The people of Mathakal, Jaffna have filed a High Court petition against several high profile state officials claiming a breach of fundamental rights, reports Uthayan.
Offenders specified in the petition included Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse, Military Commander Jagath Jayasuriya, Jaffna Security Forces’ Chief Mahinda Hathurusinghe and the Attorney General.
The petition comes as a response to people being prevented from resettling in the area just outside the Palali Army base, as their lands have been blockaded with preventative fencing and states,
“When the war came to an end in 2009, people were not allowed to return to their own villages or to their own properties. Rather, the private lands of people outside the Palali Army base, Valikamam, have been encircled with fencing and blockaded off,
“Furthermore, the areas have been announced as a High Security Zone.”
Six signatories from the Valikamam East division filed the petition on behalf of themselves and the general interests of the people of the region, and points out how the people of the area have been displaced since 1992 due to longstanding clashes.
The petition claims that allowing the people of the area to resettle immediately in their own homes and lands would be an essential step in any attempt at reconciliation.
A previous High Court ruling has already declared that the people of the Valikamam should be allowed to settle back into their properties, but it has not taken effect.
