Tamil residents of Kattumurivu, a border village in the Vakarai region of Batticaloa, were assaulted by Sri Lankan Forest Department officials on 25 February, in a violent attack that saw homes torched.
The officials, claiming jurisdiction over the area, intimidated and physically assaulted local Tamil, and even set fire to their homes. The affected villagers, many of whom have lived in the area for over 25 to 30 years, immediately brought the egregious attack to the attention of Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) MP Ilaiyathambi Srinath, who visited the area to listen to their grievances.
The attack reportedly took place at around 2 PM on 25 February in the Fourth Mile area of the Puchchakeni Grama Sevaka Division within Vakarai. Witnesses reported that officials from the Sri Lankan Forest Department arrived in the village and began demanding the immediate evacuation of locals.
Officials were also seen gathering information to file legal cases against three individuals from the community, raising fears of further persecution. In a further display of aggression, the officials allegedly set fire to the residences of the villagers and launched a brutal physical assault on them.
When two civil society activists from Kathiraveli arrived at the scene to question the illegal and violent actions of the officials, they too were severely beaten, handcuffed, and treated like criminals.
Srinath condemned the ruthless actions of the Forest Department, stating that the attack was a blatant violation of human rights. He notified the Vakarai Divisional Secretary and directed that an investigation be conducted through the relevant Grama Niladhari officer to ascertain the full details of the attack.
Additionally, Sriath assured the affected residents that he would directly engage with the Batticaloa District Secretariat to demand action against the perpetrators.
The attack in Kattumurivu is part of a broader pattern of land grabs and state-backed violence in Tamil areas, where Sri Lankan authorities have been systematically displacing local populations under the pretext of environmental conservation and development projects.
Human rights activists have now been informed, and complaints have been lodged with the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka and other relevant authorities.
Srinath has vowed to take further action against those responsible, assuring the Tamil people that he, along with fellow ITAK parliamentarians, will stand firmly in their defence.
