The Vice President of the Crusaders for Democracy party has been arrested under the notorious Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) for providing meals to the families of fallen LTTE cadres earlier today. 

N Nagules was questioned and arrested by Vellavaly police while he was at an event honouring the relatives of those who gave their lives in the armed liberation struggle. He was produced in court and will be remanded until December 7. 

Police also took down the red and yellow bunting and posters that were put up by the organisers of the event. 

The arrest comes as Sri Lanka clamps down on commemorations across the North-East in the lead up to Maaveerar Naal. 

Responding to the arrest in Parliament, Tamil National Alliance MP, R Shanakiyan said:

“The government has given an assurance that the Prevention of Terrorism Act will not be used to arrest anybody. But the Prevention of Terrorism Act has been used to arrest somebody and the crime he has apparently committed is providing meals to those parents whose children who had died at war."

“This is a serious, serious problem. If memorialisation is not allowed in the North and East, there is no reconciliation. TRC [Truth and Reconciliation Commission] will not work!”

The PTA has been used for decades to detain Tamils and Muslims arbitrarily and to extract false confessions through the use of torture. Despite multiple pledges from successive governments, Sri Lanka has failed to repeal the legislation.