Valikamam North Villagers Enter Eighth Week of Protests Demanding Return of Military-Occupied Lands

Residents of Valikamam North in the Jaffna District have entered their eighth consecutive week of protest, maintaining sustained pressure on authorities to release lands that remain under the occupation of the Sri Lankan military.

A Community Still Waiting

The demonstrators, many of whom were displaced from their homes and agricultural lands during and after the country's decades-long civil conflict, say they have grown increasingly frustrated with the lack of meaningful government action. Week after week, they have gathered to make their voices heard, insisting that their fundamental right to return to and reclaim their own properties must be respected.

The protest movement reflects a deeply rooted grievance shared by thousands of Tamil families in the Northern Province, where significant extents of privately owned land continue to be held by the military long after the war's end in 2009.

Land Release — A Longstanding Issue

The question of military-held land in the North and East has been a persistent and politically sensitive issue in post-war Sri Lanka. Critics and civil society groups have repeatedly argued that the slow pace of land release undermines reconciliation efforts and prevents displaced communities from rebuilding their livelihoods.

Valikamam North, once a thriving agricultural and residential area, has seen portions of its land fenced off for military use, with former residents unable to return to their properties, tend to their farmlands, or access ancestral homes.

Calls Growing Louder

Community organisers leading the demonstrations say they will not stand down until the government commits to a clear and time-bound plan for the full release of occupied lands. They have called on elected representatives at both provincial and national levels to intervene decisively on behalf of affected families.

• Protests have now continued without interruption for eight weeks
• Residents are demanding the return of lands held by the Sri Lankan Army
• The demonstrations are taking place in Valikamam North, Jaffna District
• Displaced families say they have waited years for resolution with little progress

The affected residents maintain that no genuine reconciliation is possible while their lands remain occupied and their right to return is denied.

With the protests now stretching into their second month, the situation in Valikamam North serves as a stark reminder that for many communities in Sri Lanka's North, the wounds of war remain far from healed. The coming weeks are likely to test whether the government is willing to take concrete steps to address one of the post-war era's most enduring grievances.

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