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Several Tamil children orphaned in the war attended a remembrance event in a church in the town of Koppaay on Monday evening.
The event was attended by TNA spokesperson Suresh Premachandran and Northern Province Councillor Ananthy Sasitharan, whose husband, Elilan Sasitharan, is one of the many who disappeared after being captured by the army.
"We are people who do not even have the freedom to remember our loved ones, we are still living without even the freedom to light a candle for our loved ones,” Mr Premachandran said, addressing those who attended the event.
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“Six years since the end of the armed conflict the government has still prohibited the lighting of candles in Mullivaikkal. It was necessary to light candles in defiance of the ban. Therefore even if the government has changed, their thoughts and feelings have not changed.”
“They are demonstrating again and again that whatever government comes to power, without us gaining our rights and the right for Tamils to rule Tamils, the government will not be prosperous to the Tamils.
The TNA MP expressed hope at international efforts at pursuing justice.
“However despite this, our loved ones who fought for us, did not leave us stranded. They have left our struggle having ensured that our problem is discussed on an international level, and made the international community understand that our problem requires a solution,” he said adding that the survivors are left “with another ray of hope”.
“We all have a duty and a responsibility to ensure that we take forward that ray of hope,” he stated.
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Mr Premachandran criticised the Sirisena-government for failing to address the issues of the Tamils who disappeared.
“Even after six years our parents are wandering from street to street, desperately looking for their loves ones that remain missing, in the hope that they will still be found. However, it is sad to note that this government [and] no government has come forward to address this and resolve this even on an international level,” he said.
“However despite this, as it is a government elected by the people, even we are urging the government that they have a duty to find the missing people, whoever may have detained them, and find out what happened to them. We are saying this on an international level too.”
“Therefore lets go forward with hope. Through this song you have said collectively what I wish to say here. We have not been defeated. We have taken a setback of late but definitely you all will live freely as free children on a free land, taking the land and the Tamil people forward,” he said to the children at the event.
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