27 April 2016 10:15 pm
Addressing a press briefing held at the Opposition leader’s office to clarify allegation that the Opposition Leader had entered an Army camp forcibly, Mr. Sumanthiran said it was the Army that was illegally occupying the private properties in the area.
“An inquiry should not be held into, why the Opposition Leader entered the land. Instead an inquiry should be held as to why the Army was occupying that land,” he said.
He said 88 families were living in the area and had left during the war and the Army had occupied the lands since 2009.
“34 families were able to go back to their properties; the remaining 54 families are unable to go back to their homes because the Army was occupying the properties. So, if there is any discussion with regard to illegality or force, it has been perpetrated by the Army. Not by the Opposition Leader,” he said.
The Opposition Leader had had visited Kilinochchi on the invitation of said 54 families, who claimed the Army did not allow them to resettle on their lands.
“The Opposition Leader and several MPs had gone to the area and the persons, who were at the entrance had opened the barricade without any question and had allowed them to enter,” he said.
“The land, which is being occupied by the Army is not a State land, it is a private land. If the Army wants to occupy the land there is a procedure. People are being made to believe that the Opposition Leader had forcibly entered the land. It is wrong. This did not happen,” the MP said.
Mr. Sumanthiran said that there was no need for the Army to continue to occupy private property with the end of the war.
He said the Army had only acquired about 5 acres. There were more than 20 acres which is still private.
“It is wrong to give a picture that there were some Army camp of some High Security on State land. It is not correct. There is no Army camp. Only people's houses are there,” he said.
He said the Opposition Leader had met the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday morning and discussed the matter.
“The Prime Minister assured that he would call for a report from the Army on the matter,” he said. (Darshana Sanjeewa)
Video by Darshan Sanjeewa