The first settlers of Sri Lanka’s east coast are facing a plethora of hardships due to oppression by the majority community in the area, including through the invasion of acres of farming and residential land by private companies and individuals.
This heart-rending information has been revealed during a cultural event held in Manaimundal – a village located in the Mutur divisional secretariat area in Trincomalee – to mark the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples which fell on 9 August.
During the event, the coastal Vedda community handed over a letter, titled ‘We are also a Part of Nature,’ to the representatives of the eastern province governor, detailing the plight of this community.
Pointing out that there seems to be no legal or policy recognition and sensitivity concerning their identity as well as socio-economic and cultural traditions, the letter had highlighted that indigenous people’s feeling of insecurity has intensified in recent times. It further noted that they often face oppression, exclusion, and discrimination as an indigenous community.
Through the letter, they had pointed out that the Sri Lankan government has failed to enact a law to ensure the indigenous community’s existence and freedom despite the fact that it has been 17 years since the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Although Sri Lanka also cast its vote in favour of this declaration on 13 September 2007, there are no local enactments to ensure these rights.
The letter explains that many indigenous persons in the Mutur and Verugal Divisional Secretariat areas face various forms of political, economic, social, and cultural issues. Directing the governor’s attention to 20 key issues faced by them, they request that the fundamental rights of the indigenous Veddas be protected.
The joint letter by Trincomalee’s Kuveni Indigenous Association, general public, and civil society organisations, highlights that certain individuals from the Sampur area have invaded farming land owned by the indigenous community of the Ilasandei area, while a private company has acquired over 100 acres of land owned by them.
“Since 2010, the Ceylon Business Private Limited Company has acquired over 100 acres of farming and residential land belonging to the residents of Uppural located in the Verugal divisional secretariat area.”
The letter describes how several fishermen from a ‘fraternal nationality’, who occupied the fishing area called Saaththukal located between Uppural and Nallur for a mere period of six months, are refusing to give the area back to the indigenous community, and how the ‘fraternal nationality’ is gradually taking over indigenous people’s land in Sandanawattai, Uppural and Nallur villages with the support of high-ranking government officials.
Trincomalee’s Kuveni Indigenous Association points out that the Ullaikulam tank, one of the key sources of water for Mutur-based indigenous people, had been managed from 1935 to 2010 by the Paththini Amman Farmers’ Association set up by indigenous people. Despite the fact that indigenous people are in possession of land deeds for this land, farmers living in Thoppur have forged illegal land deeds, and have forcibly occupied the land. They request that the Divisional Secretariat conduct a impartial investigation into the matter and take measures to completely hand over the Ullaikulam tank to indigenous people.
They stress that their true identity is not mentioned in any government-issued certificate, including the birth certificate, despite Vedda people being Sri Lanka’s first inhabitants. They say that permission should be given to refer to Vedda people’s nationality in official documents, such as the birth certificate, as Sri Lankan Veddas/Vedda nationals or coastal Veddas/Vedda nationals.
This request comes while authorities have expressed willingness to identify hill-country Tamil people’s nationality as Malaiyaha Tamil.
The Kuveni Indigenous Association points out that when indigenous people conduct their livelihoods – which involve hunting, collecting bee honey, felling timber, saltwater fishing, freshwater fishing, maize cultivation, and manual labour – state bodies as such as the Forest Conservation Department, Wildlife Conservation Department, and the police arrest them for environmental destruction and hunting, to be fined in court.
In order to prevent such, they request that indigenous people engaged in the said livelihoods in forest areas be issued an identity card and to ensure their job security.
In addition, the letter explains that in a context where separate Grama Niladhari units have not been established for indigenous villages located in Mutur and Verugal areas despite the ability to do so, it has been difficult to obtain various government services including those that can be obtained from administrative institutions.In their letter, th coasta Veddas have drawn the governor’s attention to the hardships faced by them due to the Forest Conservation Department’s claim to one of their villages of residence.
“The Manaimundal area in Nallur, Mutur, is one of the inhabited villages. This area includes an indigenous temple premises as well as common and residents’ land. Nevertheless, the Forest Conservation Department claims that this land belongs to the Department. Although we have pointed out that this land belongs to indigenous people and have repeatedly requested that this land be released to the people, the Forest Conservation Department says that the Divisional Secretariat confirms that this land belongs to the Department. Due to these concerns, we are facing issues pertaining to our land rights. Therefore, the relevant government departments should come forward and give us our land in the Manaimundal area.”
The letter further explains that more than 35 permanent houses, toilets, and over 200 acres including farming land belonging to indigenous people living in Santhosapura village in Mutur being designated as areas within a military high security zone.
The letter had highlighted other issues including the shortage of teachers in a school attended by indigenous children, indigenous people not being prioritised in welfare schemes and livelihood development programmes implemented by the government, and direct and indirect discrimination experienced in public places and schools.
Moreover, the letter has described various tactics employed by other ethnic communities living in the Trincomalee district in order to take over indigenous people’s land. “Incidents have been reported where fraternal communities lend money to indigenous people. When the latter could not repay the loans, the former had obtained indigenous people’s signatures on a blank paper and used it to illegally acquire land.”
In the letter given to the Governor, Trincomalee’s Kuveni Indigenous Association had further explained how their traditional relationships, culture, and the arts have been significantly affected by premeditated conversion of indigenous people into other religions.
In addition, the letter contained information about how women were subjected to physical assaults by majority communities in the area.
“Recently, certain fraternal communities in the Uppural area had assaulted women who worked in support of indigenous people’s rights. Protection from such acts should be ensured.”
Regional reporters said that the Kuveni Indigenous Association have sent copies of the letter to representatives of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka and the Divisional Secretariat of Trincomalee as well.
