TMI BlogSri Lankan President Dissanayake ready to release Tamil land in JaffnaX X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... Sri Lankan President Dissanayake ready to release Tamil land in Jaffna X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... eptember last year and stated that land belonging to the people should rightfully remain with them. Jaffna is a Tamil-dominated capital city of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. He said steps are being taken to expedite the process of returning land to its rightful owners. During the armed conflict since the 80s, the government has continuously seized the land of people for military purpos ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... es. From 2015 there have been releases from time to time. Dissanayake highlighted that while the government has the authority to acquire land anywhere in the country for development projects or security purposes, it is imperative that alternative land is provided to those affected. These lands had been cultivated by the military since public access to them had been shut due to the military ope ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... rations against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) till 2009. During and after the conflict with LTTE, some 3,500 acres of privately owned lands were taken over by the military to create the high-security zone around the Palaly military base of Jaffna which is also the site for the current Jaffna International Airport. Since 2015 some of these lands have been released to their private ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... owners in response to pleas after the military defeated the LTTE in 2009. Jaffna holds great significance as it was the region where the LTTE had run a military campaign for a separate Tamil homeland for nearly 30 years before its collapse in 2009 after the Sri Lankan Army killed its supreme leader V Prabhakaran. The region has lacked economic development and the Sri Lankan leaders have said ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... they are committed to the development of the Tamil-dominated Northern and Eastern provinces of the island nation. Meanwhile, unemployed graduates from Jaffna held a protest. They protested outside the Jaffna District Secretariat where Dissanayake was chairing a meeting with various representatives to discuss issues faced by people living in Jaffna. The protesters called on Dissanayake and hi ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... s government to address the lack of job opportunities for university graduates who are forced into menial tasks. Earlier this week, Sri Lankan police sought a ban on the protests. However, the Jaffna Magistrate Court dismissed the petition on Thursday and stated that the peaceful protest could go ahead as long as the protesters did not block the roads. The protesters have vowed to continue the ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... ir protests until their demands are addressed. PTI CORR PY PY X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X
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