‘We want our land’ – Trincomalee residents protest land allocation to outsiders

Tamil residents in the Trincomalee district staged a peaceful protest on 11 July near the Kanniya Pillaiyadi Nadan Kaali Amman Temple, demanding that local lands be returned to the community.

The demonstration was held in opposition to the leasing of land in the area to individuals from outside the region, with protesters calling for the land to be allocated to locals instead.

Carrying placards and chanting slogans, residents voiced their frustration over ongoing land issues. 

Among the demonstrators’ cries was the repeated demand: “We want our land!”
Highlighting the strain placed on local families, one protester stated, “Three families are living under one roof after marriage. Why should this land be given to others? This must be stopped.”

Land rights remain a contentious issue in the Tamil homeland, with ongoing concerns over state enforced demographic change, land grabs, and the failure to return occupied land to original residents.