• Twenty NGOs in the northern regional network and 42 individuals have signed the letter

People’s Alliance for Right to Land (PARL), a collective of civil society movements working on land related matters, has raised concerns regarding what it called the moves to collect information from people who own lands occupied by the military or the police in the north.

The organisation has responded to the letter sent by the Jaffna District Secretary to these families in this regard.  Twenty NGOs belonging to its northern regional network and 42 individuals have signed the letter.
“We, as members of the People’s Alliance for Right to Land (PARL), civil society representatives and communities struggling to return to their lands, are concerned regarding the letter dated August 26,  sent by you, requesting information from displaced families who own private lands that are currently under the occupation of the military or police.

Families suffering from loss of land and displacement due to military occupation, have on multiple occasions in the past, provided extensive information pertaining to their lands, to various authorities, in the hope of their lands being released. Many families are tired of being sent from pillar to post over the years, yielding no results, and are therefore sceptical that this will be yet another false promise by the Government.

Further, your letter did not indicate a deadline for the submission of information. However, the Jaffna District Secretariat website states that the deadline for the submission of information is September 15, less than a month from the date of your letter. Given the current travel restrictions due to the ongoing island wide lockdown, and difficulties in accessing original documents, it is an impossible task for most families, including the families who are living outside the country, to submit these applications in less than a month. There is a lack of clarity on the purpose of collecting this information, which has created doubts among the people on the process, and increased their fears of there being new and further attempts by the military to occupy more lands,” PARL wrote.
The NGOs that signed it are Adayaalam Centre for Policy Research,  Alliance for Minorities,  Centre for Human Rights and Development (CHRD),  District Fisherman’s Co-operation, Jaffna,  District Youth Council for Change, Jaffna,  Forum for a Plural Democracy,  Jaffna Social Action Centre (JSAC),  Mannar Women’s Development Federation (MWDF),  Movement for National Land and Agricultural Reform (MONLAR), Muslim Women’s Development Trust (MWDT),  National Fisheries Solidarity Organisation (NAFSO),  Palaly Uthaiyakalaivaani People’s Union,  Performing Arts Group, Jaffna,  Poonthalir Women’s Federation,  Praja Abhilasha Network,  Rural Labour Society, Jaffna,  Vadamarachchi Citizens Committee,  Valikamam North Resettlement Organisation,  Vallamai Movement for Social Change,  Women’s Action Network (WAN).

• There is a lack of clarity on the purpose of collecting this information which has created doubts among the people on the process