Sri Lanka’s Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Director of the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) pledged to take legal action against those who attempted to mark Maaveerar Naal, as Tamils across the North-East geared up to commemorate their fallen fighters on Monday.
Both the IGP and head of the TID gave an undertaking to Court of Appeal, the second most senior court in the Sri Lankan legal system, through Senior State Counsel Shaminda Wickrema, stating that any individuals who marked the day would be investigated under the Criminal Procedure Code.
It came after a retired Sri Lankan army intelligence officer filed a petition at the court seeking to block commemorations from taking place.
Across the North-East preparations have taken place to mark Maaveerar Naal - or Great Heroes Day – which pays tribute to those who sacrificed their lives in the Tamil liberation struggle. It is marked on November 27, in memory of the first death of a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam cadre, Lt Col. Shankar who died in combat on November 27, 1982.
On Saturday, Sri Lankan police arrested the Vice President of the Crusaders for Democracy party under the notorious Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) for providing meals to the families of fallen LTTE cadres. Meanwhile, memorials made from the remnants of destroyed headstones at cemeteries had been demolished and Tamil activists have been harassed as Sri Lanka intensifies its crackdown on Maaveerar Naal in the Eastern province.
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