Sinhala officials intimidate Tamil, Muslim land-owners at Kuchchave'li in Trincomalee

The Eastern Provincial Deputy Land Commissioner has demanded 17 Tamil and Muslim landowners at the agricultural village of Vaazhai-oottu to share their lands with Sinhalese and has claimed that the Tamil-speaking people have seized the properties of Sinhala land-owners. A similar claim was made five years ago, and the case was resolved at the courts in favour of the Tamil land-owners. However, the land officials are now exerting political pressure, the Tamil farmers said.

The Deputy Land Commissioner was almost threatening the Tamil and Muslim farmers at a meeting convened at the Sinhala school in Vaazhai-oottu on 11 December at the presence of Divisional Secretary P. Thaneswaran, who is a Tamil.

Those who refuse to collaborate with the plan of the Provincial Land Commissioner would risk losing their lands.

The Sinhala officials are threatening the Tamil and Muslim farmers saying that they are empowered to revoke the permits of land-owners who do not have houses in the lands.

All these arguments were put forward also at Trincomalee courts five years ago by the interested parties. Now, they are trying to achieve it through intimidation, the Tamil farmers said.