Point Pedro Magistrate Court bans hunger strike organised by Tamil political parties

<p>Point Pedro Magistrate Court has banned a hunger strike organised by Tamil political parties in protest over the ban on commemorating the anniversary of Lt Col Thileepan's fast unto death.&nbsp;</p> <p>Sri Lankan police filed a ban on the hunger strike which was organised in response to the extension of the ban ordered by Jaffna Magistrate Court on events attempting to commemorate Lt Col Thileepan</p> <p>Jaffna Magistrate Court concluded that if the ban is to be extended further, the Ministry of Law and Order must do so through a Gazette notification.&nbsp;</p> <p>Sri Lankan police have intensified their crackdown on remembrance events across the North-East, most recently denying permission for commemorating Lt Col Thileepan who fasted to death in 1987, calling on the Indian government to acceot key demands, He avoided consuming food or water for the next 11 days and became a martyr on September 26.&nbsp;</p> <p>Last week, the Sri Lankan police blocked an event that was to be held in Vavuniya last week and arrested M K Shivajilingham, a former northern provincial council member, as he attempted to pay tribute to Thileepan in Nallur. Security forces also reportedly destroyed arrangements made for the remembrance in the early hours of September 15, which marks the beginning of the week-long commemoration.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>