Seventeen years after the end of Sri Lanka’s civil war, militarisation remains deeply entrenched across the Tamil-majority Northern and Eastern Provinces. A recent report by the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka documents a sustained pattern of land appropriation, restricted access to traditional livelihoods, and intimidation of local populations in districts across the region, despite repeated state assurances to scale back the military footprint.
Published under the title The Human Rights Situation of the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka, the findings reveal that military involvement continues to shape governance and land use. The Commission urged the government to expedite the release of military-held lands, restore property rights, and refrain from invoking national security as a blanket justification for acquisitions that disproportionately affect minority communities or facilitate religious encroachment. It also called for concrete steps to withdraw military involvement from civilian economic sectors, including agriculture and education.
Campaign Promises and the Pace of Land Return
The return of people’s lands was a central promise made by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to the Tamil people ahead of the November 2024 general elections. His National People’s Power emerged winner in all but one of the five electoral districts across the north and east. Directives were issued this August by President Dissanayake, who additionally holds the Defence portfolio, commanding security personnel to speed up handing back properties occupied during the conflict that are no longer necessary for defense needs.
Despite those directives, Tamil-speaking people living in the north and east are concerned about the slow pace of action.
Competing Claims Over Seized Properties
Ministry spokesman Brigadier Franklin Joseph stated that over 90 percent of the lands previously held by the military have been returned. He noted that remaining delays are often tied to administrative hurdles.
“There are many cases where the owners are not known or there is no proof confirming their ownership. Those are being looked into,” Brigadier Joseph told The Hindu.
Opposition lawmakers dispute those figures. Thurairasa Ravikaran, an MP from the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi representing the northern Mullaitivu district, argued that it is unrealistic to expect displaced families to produce formal documentation after fleeing at the height of the war.
“Our people ran for their lives… in that sort of life and death situation, you cannot expect them to carry all their documents in files,” Mr. Ravikaran told The Hindu. “I can tell you that huge swathes of people’s land remain under military control even today. Not just the military, but also other state agencies like the Archaeology and Wildlife departments have been resorting to blatant land grabs. That is our reality.”
Mullaitivu was the site of the final battle between the armed forces and the LTTE, as well as areas declared no fire zones where the army is accused of killing tens and thousands of civilians. The military and successive governments in Colombo have denied the allegations.
Military Footprint in Commerce and Administration
Beyond land disputes, the Human Rights Commission report detailed how the military’s footprint extends into daily civilian administration and commerce. The report noted military involvement in agriculture and pre-school teaching, primarily executed through the Civil Security Department, with armed military men in uniform frequently observed running shops or manning traffic at junctions in Mullaitivu.
The Roadblock Facing Post-War Reconciliation
The Commission observed that Sri Lanka currently lacks a comprehensive national security sector reform plan incorporating strategies to reduce military presence in the north and east and restore civilian administration. The study ultimately determined that the persistent involvement of armed forces in everyday civilian affairs—such as commercial ventures—differentiates this territory from the rest of the nation and creates roadblocks for post-conflict reconciliation efforts.
