The Navy and the Airforce have acquired without any authority a land of area of 1220 acres by forcibly removing the people living there, which includes human settlements, agricultural lands, temples and forests, mangrove forests, langoons and the beach managed by the Department of Forest Conservation in Sasthrawela, Ragamwela, Egodayaya, Horikanda and Ulpasyaya areas

commonly known as Panama situated in Sasthrawela Grama Niladhari Division in Lahugala Divisional Secretari

at Division in Ampara district, Sasthrawela and Ragamuela areas have been acquired by the Air Force while the areas of Egodayaya, Horekanda and Ulpasgapaya have been

acquired in Navy in the post war period.

In this area 480 acres of lands in which human settlements  and farmland were located and 840 acres of forestland coming under the purview of the Department of Forest Conservation have been forcibly acquired by the Navy and the Airforce in this manner.

Militarily after the L.T.T.E. terrorism was defeated in the year 2009, the Navy forcibly acquired the farmland of people, forest land coming under the purview of the Department of Forest Conservation and reserve areas coming under the purview of the Department of Archaeology in Egodayaya, Horekanda and Ulpapsyaya area under the guide of constructing a village to war heroes. However, in the year construction work of a Navy camp was commenced in this area in the year 2010.

On February 11 a cabinet decision was released giving back the land to the people of Panama. However, still people have not been allowed to access their land.

Cabinet Decision on Panama http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.lk/cab/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=16&Itemid=49&lang=en&dID=5948  

Source:
http://www.panap.net/sites/default/files/NLNL-SriLanka-Paanama-Joint-Statement.pdf & http://www.foodsov.org/content/give-back-panama-lands-its-rightful-owners-says-apc

 

 

Court case Dismissed