Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) MP Sivagnanam Shritharan has called on Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe to release the eight individuals who were arrested by Sri Lankan police during the observance of Shivarathri at the Vedukkunaari Hill Athi Sivan temple on Friday.
Last week, Sri Lankan police stormed Vedukkunaari Hill Athi Sivan temple in Vavuniya North as Tamils gathered to mark Shivarathri. 8 worshippers were arrested whilst Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) MP Selvarajah Kajendren was assaulted by Sri Lankan police.
In his letter to the president, Shritharan stated that the police's "authoritative activites" would only "intensify the conflicts between the two races further and further."
"It should also be noted that these people have not done any criminal activities and they went only to worship their God of Aathishivan at their religious temple," Shritharan added.
The eight individuals who were arrested are: Kanthasamy Gowrikanthan (24), Thilakanathan Kinthuyan (28), Sivam Luxshan (28), Thurairasa Thamichelvan (28), Makenthiran Narenthiran (29), Rasaratnam Vinayagamoorthy (30), Subramaniyam Thavapalasingam (35), Thampirasa Mathimugarasa (45).
Folllowing the incident, Tamils have been protesting in Batticaloa and Jaffna to condemn the unlawful arrests and call for their immediate release.
Although Vedukkunaari Hill Athi Sivan temple has been a place of worship for Tamil people for generations, it has been declared as an ancient Buddhist site by Sri Lanka's archaeology department. This forms part of Sri Lanka's ongoing efforts to colonise traditionally Tamil sites.
See Shritharan's full letter here.
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