MANNAR : Democratic Awareness Protest was held on Friday 7 August, in front of the Mannar Town Roundabout, with the central demand claiming for their lands
“Sri Lankan Government! Immediately hand over our ancestral lands to us!” Tamil
The protest aimed to express solidarity with communities who have been engaged in long-term, peaceful, and democratic struggles to reclaim their ancestral lands across the Northern and Eastern Provinces.
For decades, communities in Valikamam North (Jaffna), Keppapilavu (Mullaitivu), and Mayilathamadu–Madhavanai (Batticaloa) have been fighting to regain their ancestral lands, which remain under military occupation or state control.
The Mannar protest was organized to:
- Support their just and legitimate demands
- Amplify their voices for justice, dignity, and land rights
- Urge the government to provide immediate and sustainable solutions
The protest was organized by:
- Voice of the Landlost People
With coordination and support from:
- MSEDO (Mannar Social and Economic Development Organization)
Participants included:
- Civil society organizations
- People’s groups
- Human rights activists
- Religious leaders
- Social activists
- Concerned members of the public
All united in their commitment to human rights, land rights, social justice, and democratic values.
4. Key Messages and Slogans
Participants carried placards and voiced powerful slogans such as:
- “Land is our right – Justice is our goal!”
- “Our land – Our right!”
- “Land rights are human rights!”
- “Land is our life and identity!”
- “Our land – Our voice!”
- “While people starve, should the military cultivate crops on people’s lands?”
