Military occupied lands with tactical importance will never be given: Weerasekara

Military occupied lands in the North and East, which have tactical importance will not be given back to the people in view of national security as it is directly related to national economy, State Minister Sarath Weerasekara said today.

He told Parliament that 90 per cent of the military occupied lands have already been handed over to the people and that grounds of tactical importance would never be given back to the people as long as people with separatist agendas like C.V. Wigneswaran were there.

“MP Wigneswaran said that a Buddhist monk who came from nowhere tried to prevent farmers from cultivating claiming that it was an archaeological site. Buddhist monks are not vestiges of invaders. They are part of this society and have all the right to protect our Sinhala Buddhist heritage,” he said.

He said MP Wigneswaran said the military was occupying valuable lands in the north and added that what he was asking was the aircraft landing path in Palali.

“Mr. Wigneswaran said the military was occupying valuable lands in the north. I certify that 90 per cent of the military occupied lands have already been handed back. What he is asking is the aircraft landing path in Palali. Two aircraft were shot down by the terrorists hiding in that path. These are grounds of tactical importance and specially, as long as people such as Wigneswaran who promotes separatism are there, it will never be given in view of national security as it is directly related to national economy,” he said.(Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera)