Colombo backed Muslim group threatens Tamils to leave their lands in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 January 2012, 17:11 GMT]
A gang of Tamil-speaking Muslim persons with the backing of government politicians has been engaged in a campaign of threat against Tamil families of Upcountry origin residing in U'rukaamam in Kiththu'l area in the Ea'raavoor Chengkaladi DS division to leave their place and seek residence elsewhere. U'rukaamam-Kiththu'l area is located along Chengkaladi-Badulla highway (A-15). The villagers are of upcountry Tamil origin who fled from their area in the SL state-sponsored anti Tamil pogrom of 1957 and had settled in U'rukaamam-Kiththu'l area after clearing the forest. The villagers were also affected in 1983 anti Tamil ‘Black-July’ pogrom.

A Muslim group with the backing of Colombo government has now begun a violent movement to oust the Tamil families from the village.

The families are in possession of land permits and legally entitled receipts for the possession of their lands.

On January 16 a Muslim gang had gone to U'rukaamam and to Kithu'l on January 18 and had threatened the villagers to leave the land claiming that there are now different ‘legal owners’ to the lands and unleashed violence, according to reports emerging from affected Tamil villagers.

The violent campaign is being carried out to grab lands belong to Tamils and it is being engineered by a ruling party (UPFA) politician Mr.Ali Zahir Mowlana, who is also the Chairman of the Ea'raavoor Urban Council, creating dissension and disharmony between the Muslims and Tamils.

Informed sources in Batticaloa say that Mr.Ali Zahir Mowlana has vowed to chase away the Tamil people from the area.

Meanwhile affected Tamils have complained to the District Government Agent regarding the illegal and violent activities of the Muslim gang that has enlisted the support of Colombo's ruling party politicians in Batticaloa and Colombo.

In the meantime the Muslim gang had cut down teak plants valued at more than five hundred thousand rupees from forty acres land owned by the Kalladi Ramakrishna Missionl. The teak plantation was well maintained and secured by the civil administration of the LTTE earlier, the sources further said.