A senior official of the Sri Lankan Army has said that anyone participating in the commemoration of LTTE soldiers will be jailed.

Major General Boniface Perera was responding to a question about reports in some media outlets that relatives of those that died in the last phase of the conflict were planning to organise a commemoration event in Vavuniya.

“There is only one military in a country. Any citizen has the right to commemorate their loved ones but no one can commemorate terrorists who were disloyal to the government,

“If persons are planning to remember LTTE members it is treason. We will arrest whoever is involved in this,

“Victory Day celebrations are not aimed only to honour War Heroes. This is celebrated by the citizens of this country to commemorate all who died due to the war without considering religion, caste, ethnicity or other differences,” he said.

“We have information that the Commemoration Day which is to be celebrated today in Vavuniya is not a day to commemorate the dead,

“They are planning to commemorate LTTE cadres who died during the war. I will never allow any individual or organisation to commemorate a terrorist organisation. If any individual or organisation organises ceremonies to remembers the LTTE, they will be arrested,

“The Sri Lankan Defence Force on the instructions of Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa will never allow terrorism to raise its head in the country. We will protect the country,” he said.