Hon. Deputy Minister of Defence Major General Aruna Jayasekara said that steps will be taken to release lands in Vadduvakal and Keppapilavu in Mullaitivu District, as well as certain lands in Kilinochchi District, at the earliest opportunity.
A special discussion on the possibility of releasing lands currently being used by the military in the Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi districts to civilian institutions and the public was held today – on Friday 31 July 2026, at the Mullaitivu District Secretariat.
Delivering the welcome address at the discussion, Mullaitivu District Secretary A. Umamaheswaran said, “I welcome the Hon. Deputy Minister of Defence, who has come to examine the situation in our district as a continuation of the meeting held at the Governor’s Office. Over the past 17 years, 2,262.5 acres of land have been released in Mullaitivu District. However, 1,493.2 acres still remain to be released. Among these, the lands in Vadduvakal and Keppapilavu are particularly important.”
Speaking next, Deputy Minister of Cooperatives and Chairman of the District Coordinating Committee Hon. Upali Samarasinghe said, “There will not be another war in the country. However, there are several important matters related to national security, including controlling underworld groups and eradicating narcotics. Taking these into consideration, steps will be taken to release the people’s lands. The government remains firmly committed to returning lands that rightfully belong to the people.”
The Hon. Governor N. Vethanayahan then stated, “When I served as the Mullaitivu District Secretary, the current Hon. Deputy Minister of Defence served here as the Division Commander. I gratefully remember the support he extended for resettlement during that period. Through discussions with him at that time, we were able to facilitate the resettlement of the people and the release of lands. I believe that even now, through discussions of this nature, we can achieve the release of lands.”
“National security and the demands of the people are two equally important priorities. We must maintain a proper balance between the two in order to reach a solution. His Excellency the President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is firmly committed to ensuring that lands belonging to the people are handed back to them. Therefore, through constructive dialogue, we can arrive at the best decisions,” he added.
Hon. Deputy Minister of Defence Major General Aruna Jayasekara then stated that military camps have been established in all 25 districts of the country to ensure national security. During extraordinary situations and emergencies, the armed forces work alongside the police. From the end of the war in 2009 until December 2024, 9,480 acres of land had been released. Since the current government assumed office, a further 615 acres have been released up to June this year. “We will continue to take steps to release the people’s lands through ongoing discussions,” he said.
Kilinochchi District Secretary S. Muralitharan submitted a request for the release of land at Kanakaambikaikulam. He pointed out that by moving the military camp fence back by 10 metres, one and a half acres of land belonging to three families could be released. The Deputy Minister said that this request would be considered favorably and appropriate action would be taken.
The Hon. Deputy Minister also accepted a request to allow the public to use the road where the Kanakaambikaikulam camp is located during festival periods. Furthermore, the District Secretary pointed out that although the military had requested 8.5 million rupees for the release of the land containing the military building in that area, the temple administration was unable to pay that amount. The Deputy Minister agreed to reconsider the matter.
The military also stated during the meeting that steps would be taken to release the land at Iyakkachchi, which had been inspected by the Deputy Minister of Defence last May, within the next three months.
Representatives of the landowners from Vadduvakal and Keppapilavu also presented their requests. The Hon. Deputy Minister assured them that before releasing privately owned lands in the Vadduvakal area, demining operations would be completed and the land would then be released.
The Deputy Minister noted that there was a possibility of immediately releasing 6.5 acres of land in Keppapilavu. Regarding the remaining lands, he said that a district-level committee would be established to assess the ground situation and make decisions.
Among those who attended the discussion were Hon. Member of Parliament S. Thilakanathan, the Commander of the Wanni Regional Command, the Eastern Naval Commander, the Senior Assistant Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, the Additional District Secretary, Divisional Secretaries, senior officials of the Ministry of Defence, security officials, and members of the public.
