Wanathamulla Residents Raise Concerns

By Camelia Nathaniel

Residents of Wanathamulla and Bakery junction in Narahenpita claimed that they are being harassed by military personnel attached to the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development, threatening them with eviction in spite of a Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission (HRCSL) ruling against the forced eviction of these people.

The Wanathamulla protection group for land owners had lodged a complaint with the HRCSL regarding the harassment they face and the HRCSL had issued a directive that the UDA should respect their free will to move from their lands and not be forced to do so. The convenor of the Narahenpita land owner’s protection organisation Hemantha Weerakoone told The Sunday Leader that a certain army officer attached to the UDA had been threatening the residents, openly ridiculing the decision taken by the HRCSL.

“The Army regularly keep coming to the Narahenpita area and have been threatening the residents. The UDA officials who were present at the HRCSL accepted the decision taken by the HRCSL that these residents cannot be evicted from these lands by force and against their will. But, after that, this officer had come and told the residents that the HRCSL is only a mediating force and that they cannot prevent the UDA from evicting these residents from these lands,” he said.

When The Sunday Leader contacted the Director Media of the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya regarding this incident, he said that it had no direct involvement with the military but there were military personnel contributing labour for the projects launched by the UDA.
“It is not the Army but the UDA that is carrying out these projects.

The HRCSL is an organisation that is formed to address the HR issues faced by the people, and we as the military in no way disregard their directives,” he said, adding that it is not an official of the Army or the Defence Ministry but perhaps a comment made by an officer in his personal capacity. He added that, if this officer had made any such statement disrespectful of the HRCSL, the Army would take appropriate disciplinary action against that particular officer.