Landowners from Vadduvakal in Mullaitivu district have renewed their calls for the return of ancestral lands seized by the Sri Lankan Navy, in a media briefing held on 25 April.
The community members accused the military of unlawfully occupying over 600 acres of their property, including valuable agricultural land and homesteads.
The landowners stated that the Sri Lankan Navy forcibly took possession of 617 acres of land- comprising coconut and palmyrah groves, paddy fields, and cashew plantations - and subsequently established a naval base known as “Gothabaya Naval Base.” Since the seizure, local Tamil residents have been barred from accessing or cultivating their land.
Locals stressed that the economic strain they now face would have been alleviated had they retained access to their land, which served as the primary source of livelihood for many. Some landowners have been forced to rely on the generosity of relatives or distant acquaintances to survive. Others have passed away still waiting to return to their ancestral homes.
Landowners said their appeals for justice have been ignored for years, with the Navy continuing to cultivate and profit from their land. Despite this, the owners maintain possession of official documentation, proving both legal ownership and eligibility for agricultural subsidies—rights that have gone unrealised due to ongoing military control.
During the briefing, the landowners issued a renewed plea to Sri Lanka’s new government and its president Anura Kumara Dissanayake. They called for the immediate return of their lands, rejecting any proposal of alternative land grants or compensation. Their demands are not only for restitution, they said, but for the restoration of dignity, heritage, and justice long denied.
The occupation of Tamil civilian land by the Sri Lankan military—particularly in Mullaitivu—has been a central grievance since the end of the armed conflict in 2009. The North-East remains one of the most militarised regions in the world per capita. Despite repeated calls from Tamil families, human rights organisations, and international observers, large tracts of land remain under the control of state security forces.
