Colonization of the Eastern Province

by Tamil Centre for Human Rights, September 9, 2007

Rest of report to UN Human Rights Council

The following statistics show how the Sri Lankan governments and its destructive agents plundered and robbed 50% of the ancestral lands of the Tamils of the Island of Sri Lanka. The author of this report is Mr K. Sachithanandan. He was a lecturer at the University of Jaffna and adviser to the United Nations on Food and Agriculture in twenty-three countries. Also appointed as a research officer in the Fisheries Corporation in Colombo. (Report dated 1990)

Since 1827 - Tamil and Sinhala populations in the Eastern province

(Table is shown on a language basis)

                                                          Tamil                          Sinhala

Year                                       Speaking                    Speaking

            1827                                       99.24%                                   0.53%

            1881                                       93.82%                                   4.66%

            1891                                       93.89%                                   5.06%

            1901                                       91.8%                         5.05%

            1911                                       93.4%                         3.76%

            1921                                       93.95%                                   4.53%

            1946                                       87.8%                         9.87%

            1953                                       85.5%                         13.11%

            1963                                       79.25%                                   19.9%

            1971                                       78.61%                                   20.7%

            1981                                       74.4%                         24.92%

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Since 1827 - Tamil and Sinhala populations in Batticaloa district

(Table is shown on language basis)

Until 1963 it includes Amparai district

                                                          Tamil                         Sinhala

            Year                                       Speaking                   Speaking

            1827                                       99.62%                                   0.00%

            1881                                       93.27%                                   4.75%

            1891                                       93.2%                         5.21%

            1901                                       92.34%                                   5.21%

            1911                                       92.95%                                   3.74%

            1921                                       93.12%                                   4.56%

            1946                                       92.55%                                   5.83%

            1953                                       87.64%                                   11.52%

            1963*                                     95.6%                         3.35%*

            1971                                       94.49%                                   4.49%

            1981                                       95.95%                                   3.21%

* Creation of Amparai district

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Since 1963 - Tamil and Sinhala population in Amparai district

(Table is shown language basis)

(Amparai district was created in 1963)

                                                          Tamil                         Sinhala

            Year                                       Speaking                   Speaking

            1963                                       70.22%                                   29.34%

            1971                                       69.47%                                   30.18%

            1981                                       62.03%                                   37.64%

10

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Since 1827 - Tamil and Sinhala populations in Trincomalee district

(Table is shown on language basis)

                                                          Tamil                         Sinhala

            Year                                       Speaking                   Speaking

            1827                                       98.45%                                   1.53%

            1881                                       90.72%                                   4.21%

            1891                                       91.44%                                   4.3%

            1901                                       89.04%                                   4.22%

            1911                                       90.54%                                   3.82%

            1921                                       92.13%                                   4.38%

            1946                                       75.09%                                   20.68%

            1953                                       78.8%                         18.22%

            1963                                       79.25%                                   19.9%

            1971                                       70.2%                         28.8%

            1981                                       65.38%                                   33.62%

In 1833 the Colebrook-Cameron Commission allocated approximately 26,500 sq. km as the Tamil People’s Ancestral Motherland.

In 1901 when the nine provinces came into being, the Tamil administration of the Northern and Eastern Provinces measured approximately 19,100 sq.km Due to some of the area being incorporated into the Sinhalese provinces the Tamil area had been reduced by approximately 7,500 sq.km.

After 1948 the government’s settlement plan deprived the Tamils of 7,000 sq.km. in the Eastern Province and 500 sq.km. in the Northern Province. Although the Tamils protested, the Colombo administration ignored the Tamils and settled Sinhalese in these regions.

Approximately 7,500 sq.km of Tamil land was plundered by the Sinhala Government’s Demarcation and Resettlement Plan when it came into operation.

This has been taking place over the last forty years.

Before 1833, 25% of Tamil speaking people occupied 35% of land, which was in their administration as Tamil ancestral homeland. In 1901 this area shrunk from 35% to 29%.

Within 162 years the Sinhalese government under its crafty Demarcation and Resettlement Plan has plundered 50% of the Tamil ancestral homeland and is still attempting to colonise more and more!