Lankan govt too slow to return civilian lands held for military activity: Report

Sri Lanka has yet to fully restore civilian ownership of thousands of acres of land taken over during the civil war with the LTTE for military purposes, according to a US-based human rights group.

The Human Rights Watch, in a report published this week, said the progress, particularly since the election of a new government in 2015, has been hindered by broad military claims of national security and the lack of a transparent process.

"The Sri Lankan government has yet to fully restore civilian ownership of land and property nearly a decade since the end of the civil war in 2009," said the 80-page report titled "'Why Can't We Go Home?': Military Occupation of Land in Sri Lanka."