📈 Report: Economic Impact of ‘Sinhalisation’ in North-East

People for Equality and Relief in Lanka (PEARL) has released a new report detailing the economic and social consequences of state-led land policies in the North-East, specifically highlighting the Mayilaththamadu–Madhavanai area. • Overall Findings: The report identifies a systematic project of "Sinhalisation"—defined as the use of state power to assert Sinhala-Buddhist control over Tamil-speaking regions. It argues that while framed as "development," these policies function as "anti-development" by destroying local economic systems. • Sector Breakdown & Livelihoods: • Dairy & Livestock: In Mayilaththamadu–Madhavanai, Tamil dairy farmers have been displaced from over 3,000 hectares of grazing land. The disruption has led to the loss of cattle and damaged milk supply chains. • Agriculture: State-led irrigation and settlement schemes are cited as failing to produce economic returns, resulting in wasted public resources. • Tourism: The report notes that military-dominated tourism in the region often displaces traditional Tamil economic activities. • Regional Impact: The dispossession of land and resources is described as "economically irrational" for a debt-stricken nation. It entrenching poverty in the North-East and exacerbates the broader national economic crisis by destroying productive assets like livestock. • Key Recommendations: PEARL calls for the recognition of these practices as systematic state policy and urges international intervention to halt land grabs and support Tamil self-determination over land and resources.