The Colombo Additional Magistrate has called on Sri Lanka’s Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to arrest the organisers of the Maaveerar Naal commemorations that took place across the Tamil homeland last month, as thousands paid tribute to fallen Tamil fighters.
The Magistrate made the demand while granting bail to Renuka Perera, the Administrative Secretary of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), who was arrested on December 5 by the CID also allegedly spreading false information about the recent Maaveerar Naal commemorations.
Perera was arrested from his residence in Kotikawatta for sharing social media posts. The CID claimed that he had shared video clips of Maaveerar commemorations held in Australia and falsely associated them with events in Jaffna.
At the Colombo Additional Magistrate's Court, Perera was granted bail on two sureties of one million rupees each.
During proceedings, the Magistrate questioned the arresting individuals who shared videos without investigating those who originally created and uploaded the content. The Magistrate expressed concern that no investigation had been carried out into those who organised the commemorations, calling on the security forces to arrest them instead.
Earlier this year, in the run up to the commemorations, volunteers from Batticaloa were summoned by police over their preparation activities, in a reported attempt to disrupt preparations. Sri Lankan police in Mannar also had an attempt to prevent the commemoration of Tamil freedom fighters on Maaveerar Naal, rejected by a local court.
For years, Tamils have faced threats and intimidation by the security forces, particularly when attempting to commemorate both fallen Tamil fighters and civilians.