A 16 year old Tamil boy has been interrogated by Sri Lankan police over a kite that was adorned with a map of Tamil Eelam at the Mullaitivu kite festival.
Hundreds of children and adults gathered on Mullaitivu beach yesterday to watch the display of various kites.
For years, particularly following the end of the armed conflict in 2009, Sri Lanka's security forces have escalated their crackdown in the North-East. Most recently, in the run up to Maaveerar Naal - or Great Heroes Day - in November 2023, Sri Lanka's police clamped down on efforts made by Tamils to memorialise their loved ones by banning the use of red and yellow flags and the karthigai poo - the national flower of Tamil Eelam.
As many as 9 Tamils were detained under the PTA over remembrance events for Maaveerar Naal. The arrests, which came mainly in the East, were carried out as Tamils carried red and yellow flags or speakers, to take to Maaveerar Naal commemorations, which remember those who died fighting for the liberation of Tamil Eelam. Others were arrested for hiring out vehicles or power generators, or at commemorations themselves which were stormed by Sri Lankan security officers.
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.
