Land ownership cannot be ethnic based - Wimal Weerawansa

Nethali STRUYS

Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities Minister Wimal Weerawansa participating in the foundation stone laying for the ‘Janasevana’ housing project in Katana.

Lands cannot be demarcated according to race therefore it is not fair for Tamils to ask exclusive rights to land in the Northern Province, said Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities Minister Wimal Weerawansa.

The minister was addressing a public gathering at Daminnagahawatte, Katana following the launch of Janasevana housing project.

The minister said that the campaign by Tamil politicians to pressure the government over the land issues wasn't fair. "Therefore it cannot be acceptable," he said.

Weerawansa said that the recently concluded LG poll for the CMC highlighted the fact that the Sinhalese were a minority within the city limits but the Sinhalese never objected to being outnumbered in the city.

"Tamil political parties and groups should not look at the issue through ethnic eyes. The bottom line is that the government couldn't adopt a land policy based on ethnic lines whatever Tamil politicians say," he said.

He criticized the groups behind the launching of the protest in Vavuniya over the land issue. In spite of the LTTE being defeated over two years ago there are those who still pursue Prabhakaran's Eelam dream, he said.

Nothing could be as reckless as the effort to provoke Tamil speaking people in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, he said.