Tamils across Europe have been marking the 11 day hunger strike by the LTTE’s Lt. Col. Thileepan in ceremonies at their homes, with many countries on the continent continuing to have tight restrictions in place due to the coronavirus pandemic.
As coronavirus infections begin to rise many governments have put restrictions on large gatherings in place. Tamil organisations across the continent however have called on the public to mark Thileepan’s sacrifice in their home or with socially distanced events.
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
“The pandemic has reminded us all how precious life is and highlighted the enormity of Thileepan’s protest,” said one London-based activist. “Even if we can’t all gather in larger groups as we did before, Thileepan’s spirit of resistance is alive in homes across the world.”
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
The commemorations in Europe take place as the Sri Lankan government continued to crackdown on remembrance events in the Tamil homeland, with arrests and police summons being used against Tamil activists.
Thileepan began his fast on 15th September 1987, surrounded by over 100,000 supporters, and died 11 days later, on the 26th September 1987. His death was mourned across the Tamil homeland at the time and continues to be marked by Eelam Tamils around the world.
.jpeg)
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.
