He was addressing a ceremony at which 700 acres of Jaffna land were returned to their owners.

Extremist groups create wrong ideas among the people of the south, he noted.

The president invited all citizens to join together to build a country of equality in which all could live as one.

Handing over land at Jaffna, Kankesanthurai and Thellippalai, he said what was returned today was not someone else’s, but that belonged to the real owners.

Since the new government took office, original owners of northern and eastern land were given their land back, and the entire process would be completed within the next few months, he added.

He asked those of the south who criticize the return of the land to visit the north and see for themselves the plight of the people living in displaced camps.

President Sirisena said houses would be built for all those affected by the war.

According to statistics given by the TNA to the government, original owners had lost 7,600 acres of land in the north.

So far, 3,000 acres of the land had been returned, BBC Sandeshaya reports.