T Raviharan, an NPC member, said that hundreds of Sinhalese families have settled in the Nayaru region and have been actively assisted by Sri Lankan troops.
He noted that in 2011, 72 Sinhalese families were granted temporary passes to the region, which allowed them to fish in Nayaru waters with the help of the military, despite protests from local Tamil fishermen. Today that number has swelled to more than 290 families.
At the Kokkulaai Estuary, the situation was even more dire, said Mr Raviharan. 13 families were granted temporary passes in 1982, he noted. Now over 500 families have settled in the region, he said.
