Thaiyiddy residents brave rain to protest 'illegal' vihara on their land

Residents of Thaiyiddy in Jaffna staged a protest today, braving rain, against a vihara they say has been built illegally on their land, and demanded that the land be handed back to its owners.

Protesters gathered near the site carrying placards calling for the removal of the structure and for their ownership of the land to be respected.

Thaiyiddy residents have long pressed their claim to the land, holding regular demonstrations. Tamil families displaced from the area say state-backed construction has proceeded without their consent.

The protest is part of a wider series of demonstrations by land owners across the north, including weekly protests by displaced families in Myliddy and Palaly, demanding the release of lands still held within high security zones or occupied for other uses.