The chief minister of the Northern Province, C V Wigneswaran criticised the Sri Lankan military's ongoing presence in the Tamil areas, stating that they were depriving the Tamil people of their livelihoods.

"The presence of the military is giving us many problems," he told News First, following a meeting with Sri Lanka's minister for resettlement, D M Swaminathan. 

"The military is taking what should be the livelihoods of the Tamil people," Mr Wigneswaran added.

"Crucially, the [Tamil] people who should be living in the 1500 acre land in Valikamam North are living in 34 refugee camps," he said, stating that he had stressed the importance of ensuring these displaced people are resettlement urgently to the minister.

Asked about reports that Eelam Tamil refugees in India were to be brought back to Sri Lanka, Mr Wigneswaran said it is important to ensure their safety and basic provisions of a house and education first.

"Refugees in India are within in camps. They said that if they are to come here then they need to have no risk to their safety, livelihoods need to be created for them and their lands returned to them. If that happens there is no problem in returning.We need to ask them to return only after we have addressed how will lands be returned to them, how will houses be built for them, how will livelihoods be made and how will their children be given educational opportunities, if they return."

"We shouldn't ask them to ask them to return and then burden them with problems," Mr Wigneswaran said.