A group of government officials are engaging in a land robbery – Somasiri

This land issue started in 2009 when the Navy seized 896 acres of cultivated land. On the night of 17.02.2009, a group of men in black clothes with guns, beat up the people living in Ragamwela and set fire to their houses and chased them away. People left with the clothes they were wearing and saved their lives. After that, no one was allowed to come to the area. These lands were grabbed under police and military protection. We asked why we are not allowed to go to our land. They said that there was an incident in which houses were set on fire and people were beaten, and an investigation was being carried out, so they could not let us go. We went to the Human Rights Commission and to the courts. The Human Rights Commission gave a recommendation that since these lands were used by people, they should be allowed to go to them. But we were not allowed to go. 

After that, under the Yahapalana government, a cabinet decision was made to release the rest of the land to the people except for the 25 acres on which construction had been done. But the land was not released. We discussed with everyone including the Governor to implement the cabinet decision. But it was not implemented. After that we decided that we will go to our lands because there was a cabinet decision. We entered the land on 27.03.2015. After that we faced many troubles. We were not even allowed to bring food. We have been there since the third month of 2015. There are 896 acres occupied by the Navy. It is not given back. Out of the 65 acres controlled by the Air Force, the Air Force kept 25 acres that have constructions.

Along with that, there is another land smuggling going on in Shastrawela. A group of government officials are engaging in a land robbery. The Land Commissioner, Divisional Secretary, and Wildlife Officers are involved in this. They say they are giving alternative land. 153 acres were measured and reserved on the west side of the road as alternative lands. Government officials and their families have cleaned a reserve and grabbed an area that has a valuable ecosystem. A case was filed against this. The court ordered that the land belongs to wildlife and not to people. Even though there is such a judgment, construction is going on. There is also a court order to release the land of Ragamwela people. But the land was not released.

There were 75 residents in Shastrawela. Now all those 75 have no land. Along with that, there were 13 people with licenses for their lands on the other side of the road. Neither do they have lands now. The current president ordered the officials to take these lands and give them to the businessmen. He asked the divisional secretary to give everyone one hectare. But he didn’t say from which area. The divisional secretary took affidavits from the people in favor of the government.

After losing the land, it became difficult to carry forward the struggle for justice that we had started. We made people aware of the injustice done to us. Those who are involved in the land grabbing tried to buy us for money.

Somasiri 
Panama