Challenging Occupation: Iranaitheevu Residents Mark 359 Days of Protest
“In the past, we never had to leave the island, even when we got sick. We would use our natural medicine. We used to grow everything here – ayurvedic medicine, fruits and…
land issues
Iranaitheevu; a year of continuous protests to regain Navy-occupied land
After the election of the new government in 2015, the people of Iranaitheevu, forcibly displaced since 1992, finally thought they would be able to return home. Yet a flurry of letters and…
Imbalance of Power: Examining the struggle for land in Mullikulam and Keppapulavu
Last July, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera said Sri Lanka was planning to demilitarise by 2018. The cautious optimism that followed this news died away when the military contradicted Samaraweera’s speech, with Jaffna…
Disconnected: Juxtaposing the UNHRC sessions with protests in the North
At 7:30 am in Mullikulam on March 23, a group of villagers decided to begin a protest, demanding for the return of their land. The residents of Mullikulam have been living ‘as…
Military Occupation: documenting civilian protests and the struggle of the newly resettled
Editor’s Note: This is an immersive photo story written by them, compiled using Microsoft Sway. Click here to access it directly, or scroll below.
Sellamma returns home after Army occupation
We first met 83 year old grandmother Sellamma when she was part of a protest fast outside the Puthukudiyiruppu Divisional Secretariat. At that time, her land and house across the road had…
On Keppapulavu
February 9 marks the tenth day of protests in Keppapulavu, a village in Mullaitivu, where residents are demanding the return of their land. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is meeting with representatives…