The Other Side of Ethnic Cleansing

Veluppillai Thangavelu

The Colombo Telegraph published a statement issued by the National Peace Council titled
“DEAL WITH MUSLIM EXPULSION ALSO THROUGH GENEVA PROCESS and the
comments that followed.

Amarasiri in his comment rightly claims that "Ethnic Cleansing is a WAR CRIME. Period. Refer
to war Crimes."

The expulsion of Muslims from the North was ethnic cleansing even if that was retaliation for
violence against Thamils in the east by Muslim Home Guards aided and abetted by the armed
forces. Thamils living along Muslim border villages were forcibly driven away and their homes
and paddy fields appropriated by marauding Muslim goons.

Twelve years after the summary expulsion of the Muslims from the Northern Province,   the
LTTE held a meeting at Kilinochchi on April 13, 2002 presided by Prabhakaran. The meeting
was meant to mend fences between the two communities and was attended by SLMC leader
Rauff Hakeem, Athaullah, Uthumalebbe. Mohideen Abdul Cader, Basheer Segu Dawood,
Masoor Noordeen and Masoor Moulana. Also present were Anton Balasingham, Political
Advisor, S.P.Thamilchelvan, Head of Political Department and District Commanders of the
LTTE.

Following the talks between the two sides, Anton Balasingham on behalf of the LTTE expressed
profound regret and also apologised to the Muslims. "I made an apology to the Muslim people
that what has happened in the past has to be forgotten, that we are willing to talk to them and
resolve their problems," Mr Balasingham said, assuring Muslims that they could return to their
homes in the North. He stressed that the Tamil homeland and the Tamil territory in the North-
East "belonged to the Muslim people also."  

Mr Hakeem said that they are willing to forgive the LTTE. "We have told them unequivocally
that we are prepared to forgive and not forget (the past)... We have bitter memories of the past.
But it is time we contended with the ground realities. That would mean that the LTTE also has to
look at Muslims and their separate political identity as something that has become quite
pronounced over a period of time," he said in an interview.

At a function  held last  week to mark the 25th  anniversary of the  expulsion of  Muslims from
the North, Sumanthiran, TNA MP told Express  "Just as  the NPC  passed a resolution
condemning the genocide conducted against the Thamils, the NPC should pass a resolution
condemning the en masse expulsion of Muslims by the LTTE which amounts to ethnic
cleansing. If the NPC does not do it, the world will not take the Thamils’ contention that they
had been subjected to genocide, seriously.”  “The Thamils cannot condemn the misdeeds of the
Sinhalese majority while ignoring the misdeeds of the Tamil majority,” the Jaffna district MP
further said.

This is not the first time Sumanthiran, TNA MP has articulated his principled stand on this
subject, and he has done so previously also.  Delivering his commemorative address to mark the
36th death anniversary of S.J.V. Chelvanayakam held in Vantharumoolai he said "Recognising
the expulsion of the Northern Muslims from the five districts of the North – Jaffna, Mannar,
Vavuniya, Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi as an act of ethnic cleansing is overdue. The Thamil
community needs to acknowledge its own mistakes and take steps to correct them, including in
not neglecting the Muslim community. He emphasized that unless the Thamil community
does this, it would have no moral right to expect others, including the international
community to take up their grievances.

The Secretariat for Muslims (SFM) issued a statement welcoming Sumanthiran's speech and
described same as important steps in rebuilding and reconciling relations between the Thamil
and Muslim communities in the North and East of Sri Lanka. Mr. Sumanthiran’s gesture
provides an example to other political and civil society leaders of the measures that need to be
taken to strengthen peace in Sri Lanka.
(https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/secretariat-for-muslims-welcomes-sumanthirans-
recognition-of-ethnic-cleansing-of-northern-muslims/)

For some time now, the unorthodox and frank views by Sumanthiran have earned the ire of   the
counter-part of Wimal Weerawansas among a section of die-hard Thamil nationalists living in
Diaspora. Unfazed, Sumanthiran continues to look at the problems faced by the Thamils from the
other side of the great divide as well.

As rightly pointed out by Dr.Gnana Sankaralingam, the LTTE gave strict orders to leave Muslim
owned properties intact. Not a single Thamil was allowed to occupy or appropriate those
properties. This is in stark contrast to confiscation of privately owned Thamil properties by the
Muslims in the eastern province where the Thamils were at the receiving end of
both Muslims and Sinhalese.

If ethnic cleansing is a war crime, then the successive governments since independence are guilty
of ethnically cleansing the Thamils from the North and East, especially the East. Large scale
state-aided colonization schemes were implemented by the government creating Sinhalese
colonies in Gal Oya, Allai, Kantalai, Padaviya etc. Due to this colonization, two electorates were
created for the Sinhalese, Seruwila (1976) in the Trincomalee district and  Digamadulla (1978)
in the Amparai  district   in the eastern province.  Amparai district was carved out of the southern
part of Batticaloa district in April 1961.  By the late 1960s the government has settled 67,000
Sinhalese in major colonization schemes covering an area of 300,000 acres (1214 Sq.Kms). The
following demographic changes in the East since 1946 say it all.
 Table 1

Population of Amparai District by ethnic group 1963 to 2012

Sri Lankan Indian

  Sinhalese Other  
Tamil Tamil
Total
Year No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % No.  

1963 Census 97,621 46.11 61,996 29.28 49,185 23.23 1,312 0.62 1,618 0.76 211,732  

1971 Census 126,365 46.35 82,280 30.18 60,519 22.20 1,771 0.65 1,670 0.61 272,605  

1981 Census 161,568 41.54 146,943 37.78 77,826 20.01 1,411 0.36 1,222 0.31 388,970  

2001 Census 244,620 41.25 236,583 39.90 109,188 18.41 715 0.12 1,891 0.32 592,997  

2007
268,630 43.99 228,938 37.49 111,948 18.33 58 0.01 1,145 0.19 610,719  
Enumeration

2012 Census 282,484 43.59 251,018 38.73 112,750 17.40 165 0.03 1,640 0.25 648,057  

Source: Ceylon Census Department

While the Sinhalese population has increased from 61,996 (29.28%) to 251,018 (38.73%)
between 1963 and 2012 the Thamil population increased from 49,185 (23.23) to 112, 750
(17.40%) a drop of 5.83%! The demographic situation for the Thamils in the Trincomalee district
was a total disaster as the following Table 2 shows.

Table 2

Population of Trincomalee District by ethnic group 1827 to 2012

Muslims Thamils Sinhalese Other

Total
Year No. % No. % No. % No. % No.

1827 3,245 16.94 15,663 81.76 250 1.30 0 0.00 19,158

1881 Census 5,746 25.89 14,304 64.44 935 4.21 1,212 5.46 22,197

1891 Census 6,426 24.96 17,117 66.49 1,105 4.29 1,097 4.26 25,745

1901 Census 8,258 29.04 17,060 59.98 1,203 4.23 1,920 6.75 28,441

1911 Census 9,700 32.60 17,233 57.92 1,138 3.82 1,684 5.66 29,755
1921 Census 12,846 37.66 18,580 54.47 1,501 4.40 1,185 3.47 34,112

1946 Census 23,219 30.58 33,795 44.51 11,606 15.29 7,306 9.62 75,926

1953 Census 28,616 34.10 37,517 44.71 15,296 18.23 2,488 2.96 83,917

1963 Census 40,775 29.43 54,452 39.30 39,925 28.82 3,401 2.45 138,553

1971 Census 59,924 31.83 71,749 38.11 54,744 29.08 1,828 0.97 188,245

1981 Census 75,039 29.32 93,132 36.39 85,503 33.41 2,274 0.89 255,948

2001 Census n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a

2007 Enumeration 151,692 45.37 96,142 28.75 84,766 25.35 1,763 0.53 334,363

2012 Census 152,854 40.42 122,080 32.29 101,991 26.97 1,257 0.33 378,182

                                    Source: Ceylon Census Department 

Since 1946 the population of Thamils have steadily decreased from 44.51% in 1946 (1881 -
64.44%) to 32.29% in 2012 a dramatic drop of 12.22 % largely due to state aided Sinhala
colonization.  Thus, Thamils are now in a minority in two out of 3 districts in the Eastern
province.  

In the Eastern province,   the Thamils are just 39.79% in 2012 in comparison to 48.75% a drop of
8.96% while the Sinhalese count 23.15% compared to just 8.40% in 1946 before Gal Oya /Allai-
Kantalai Sinhalese colonization. The following Table 3 shows the demographic changes in the
population of Eastern Province:

Table 3

Population of Eastern Province by ethnic Group 1946 to 2012

Total
Thamils Muslims Sinhalese Other
No.

No. % No. % No. % No. %

Year

1946 Census 136,059 48.75 109,024 39.06 23,456 8.40 10,573 3.79 279,112

1953 Census 167,898 47.37 135,322 38.18 46,470 13.11 4,720 1.33 354,410
1963 Census 246,059 45.03 184,434 33.75 108,636 19.88 7,345 1.34 546,474

1971 Census 315,566 43.98 247,178 34.45 148,572 20.70 6,255 0.87 717,571

1981 Census 410,156 42.06 315,436 32.34 243,701 24.99 5,988 0.61 975,251

2001 Census n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a

2007 Enumeration 590,132 40.39 549,857 37.64 316,101 21.64 4,849 0.33 1,460,939

2012 Census 617,295 39.79 569,738 36.72 359,136 23.15 5,212 0.34 1,551,381

                                        Source: Census Department

After completing major colonization in the East, the government set its eyes on the North.  While
it took several years to colonize the East, the colonization in the North was in record time.

Ethnic Cleansing of Thamils in Manal Aru re-named Weli Oya is only one of several state-aided
Sinhalese colonization schemes launched in the traditional homelands of the Thamils since
independence. Weli Oya is hemmed between Anuradhapura, Mullaitivu, Trincomalee and
Vavuniya Districts. It is called the "border village" (s) since the territory north of Weli Oya is
peopled by Thamils.

A total of 13,288 Tamil families living in 42 villages for generations including Kokkulai
Grama Sevakar Division (1516 Tamil families), Kokku –Thoduvai Grama Sevakar Division
(3306 Tamil families), Vavuniya North Grama Sevakar Division (1342 Tamil families) and
other Divisions of Mullaitivu District including Naiyaru and Kumulamunai (2011 Tamil
families) were asked to vacate their homes and farmlands within 48 hours, on pain of
eviction by force in case of default. This threat was issued by the army over the public
address system.

Simultaneously, land given to 14 Thamil entrepreneurs, including Kent Farm and Dollar Farm,
on 99 years lease was also cancelled and taken over by the government. Settlements in the Weli
Oya began in 1984 as a dry zone farmer colony under the land Commission, but it was later
acquired by the Mahaveli Economic Agency in 1988 and declared as the Mahaveli ‘L’ zone.

The Mahaveli ‘L’ zone was established specially for coconut cultivation and each Sinhalese
family was given 5 acres of land consisting of ½ acre for residence, one-acre of irrigated land
and 3 ½ acres for coconut.
The Mahaveli Economic Agency (MEA) financed all development projects while Mahaveli
Engineering and Construction Agency (MECA) handled all the construction works such as
roads, electricity, houses etc. In 1998 alone Rs. 72 million was allocated for construction of
roads.

The Sinhalese army did translate its threat and used force as promised. Thousands of Tamil
villagers, some of them Hill country Thamil refugees’ victims of earlier Sinhalese violence in
1983, were driven out or they on their own fled in terror. Some were murdered by the army. One
night alone 29 Tamil villagers were killed at Othiyamalai, a hamlet situated north of the Weli
Oya colony.

By the same gazette notification Weli Oya was proclaimed the 26th District of Sri Lanka and for
administrative purpose brought under the jurisdiction of the Government Agent, Anuradhapura.
However, for election purpose it was included in the Vavuniya Electoral District!

The evil-minds and the driving force behind the Weli Oya Sinhalese colonization were Messrs.
Gamini Dissanayake, Minister for Mahaweli Development, Lalith Athulathmudali, Minister of
National Security, Cyril Mathew, Minister of Industries and Scientific Affairs and N.G.P.
Panditaratne, Chairman Mahaweli Development Board.

The ‘gang of four’ openly advocated the colonization of the North and East in general and Weli
Oya in particular by Sinhalese settlers after driving the Thamils out by using the Sinhalese army.

Industries Minister Cyril Mathew diverted millions of rupees allocated to various Corporations
under his Ministry to finance Weli Oya colonization scheme. In addition, institutions like All
Ceylon Buddhist Congress, Bhikku Peramuna etc. helped in providing financial and other
material aid to the Sinhalese settlers.

From 1988-89 Sinhala colonization of Weli Oya was put on a war-footing. A total of 3364
families, most of them ex-convicts brought straight from prisons, were settled in Weli Oya. A
further 35,000 persons comprising 5,925 families were also settled under the same scheme. It is
in recognition of the ‘yeoman services’ rendered by the top elite of the Sinhala army, especially
that of Major General Janaka Perera, the Tamil village of Thannimurippu was re-named
Janakapura in his honour!

During the war years, SLA troops as a matter of policy provided arms and military training to
Sinhalese colonists in the border villages including Weli Oya. Three-thousand   Colonists in
Gonagala in the Amparai district were provided with arms and given weapons training despite
the fact most of them have criminal records. The irony of it is these Sinhalese are farming in land
once owned by the Thamils after driving them out with the help of the armed forces!

On 22 April 2013 before election to the Northern Provincial Council the then president
Mahinda Rajapaksa handed over 3000 land deeds to Weli Oya settlers at a ceremony held
at Sampath Nuwara Mahaweli grounds in the former conflict-affected Weli Oya.

The Weli Oya administrative division consisting of 8 Grama Niladari divisions is carved

out from the Padaviya AGA Division (Divisional Secretariat Division) of the Anuradhapura
district. Earlier in 1987, this administrative division was part of Padaviya and was brought under
the Anuradhapura administrative district.

With the  creation of Weli Oya AGA Division,   the Mullaitivu district consist  of  six  AGA
Divisions (Maritimepattu, Puthukkudiyiruppu, Oddusuddan, Thunukkai, Maanthai East and Weli
Oya ) with a total of 136 Grama Sevakar Divisions, constituting 2616.6 Sq.Kms of total area
(3.8% of the Island) and a population of 126,582 in 2014.  The district had 127 GSDs and a
population of 220,311 people as at December 31, 2007.

Mullaitheevu district was the worse affected district by three decades of war and tsunami. It
suffered damage and loss of life, property and livelihoods and bore the brunt of the war during
last phase of the war.

The expulsion of Muslims from the North was an aberration necessitated by war. They were not
dispossessed of their properties permanently. But, Thamils have been subjected to ethnic
cleansing through state aided colonization and land grab by the army even after the war ended.

The total area of Jaffna district is 1,025 Sq.Kms. Six years after the end of the war, the armed
forces are still   in occupation of 7,933.63 acres (32.35 Sq.Kms) of land.  The breakdown is as
follows:

Table 4

Thamils-Owned Lands Occupied by the Armed Forces in Jaffna Administrative District

State Lands(in Private

No of owner Private Lands(in acre) Houses
Force
families acre) outside
  HSZ     

Army 10,359 7,058.20 132.88 106

Police 31 16.37 1.34 102

Navy 105  139.60 45.24 117

Total 10,495 7214.17 179.46 325

This data is only in respect of one district in the North. There are 4 administrative districts viz
Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Vavuniya and Mannar where large swaths of land are under the control
of the armed forces.
In Valikamam North alone the army is still in occupation of about 5,200 acres of land. In 2014
the Northern Provincial Council handed over a report to the former president Mahinda Rajapaksa
claiming the armed forces are in occupation of 65,000 acres of land in the North. It also claimed
that 30,000 houses, thirty schools, thirty factories and 40,000 acres of arable land is held within
the military HSZ. Only a fraction of this land has been released to the IDPs since 2015.

The resettlement of IDPs promised before, during and after the elections by president Sirisena
and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is painfully slow.  Minister for Resettlement and
Rehabilitation D.M. Swaminathan says the armed forces are resisting re-settlement since they
have developed vested interests since they are running businesses like luxury hotels, restaurants,
health resorts, swimming pools etc.  This only reveals that this government is simply inept.

Right now, the mood of the Thamil IDPs is one of scepticism and resignation to their fate.
Government commitment to Good Governance (yahapalayanaya)   is simply not succeeding. The
euphoria is giving way to severe depression.   The government's foot dragging over the release
of political prisoners is another glaring example of insensitiveness. These prisoners are
languishing in jails for decades some without charges or inquiry. This is in stark contrast to the
lightening speed at which   Sarath Fonseka was rehabilitated and promoted as Field Marshal. 
Hence, discontent among the Thamil people grows as each day passes.   

What we need today is a President and Prime Minister who will take bold decisions to ease the
suffering of Thamil IDPs both in the North and East.  Their government is refusing to give back
several thousand acres of private land grabbed by the armed forces during the tenure of previous
government(s) under the cloak of national security. 

Thamil IDPs forced to live in shelters have been denied the right to return to their lands in
violation of their rights and humanitarian laws.   This is the untold story of ethnic cleansing
of Thamils from their traditional lands by successive Sinhalese governments.  Mr. Sumanthiran
who boldly admits that the expulsion of Muslims by the LTTE in 1990 is ethnic cleansing, he has
also referred to the forced expulsion of Thamil IDPs from Valikamam North and other areas as
ethnic cleansing in parliament.  The admission by the Minister of Resettlement and
Rehabilitation that the IDPs cannot be resettled because the government of the day cannot
exercise control over the armed forces is blithely pathetic.   

The time is ripe to admit our past mistakes, confess to our sins, and negate all injustices done to
the Thamils since independence and move forward to build a prosperous   country where
everyone could live in peace, dignity, enjoying equality before the law regardless of one's
nationality and religious affiliation.  Good Governance means building real freedom and real
development.