The Sri Lankan navy on Sunday released just 1.5 acres in Vadduvakal currently occupied by the Gotabhaya Navy Camp, which continues to span across 617 acres.
The 1.5 acres belong to three individuals, who criticised the navy's decision to release such a small proportion of the occupied land.
The past three years have seen a number of protests across the North-East calling on the state's armed forces to release land back to residents.