access to that road.
The SL commander in Jaffna also ruled out the possibility of allowing fishermen access to the major fishing jetty situated at Maiyiliddi.
Udawatte was telling that the jetty was destroyed by December 2004 Tsunami. But, the fishermen from Maiyiliddi say that the SL military has renovated the jetty and transformed it into a naval cantonment.
Jaffna commander of the SL military also refused to release further lands at Vazhalaay. He said that the people have not settled in the lands that have been already released in Vazhalaay.
The civil officials were explaining the concerns of the uprooted Tamils from Vazhalaay stating that the SL military was still controlling the fertile lands including access to potable water in Vazhaalaay and that a real resettlement is possible only if the SL military released the agricultural lands, access to road and potable water.
However, the SL commander was not prepared to take into account the ‘requests’ from Swaminathan's officials.
SL military's Chief of Defence Staff and commanders of the SLA, SLN and SLAF accompanied Mr Basnayake during his visit to the North.
The SL Defence Secretary also visited Ki'linochchi (SFHQ-KLN) and Mullaiththeevu (SFHQ-MLT) in Vanni on Sunday.
