Plain clothed Sri Lankan police officers followed the 'End the Occupation' rally as it left Mullaitivu this morning and headed to Trincomalee on day 3 of its journey from the Northern to the Eastern province.
Protestors, who have been demanding an end to the occupation of the Tamil homeland, have been under surveillance since Saturday when the rally left Jaffna. The first day of the rally coincided with Sri Lanka's 75th Independence Day, which has been regarded as a 'black day' for Tamils as the state continues to deny them of basic rights.
As the rally travelled through Mullaitivu towards Trincomalee, protestors visited various Tamil massacre sites and Tamil villages which are undergoing Sinhala colonisation.
Police officers and investigators attached to Kokkilai police station photographed protestors who were engaged in worship at Neeraviyadi Pillaiyar temple in Semmalai, which has been historically encroached on. In 2018, a Sinhala Buddhist monk constructed a large Buddha statue on its premises. A Tamil language sign indicating the Hindu temple had also been destroyed and replaced with a Sinhala sign.
A year later, Mullaitivu Magistrate’s Court ruled in favour of the Neeraviyadi Pillaiyar, confirming its longstanding existence in Semmalai. Ignoring the court ruling, the Sri Lankan army set up a sham archaeological museum opposite the temple, claiming the artefacts were from the area and belonged to the disputed Buddhist vihara next to the temple, highlighting that Tamils are not even protected legally from this encroachment.
The rally also passed through Thennaimaravadi, Pulmoddai, Thiriyai and Kuchchaveli - Tamil villages where the state are making deliberate efforts to alter the demographics of these areas.
Trincomalee university students and locals welcomed the protestors as they entered the city, holding placards in soldiarity with the protest.
The protestors visited the Kumarapuram massacre memorial site where the Sri Lankan army killed 26 Tamils, gang-raped a 15 year old girl and caused injuries to 24 others on February 11, 1996. A flame was lit to remember the victims of the brutal massacre.
Tomorrow the protestors will leave Trincomalee and make their way to Batticaloa, where the rally is expected to end.
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