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Jaffna, K’nochchi: Out of 50,000 Army-held acres, 46,000 released

Published

1 year ago

2025/07/2

Retired senior military officers allege that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk’s call to reduce military presence in the Northern and Eastern provinces posed a serious threat.

The Geneva official had refrained from acknowledging the releasing of land over the years when he called on the government to release land to their owners without further delay, they said.

The deployment in the Jaffna peninsula and Kilinochchi, coming under the purview of Security Forces Headquarters, Jaffna, is a case in point, they said. Of nearly 25,000 acres of land that had been held by the military in the Jaffna peninsula in 2009, 22,800 acres were released by the end of June this year, they said.

In the Kilinochchi theatre, the land held by the Army had been reduced to 600 acres from nearly 25,000 acres in 2009, the ex-military men said, challenging the UN office, Colombo, to clarify the information pertaining to the land release with the Defence Ministry.

During the war, the Jaffna peninsula was the home for four infantry divisions, including the 53 – at one time known as the Reserve Strike Force.

“The truth is that of nearly 50,000 acres of land held by the Army in 2009, we now hold less than 2,500 acres. Any further reduction may undermine overall defence,” a serving officer said.

The armed forces expanded the areas under their control and established High Security Zones (HSZs) as part of the strategy to counter large scale attacks, long range artillery and infiltration.

Former Chief of Staff General Jagath Dias recently told The Island that they eradicated the LTTE militarily in May 2009, and the Army commenced phased handing back of land in the following year. The government and the Army did that on their own, the Gajaba Regiment veteran said.

Gen. Dias, who commanded the 57 Division, deployed on the Vanni front, said that those who find fault with the military and the government should at least admit they were able to release so much land because the LTTE was no more.

By Shamindra Ferdinando

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Geneva takes up Sallay’s case and govt. ignores opportunity to answer accusations

Published

50 mins ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

Suresh Sallay

The government has chosen not to respond to questions raised by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) regarding the detention of retired Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay in connection with the ongoing investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested the ex-official in late February this year. The Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers have jointly raised the issue on 20 July, 2026.

Drawing attention of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to what they called alleged arbitrary detention of Sallay, former Director General of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) and former Director of Military Intelligence (DMI), under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), as well as allegations of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment while in custody, resulting in the grave deterioration of his health, and imminent risks of retaliation through further torture and ill-treatment resulting in irreparable harm, should he be released from hospital and returned to custody, the UN sought the government explanation with a 60-day period.

The UN has stated: “This communication, and any response received from your Excellency’s Government, will be made public via the communications reporting website at the 60 days mark. Should your Excellency’s Government respond within 60 days, both the communication and the response, may be published before the 60 days mark. The communications and responses

will also be made available in the subsequent periodic report to be presented to the Human Rights Council.”

In the absence of the government’s response, the UN posted the letter, dated 20 July, 2026, addressed to President Dissanayake. The full letter can be accessed https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=31125

News

Section of wartime KKS High Security Zone vacated to facilitate economic development in the area

Published

51 mins ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

The Army, last week, vacated an area, within the wartime high security zone in the Jaffna peninsula. The Defence Ministry said that an extent of 187.56 acres of land, belonging to the Cement Corporation in Kankesanthurai, Jaffna, has been released by the military. The released land, located in Grama Niladhari Division J/233, Kankesanthurai West, within the Valikamam North (Tellippalai) Divisional Secretariat Division, had been utilised by the Sri Lanka Army since the middle of 1997.

The release of the 187.56-acre extent forms part of the initiative to make State land available for the proposed investment zone in Kankesanthurai, thereby facilitating future investment and economic development in the area.

News

Lawyer lodges complaint against Govt. Printer, Media Ministry Secy.

Published

52 mins ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

A complaint has been lodged with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau against the Government Printer and the Secretary to the Ministry of Media regarding the online release of falsified documents bearing a forged Speaker’s certificate.

Attorney-at-Law Aruna Laksiri has lodged a complaint with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau requesting legal action against the Government Printer of the Department of Government Printing (No. 118, Dr. Danister de Silva Mawatha, Colombo 08), Prasanna Jayaratne, and the Secretary to the Ministry of Mass Media (Asidisi Medura, 163, Kirulapone Mawatha, Polhengoda, Colombo 05), Dr. Anil Jasinghe.

The complaint alleges the commission of offences by forging and uploading falsified documents online using a forged Speaker’s certification, failure to perform statutory duties, and misappropriation of public property.

The complaint states that a copy of the English translation of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was downloaded and printed from the official website of the Government Printing Department (www.documents.gov.lk), which operates under the Ministry of Mass Media. On its outer cover and on page 1, the text “certified on 25th of September, 2026” is inscribed inside brackets.

The complaint pointed out that the Speaker has certified an English translation. Under Articles 23, 79, 83, and 80 of the Constitution, Parliament enacts laws and the Speaker certifies bills strictly in the Sinhala and Tamil languages; under the Constitution, therefore the Speaker cannot apply such certification to an English translation.