SL Port Authority vandalises coconut farm of Tamil woman in Trincomalee

The Colombo government is intentionally avoiding giving back the lands of rightful Tamil owners in the district, commented ITAK (TNA) National List Parliamentarian for Trincomalee district Mr K Thurairetnasingam, who witnessed the plight of a Tamil woman, R. Mangaleswary, who had planted 40 coconut plants in her Chena-cultivation lands. SL Port Authority (SLPA) officials entered her farm lands on 11 November and destroyed the coconut plants and associated crops claiming that the lands belong to SLPA. However, former SL Minister of Ports and Shipping Mr Arjuna Ranatunga had promised one-year ago to issue proper land deeds to Tamil farmers who have been using the farms for decades, the TNA parliamentarian said. The SL Police at China Bay was also refusing to register a complaint from the affected victim, Mr Thureratnasingam said.

Long before the episode, SL Agriculture Department officials had inspected the lands and were appreciative of the way Ms Mangaleswary had utilised the farmlands in an eco-friendly manner. She had planted suitable crops such as Tapioca in between the coconut palms.

The violent assault by SLPA officials has come as a shock to the victim's family, the TNA parliamentarian said.

Mangaleswary's family was using the Chena (slash-and-burn) farm lands at the locality for decades.

7 ports coming under SLPA (Image courtesy: slpa.lk)

In the meantime, the SL Port Authority seems to have schemed a new plan for seizing the lands, discarding the promises made by former Port Minister.

The unitary State of genocidal Sri Lanka has been systematically targeting the Trincomalee Harbour, which is the fifth largest natural harbour in the world, for Sinhalicisation through decades of militarization, foreign meddling and so-called development in the Eastern Province paving way for the entire Trincomalee district to be subjected to large-scale Sinhala colonisation.

Four of the seven ports in the entire island, brought under the SLPA’s mandate are situated in the North-East.

Sinhalicisation of Tamil homeland is being accelerated hand in hand with the militarisation being carried out by the occupying SL Navy, which is being groomed by the US Pacific Command and through the so-called development of SL Ports in the North-East with the assistance of Asian Development Bank (ADB).