The Sri Lankan security forces have arrested as many as 10 Tamil men and women under the much-criticised Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) earlier today, after the group held a memorial event at a beach in Batticaloa to mark Tamil Genocide Day.
The memorial event saw Tamils gather at the beach in Kalkudah, light a flame of remembrance and lay flowers to commemorate the tens of thousands of Tamils killed by Sri Lankan security forces in 2009.
Shortly afterwards however, Sri Lankan security forces arrested members of the group claiming that they were commemorating the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Sri Lankan Police Spokesman DIG Ajith Rohana claimed that people are prohibited from commemorating the LTTE.
“The leader of the arrested group has been identified as a 38-year-old male who runs a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO),” added Adaderena. They will be produced in court tomorrow added the Daily Mirror.
The latest arrests come amidst a security crackdown across the North-East with dozens of arrests having taken place in recent weeks.
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.