Shooting in Mullaitivu seriously injures agricultural labourer activist

by Rukshana
Jul 24, 2024

A Tamil agricultural labourer activist has been seriously injured after a shooting in Mullaitivu this week.

42-year-old Chelliah Krishnarajah, the secretary to the Kammakkara organization which looks after the welfare of agricultural labourers, was injured in the shooting that occurred in the Thunukkai area in the Mullaitivu district.

Krishnarajah had been resting after completing his paddy harvest at the time of the incident.

At around 3AM, a group of unknown gunmen arrived and shit him. He was subsequently rushed to the Mallavi hospital, and then, due to the nature of his injuries, transferred to the Kilinochchi District Hospital where he is being treated.

Though no definitive motive has been established, residents say the shooting was over illegal sand mining in the North-East. 

Over the last few months, residents have complained to Sri Lankan authorities to clamp down on illegal sand mining attempts in the North-East. There have also been a series of protests by Eelam Tamil residents urging the police and government officials to refrain from issuing new permits and revoking old ones while ensuring that settlers do not engage in such illegal acts on farming lands. 

Sand smuggling has been a long-standing issue across the North-East, causing serious environmental damage across the region.

The issue has also been a strong source of tension between Tamils and the Sri Lankan security forces as unarmed Tamil men have died in 2010, 2017, and 2020 during confrontations reportedly to do with sand smuggling.

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