The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) said yesterday, the government had told them they would release the land occupied by the military soon.

TNA MP M. A. Sumanthiran told reporters that the Army Commander had told him, that on the instructions of the President, the Defence Secretary the land occupied by the military in the North and East would be released block by block, gradually.

Furthermore, the TNA MP told reporters that which lands would be released first would be decided at a meeting with district secretaries in the areas of Mullaitivu, Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Vavuniya and Mannar on April 19 and 20.

Thereafter those lands will be released to the rightful owners he said. 

He said the government had been clear that barring lands needed for security purposes, all other land occupied in the North would be given back to the rightful owners.