The Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) said it "severely condemns" the issuing of death threats against four Jaffna University students and one lecturer, warning them against remembering Tamil national remembrance day, Maaveerar Naal on November 27.

"Posters have been posted inside Jaffna University's premises including the names of four students and a lecturer, threatening to shoot and kill them. The names listed in the posters are english department's dean and the University Teachers’ Union Leader, Amirthalingam Rasakumaran, as well as 3rd year media studies students, Thurairasa Thamilselvan, Kanesalingam Nivas, and Thangarasa Ayngaran, and 3rd year geography student Philipeiris Britto," the TNPF said in a statement.

"The poster, written in inaccurate Tamil, warned not to observe Maaveerar Naal events, and if observed, [the students and staff] will be shot and killed. As only the Sri Lankan government and the army have been continuously making threats not to hold remembrance events, we suspect that the posters published between 21 and 27 during Maaveerar remembrance week were posted by Sri Lanka military intelligence officers," the TNPF said.

"According to international laws, everyone has the right to remember those who died in war. The SL government gives full permission and independence to remember JVP members who died, and yet is denying the right to remember members of the LTTE who died in the war."

"The government is denying rights on the basis of racism, because the LTTE are Tamils."

"Not only is it denying the right to commemorate, but it has unleashed [state] terrorism on Tamils, especially on University societies."

"Even whilst there is an international investigation into past and ongoing human rights violations and violations of international law underway, the government does not cease the oppression of Tamil people. We request the international community to take note of this incident and to provide safety for the students and lecturers."

"In the past few days, the names of the students mentioned above were collected by unidentified people. Subsequently on Friday night, 5 unidentified persons on motorbikes and dressed in civilian clothes, arrived at the house of the media studies student, K Niva, and tried to abduct him claiming he was needed for an investigation. Whilst Nivas escaped from the attempt to kidnap him, the men made threats to members of his family."