Colombo, Jan 31 (PTI) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Friday assured the northern Tamils that their lands held by the military would be fully returned back to them soon.

Dissanayake was visiting Jaffna, the northern capital, for the first time since being elected President in September last year and stated that land belonging to the people should rightfully remain with them.

Jaffna is a Tamil-dominated capital city of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka.

He said steps are being taken to expedite the process of returning land to its rightful owners.

During the armed conflict since the 80s, the government has continuously seized the land of people for military purposes. From 2015 there have been releases from time to time.

Dissanayake highlighted that while the government has the authority to acquire land anywhere in the country for development projects or security purposes, it is imperative that alternative land is provided to those affected.

These lands had been cultivated by the military since public access to them had been shut due to the military operations against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) till 2009.

During and after the conflict with LTTE, some 3,500 acres of privately owned lands were taken over by the military to create the high-security zone around the Palaly military base of Jaffna which is also the site for the current Jaffna International Airport.

Since 2015 some of these lands have been released to their private owners in response to pleas after the military defeated the LTTE in 2009.

Jaffna holds great significance as it was the region where the LTTE had run a military campaign for a separate Tamil homeland for nearly 30 years before its collapse in 2009 after the Sri Lankan Army killed its supreme leader V Prabhakaran.

The region has lacked economic development and the Sri Lankan leaders have said they are committed to the development of the Tamil-dominated Northern and Eastern provinces of the island nation.

Meanwhile, unemployed graduates from Jaffna held a protest.

They protested outside the Jaffna District Secretariat where Dissanayake was chairing a meeting with various representatives to discuss issues faced by people living in Jaffna.

The protesters called on Dissanayake and his government to address the lack of job opportunities for university graduates who are forced into menial tasks.

Earlier this week, Sri Lankan police sought a ban on the protests. However, the Jaffna Magistrate Court dismissed the petition on Thursday and stated that the peaceful protest could go ahead as long as the protesters did not block the roads.

The protesters have vowed to continue their protests until their demands are addressed. PTI CORR PY PY

Return of military-held land pledged, expediting restitution to rightful owners in Jaffna and addressing alternative land needs. President Dissanayake pledged expedited return of military-held lands in Jaffna to their rightful owners, while acknowledging government authority to acquire land for development or security and stressing that alternative land must be provided to affected persons; the statement references phased releases since 2015 and identifies the Palaly high-security zone as a primary area of long-term military occupation.