• Chieftain calls for urgent amendment of laws prohibiting forest entry which negate their livelihood, edu, religious belief, culture  

The Vedda community, an indigenous group in Sri Lanka, has warned that their entire culture including their livelihood, education, and religious beliefs, will be destroyed if the relevant legal provisions that prohibit them from entering forests are not amended swiftly.

Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (2), the Vedda Chief Uruwarige Wannila Aththo said that the longstanding issues faced by the Vedda community are still not resolved. Of them, he said that the issue of not having access to forests is greatly affecting all segments of their life such as education, religious beliefs, and culture. "We are prohibited from entering forests, and engaging in our traditional livelihoods. Such restrictions are affecting our community's future. Our life is interconnected with the forests. The forests are our schools, our temples, our hospitals, and our food stores. So, we have no access to them now, and our younger generation is losing a great deal of knowledge and experience. That is why we ask for the quick resolution of these issues by amending the relevant laws."

In response to a query by The Daily Morning as to whether any of the candidates who are contesting the Presidential Election scheduled for 21 September has promised to resolve the Vedda community's issues, Wannila Aththo said: "No Presidential candidate came to meet me, nor did I go to meet any of them. Our issues are still the same."

The Ministry of Justice, Prisons Affairs and Constitutional Reforms late last year (2023) announced that a new Act aimed at providing lasting solutions to the Vedda community will be introduced. The Bill was reported to be based on recommendations made by a committee appointed to look into the matter. When queried by The Daily Morning regarding the progress of the new legislation, the Ministry's Secretary, M.N. Ranasinghe said yesterday that he would inquire about it from the Legal Division and revert.

The Vedda, also spelled Veddah, community is believed to have inhabited Sri Lanka prior to the 6th Century Before the Common Era. Although the Vedda people have been living in separate areas for centuries, they have now been largely absorbed into the modern Sinhalese population. 

The Wannila Aththo recently said that the authorities should give an opportunity to someone representing the Vedda community to enter the Parliament through the National List or appoint a separate Ministry to look into their issues.