Petitioners request SC to rule that SLA has violated their fundamental rights

Attorney General (AG) KC Kamalasabeysan told the Supreme Court (SC) that the Sri Lanka Army has refused to allow resettlement in HSZs as they are "very sensitive" on security.

He was responding to a Fundamental Rights (FR) petition filled by Tamil National Allaince's (TNA) member of parliament Mavai Senadhirajah and S Rajadurai, a farmer from Palali, citing that they were prevented from resettling in their original land in the HSZ.

"Fundamental rights violated"

AG Kamalasabeysan expressed willingness to settle the case if the petitioners agree to resettle in an alternative land allocated by the government.

The petitioners say that they were displaced from their traditional homeland in Palali in 1990 due to the escalation of the civil war.

Their request to be allowed to resettle in their homeland after the signing of the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) in February 2002, was refused on the grounds that the area comes under HSZs, petitioners said.

Petitioners further state that the SLA has no authority to maintain HSZs as there were no emergency regulations until recently.

Petitioners request the SC to rule that the SLA's activity has violated their fundamental rights.

The SC decided to hear the case on 17 July.