Illegal Land Occupation in Valikamam North: Military Entrenchment and Systematic Displacement in Northern Sri Lanka

This advocacy dossier is compiled based on the visual and testimonial evidence provided by Dr. Ramanathan Archchuna, Member of Parliament, in his field report from Valikamam North, Jaffna, dated January 16, 2026.

https://youtu.be/T0F3hROIMto?si=UvEMYa6iiZntY4q3

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Illegal Land Occupation in Valikamam North

Military Entrenchment and Systematic Displacement in Northern Sri Lanka

Reporting Official: Dr. Ramanathan Archchuna, MP (Jaffna District)

Date of Evidence: January 16, 2026

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1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This dossier highlights the ongoing discrepancy between the Sri Lankan government’s public rhetoric of "reconciliation" and the ground reality of military-led land grabs in the North. Despite presidential assurances that civilian lands would be returned, vast tracts of ancestral property in Valikamam North remain under military control. This occupation is being sustained through the pretext of international airport development, while the military shifts toward permanent commercial exploitation of these lands.

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2. KEY EVIDENCE OF VIOLATIONS

A. Misuse of "National Security" for Commercial Gain

• Visual Evidence: Dr. Archchuna documents military-operated coconut and cassava plantations on private civilian lands.
• Commercial Infrastructure: The footage identifies military-run luxury resorts and commander bungalows built on land belonging to over 250 displaced families.
• Violation: The use of occupied territory for military-led profit (Commercial Militarization) violates international norms regarding the role of security forces and undermines the local civilian economy.

B. The "Airport Development" Pretext

• Visual Evidence: Large areas are demarcated for the Jaffna International Airport, yet the video shows no significant infrastructure development consistent with international standards.
• Testimony: Dr. Archchuna argues that the land size held far exceeds that of major international airports (e.g., Frankfurt), suggesting the "airport" label is a legal shield to prevent land return.

C. Permanent Demographic and Cultural Alteration

• Visual Evidence: Construction of Buddhist Viharas (temples) in historically Tamil Hindu/Christian areas.
• Violation: Systematic attempts to alter the cultural and religious landscape of the North (Sinhalization), which serves to alienate the native population from their ancestral geography.

D. Suppression of Civil Liberties

• Visual Evidence: Road signs prohibiting photography, video recording, and pedestrian movement on public transit routes through the Palaly zone.
• Violation: These restrictions infringe upon the Freedom of Movement and the Right to Information, preventing oversight by elected representatives and the international community.

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3. LEGAL & HUMANITARIAN IMPACT

• Protracted Displacement: Families remain in temporary huts or abroad while their "solid, ancestral homes" are used as military bunkers or storage.
• Due Process Failures: Lands are held without formal legal acquisition or payment of market-value compensation to owners, leaving them in a legal vacuum.
• Psychological Trauma: Dr. Archchuna describes the "burning heart" of the community seeing their inheritance utilized by the very forces that displaced them.

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4. ADVOCACY RECOMMENDATIONS

To the Government of Sri Lanka:

1. Immediate Demilitarization: Cease all military farming and commercial activities on private lands and return them to the original owners immediately.
2. Transparency in Acquisition: If land is required for public utility (airport), provide a transparent public plan, conduct a formal survey, and pay immediate, fair-market compensation.
3. Restore Access: Remove all illegal bans on photography and movement for civilians and elected officials on public roads.

To the International Community (UNHRC & Donor Nations):

1. Conditionality of Aid: Link development assistance for the North to the verifiable return of civilian land and the cessation of military-run businesses.
2. Independent Monitoring: Demand access for international observers to the Palaly and Valikamam North zones to verify the status of private properties.
3. Support Legal Recourse: Provide technical and financial support for Tamil landowners to challenge land grabs in international courts.

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5. CONCLUDING STATEMENT

The evidence presented by Dr. Archchuna confirms that the "High Security Zone" in Jaffna has evolved from a security necessity into a permanent military colony. Without international pressure, the ancestral rights of the Tamil people in Valikamam North are at risk of being permanently extinguished under the guise of state development.

"This is not a airport; this is an army base on civilian blood." — Dr. Ramanathan Archchuna, MP [Paraphrased from 00:11:04, 00:21:51].