The Sri Lankan army's control of property left vacant by fleeing civil war refugees has stoped thousands of Tamils returning home, according to activists.<br /><br />After Sri Lanka declared victory over the Tamil Tigers in 2009, the army took control of farms and houses left empty by Tamils who had fled the violence.<br /><br />The military says its mission in northern Jaffna is to prevent "hardline rebel sympathisers" from returning from abroad.<br /><br />But rights groups say the "militarisation" of Tamil areas means thousands of people who fled the war still cannot return.<br /><br />Al Jazeera's Charles Stratford reports from Jaffna, Sri Lanka.<br /><br />Subscribe to our channel http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/AJEnglish Find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website http://www.aljazeera.com/
