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Tensions ensued when residents of Illankulam in Kuchchaveli found that a section of their land had been cleared of trees with a chainsaw, that seemed to have been hastily left behind.
The residents who comprise of both Tamils and Muslims had lodged a complaint at the Kuchchaveli police over the unlawful trespassing on their farming lands and clearing of trees in the fields.
The villagers say that Sinhala Buddhists monks in the area were keen on occupying the land they were responsible for the damage caused. The residents have also written to the Presidential Secretariat over the incident.
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The residents say they have been living in Illankulam since 1990 and were displaced due to the war.
However, since the area lacks basic facilities they have been forced to live elsewhere with their families.
The latest efforts come as Sinhala Buddhist monks, backed by the Sri Lankan government and military, continue to engage in land grab attempts and the construction of Buddhist sites across the Tamil North-East.
