The chief minister of the Northern Province, C V Wigneswaran said he would continue to boycott events for Sri Lanka's independence day until the Tamil people were free.
"I will only take part in such events when the Tamil people get freedom," Mr Wigneswaran told the Thinakkural newspaper on Tuesday, the day before the state's 67th anniversary of gaining independence from British colonial rule.
"I have not taken part in any Sri Lankan independence day events ever since the Sinhala Only Act was introduced," he added.
According to Ceylon Today, the event was attended by the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP M A Sumanthiran and party leader, R Sampanthan.
The event has been previously rejected by Tamil politicians who have condemned the celebration as meaningless to the Tamil people who continue to live under state oppression.
In multiple protests across the North-East on Tuesday, Tamils called for justice, accountability, release of political prisoners and repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act, adding that until such issues were addressed, February 4 would be a black day for the Tamil people.
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