18 October, 2011
Indigenous people from the remote village of Bakmeegama in the Trincomalee District have complained to authorities that their ancestral lands being grabbed by an influential Buddhist monk in the area.The village community who claim to be descendents of earliest settlers in Sri Lanka say that a Buddhist monk is in the process of acquiring agricultural land and irrigation tanks.
Earliest settlers
They held a protest on Tuesday opposite the official bungalow of the governor of the eastern province in Trincomalee.
It was organised by Sandun Gomarankadawela, the councillor of Gomarankadawela local government body, Pradesheeya Sabha.
President's attention
He said that the protest was organised to draw the attention of President Mahinda Rajapaksa due to arrive in Trincomalee on Tuesday as the plight of these people was ignored by the governor and the Divisional Secretary. However, the president did not arrive.
The president of the Bakmeegama, Farmers Organization, P.M.Appuhamy said that they are put into a vulnerable situation by powerful forces.
“Uppuveli Hamuduruvo (monk) grabbed an agricultural tank earlier and we kept quiet but now he is going to go for another one. This can not be allowed” he said.
Many villagers said that they defied the threats they had even during the war with the LTTE and continued with their agricultural activities.
