TNA demands probe over occupation of civilian lands by army

Sri Lanka's main Tamil party, the TNA today called for a probe on the alleged illegal occupation of civilian lands by the military in the northern province.
The Tamil National Alliance was responding to accusations that on April 16, a group of party legislators led by the main opposition leader R Sampanthan had forcibly entered a military installation at Paravipanjan area in the northern Kilinochchi district.
"There is no camp there so there was no illegal entry. The military was occupying civilianlands so we went for an inspection," MA Sumanthiran, a senior TNA legislator told reporters today.
He said some 84 families had been displaced when the army occupied the area in the Tamil-majority northern province.

Sampanthan also met the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe this morning to complain about the incident.
Wickremesinghe has asked the army to verify the ownership of the land, TNA spokesperson said.

The alleged illegal entry by the Tamil politicians to a military installation drew fire by the opposition groups and majority Sinhala nationalists who urged the President Maithripala Sirisena to arrest Sampanthan.
The incident comes in the backdrop of last week's resolution in the TNA controlled northern provincial council to set up a federal Tamil government in the north.
Sumanthiran said the northern council had not advocated a separate Tamil unit by passing the resolution.

He also said the Sinhalese and Muslims displaced from the north were welcome to return back.