Keppapulavu People’s protest demanding the release of their lands still being occupied by the occupying Sri Lankan military has its two years on 1st of March and it has been still continuing. To mark this, attention drawn struggle and the symbolic hunger strike have been staged by the people of Keppapulavu.
While the 111 acres of lands belonging to 68 persons were released on 1st of January, 2018, remaining lands are yet to be released; instead the occupying Sri Lankan military has been occupying these lands by setting up a massive military camp.
Main Military Headquarters of the occupying Sri Lankan military in Mullaitivu district is located at the lands of the people of Keppapulavu. The people, who had been staging continuous protest in front of the entrance of the Military Headquarters till the end of last year, has been protesting from the lands released at Keppapulavu located in front of the Keppapulavu Military Headquarters.
170 acres of lands belonging to 104 persons are yet to be released by the occupying Sri Lankan military. As the documents for the 59 acres of lands belonging to 56 persons are in the Divisional Secretariat, people has staged protest demanding the release of these lands belonging to 56 persons as the first step yesterday.
Meanwhile, Northern Provincial Governor Dr. Suren Ragavan, who met with the people of Keppapulavu stated that there are three types of protests are ongoing such as a set of people have accepted to receive alternative lands while another set of people have accepted to receive compensation and the remaining people have been demanding their own lands. He further asked the people to come to a decision whether they want their own lands or any other alternative needs.
Meanwhile, commenting to the press, the people of Keppapulavu emphasized that none of the protestors accept any solutions other than their native lands and they further asked that the Northern Provincial Governor not to distort the demands of the people of Keppapulavu.
The people further stated that they have waiting to return to their own lands to live happily if these lands are released. They further requested the governor to take needy steps to make the lands of these 54 families available to them as the firstly.
