Tamils in Vavuniya held a remembrance events, on Monday, in commemoration of those that died at the end of the armed ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka. An event organised by the Tamil National Alliance, was led by MPs Sivasakthy Ananthan and Selvam Adaikkalagathan. Tamils from the local community also gathered at a second remembrance event called Tamil Genocide Day, organised by the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) was led by S Gopalakrishnan.
2nd lead Protests took place at locations across the North-East on Monday calling for those responsible for the rape and murder of a Tamil schoolgirl last week to be brought to justice. Angry scenes were seen in Jaffna, where tyres were burnt after reports spread that one of the suspects arrested over the murder of 18 year old Sivaloganathan Vithiya had escaped from police custody and had travelled to Colombo. The suspect was later caught and returned to Jaffna. Protestors surrounded the Jaffna police station and Jaffna court, demanding the suspects be handed over to them.
The Northern Provincial Councillor Ananthy Sasitharan called on the Sri Lankan government to release all those arbitrarily detained since the end of the armed ethnic conflict in 2009. The letter, which was addressed to Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena, and copied to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, called on Sri Lanka’s government to: 1. Discharge the detainees who have been under detention for the last 05 years without any proven charges, trails and even access for their families to see, on Presidential Pardon and common amnesty. 2...
The burnt body of a man was found in Kilinochchi on Tuesday morning, reports Uthayan . The man has been identified as the 48 year old father of three children, Anthony Toni. Kilinochchi police are reportedly investigating the death.
A Mullivaikkal remembrance event was held in Trincomalee on Sunday, with several members of the public lighting candles in memory of those who lost their lives, Battinews reported. The event, at the Chelvanayagam memorial in the town on the east coast, was attended by several local members of the TNA and the Eastern Provincial Council, including Trincomalee ITAK leader S Thandaayuthapaani, who is also the EPC's minister for education.
The victims of the final phase of the armed conflict were commemorated at a Hindu ceremony in Kalmunai in the Amparai district. TNA councillor for the Eastern Provincial Council T Kalaiarasan led the proceedings in Kalmunai's Murugan temple, with several local Tamils also attending the event, Battinews reported. TNA MPs P Ariyaneththiran and P Selvarajah, EPC agriculture minister K Thurairajasingam and EPC councillors K Karunakaram, G Krishnapillai, M Rajeswaran and M Nadarasa, also attended the event.
Thavarasa Premkumar, on Monday, declared a fast unto death in order to pressurise Sri Lanka’s government to hand over the appropriated lands of the displaced people of Sampur. Photographs: Tamil Guardian Mr Premkumar’s demands were based on 3 requests listed below: -Requesting the Sir Lankan government to handover the lands of the Sampur people respecting their rights and solemnity to live a dignified life in their own lands. -Requesting the international community and the United Nations to pressurise the Sri Lanka government to take immediate measures to solve the burning issues of the Sampur community. -Requesting the Tamil diaspora to work in lines with the affected and desperate communities in the Northern Eastern region to safeguard and sustain their rights and entitlements.
An event organised to commemorate the Mullivaikkal massacres later today in Mannar has been banned by police. Organiser Mr Sivakaran told the Tamil Guardian a letter detailing the ban was delivered by police in the early hours of Monday. The remembrance event was due to be held in a hall in the town of Mannar. On Saturday Mullaitivu Magistrate Court issued a ban on events commemorating May 18 at Mullivaikkal, stopping events organised by the Northern Provincial Council and the TNPF. Sri Lanka bans May 18 remembrance events in Mullivaikkal (17 May 2015)
Illustration by Keera Ratnam May 18 is etched deep into the conscience of the Tamil nation. On this day Eelam Tamils across the world remember the tens of thousands of Tamil civilians and combatants that were killed in Sri Lanka’s armed conflict. On this day the nation stands together, mourning the lives lost and marking the end of the armed movement - the most significant chapter of the Tamil resistance struggle till then. Yet on this day, while Tamils mourn, the Sinhala south celebrates. The defeat of 'terrorism' by its armed forces who committed mass atrocities against the Tamil people, and the seeming victory of Sinhala nationalism over Tamil nationalism, is marked by jubilation. It is a day in which the divisions on the island are laid bare, even more than usual. Six years on, the evidence of mass atrocities committed by the Sri Lankan state is conclusive, with reports, including by the UN, finding these crimes occurred. This is expected to be reconfirmed by the OISL in September, when it is due to present the findings of its investigation.
May 18 commemorations in Vakarai (Photographs Tamil Guardian) Several police officers were stationed at a May 18 memorial event in Vakarai, Batticaloa, where Tamils had gathered to remember those that died in the armed conflict, which ended 6 years ago today. Tamil National People's Front General Secretary Kajendran Selvarajah, who was at the event said the police acted in a highly intimidating manner. "The people who attended today wanted to mourn those that died. However due to the presence of the police, who acted in a very intimidating way, our people were not able to show their emotions freely," he told the Tamil Guardian. Mr Selvarajah said the police officers collected personal details of those who attended the event, causing further distress.