By Gagani Weerakoon and Sarasi Paranamanna
Tamil National Alliance Parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran charged the government is following a pattern where court orders are obtained to prevent peaceful demonstrations.
He was speaking in Parliament yesterday when an adjournment motion regarding the Malabe Private Medical College was moved. He said law and order in the country has deteriorated and alleged armed groups have attacked a peaceful demonstration in the North.
“We know the people who are responsible for the attack. Military and paramilitary groups have attacked some inmates from a welfare camp while they were returning after a peaceful demonstration,” Sumanthiran said.
Meanwhile Minister and the Eelam People’s Democratic Party Leader Douglas Devananda said he would not allow land grabbing in the North.
Minister Devananda made this observation at a meeting held in Jaffna on Tuesday where the Government officials from the districts of Jaffna and Kilinochchi were present.
Minister Devananda said private lands or State lands would not be allowed to be taken over by the Security Forces against the will of the people. “I have received many complaints over the issue of land grabbing in the North. But I will not allow for the lands of the people in the North to be grabbed. Without the willingness of the people, lands in the North cannot be allowed to be acquired” Devananda said.
He said this particular issue should not disturb prevailing peaceful conditions in the North by antagonizing innocent civilians .
The Minister also mentioned several houses and lands including cultivation lands remained in the High Security Zones and have been handed back to the owners in the recent past. The Minister pointed out that he would ensure there was no way the assets of the people would be allowed to be acquired illegally.
In the meantime people from Mathagal area met Minister Devananda at the Jaffna Secretariat and handed over a memorandum to obtain their assets back from the Security Forces.
