A group of armed Sinhalese ‘home guards’ have attacked Tamil farmers who were herding their cattle, after ‘allowing’ the Tamil farmers to breed their cattle. The attack has taken place at ‘Mangalagama’ area in Vellaave’li division two days ago, the victims said, adding that they were using the grazing lands to breed their cattle for four decades.
Since the war against Eezham Tamils ended in Vanni in 2009, Sinhala ‘home guards’ paramilitary, comprising Sinhala men living along the border of the Batticaloa district, started killing the cattle of Tamil farmers alleging that the cattle of the Tamil farmers were destroying their crops.
Those who question the conduct of the armed squads get targeted by the paramilitary during nights.
Affected Tamil farmers say they have repeatedly made complaints with the SL Police, Divisional Secretary and officials of the Sri Lankan Agrarian Service Department. But, the SL authorities have tended to turn a deaf ear to such complaints, Tamil farmers say.
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