Sinhala homeguards grab lands for colonisation in Cheddi-ku'lam, Vavuniyaa

400 acres of lands belonging to the people of Veerapuram village, located in Cheddik-ku'lam Divisional Secretariat division of Vavuniyaa district, are being seized by Sinhala homeguards. The land grab is aimed at creating a Sinhala colony, Tamil villagers complain. Tamil villagers from Veeerapuram were uprooted during the times of the war due to repeated harassment from the occupying military having camps in the nearby villages that had been occupied by the Sinhala colonists. While some of the villagers displaced to Vanni, others chose to flee to Tamil Nadu through Mannaar.

Tamil villagers were chased out of their village in 1990 when Sinhala homeguards paramilitary seized 50 acres of lands for its camp.

Tamil people have been demanding the SL authorities to free the lands of Veerapuram to commence resettlement.

But, the Sinhala homeguards, are now expanding their camp. They are also clearing the remaining lands to bring in Sinhala colonists from nearby villages, Tamil civil sources in Vavuniyaa say.

Most of the paramilitary men belonging to the armed homeguard are also from the nearby villages.

The Government Agent in Vavuniyaa has been systematically ignoring the requests and appeals from the uprooted people, say Tamil activists in Cheddi-ku'lam.

In the meantime, UN Refugee Agency has been actively engaged in bringing Tamil refugees in Tamil Nadu back to their native places in Vavuniyaa and Mannaar. But, Sinhala colonists in