The Tamil homeland saw a limited shutdown on Monday, after a hartal called by the Illankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) demanded the removal of Sri Lankan military camps from the North-East, in the wake of the killing of 32-year-old Edirmanasingam Kabilraj by the army in Mullaitivu earlier this month.
Shops and businesses closed across Vavuniya, Batticaloa and parts of Mullaitivu, with bus services halted as unions joined in the protest. However, in places such as Jaffna town, many businesses remained open despite calls for a complete shutdown, in a sign of possible waning influence for the longstanding Tamil political party.
‘Military camps must be removed’
Former Member of Parliament and President’s Counsel M.A. Sumanthiran, speaking to reporters after visiting Vavuniya, reiterated the demand for demilitarisation.
“Most of the shops at the Vavuniya Old Bus Stand have been closed. Some people can also be seen threatening some of the closed shops to open them. While people are voluntarily expressing their opposition by closing their shops, some shops have been opened to change that. All the Muslim shops have been closed on Vavuniya Bazaar Road. Support has been received from many parts of the North and East,” he said.
“The demand is that the army camps in the middle of the people should be removed. I know that all parties are working together on this issue. Not even a few political parties have opposed this. The hill Tamil parties have also supported it.”
He went on to cite the “Muthaiyankattu incident” – referring to the killing of Kabilraj – as a consequence of military camps being stationed “in an area inhabited by Tamils”.
‘The hartal is a victory’
At a media briefing in Jaffna, Sumanthiran and Acting ITAK leader C.V.K. Sivagnanam declared the hartal a success.
“The ITAK called for the hartal with the demand to remove the military personnel in the North-East,” said Sumanthiran. “The hartal received support from most places in the North-East after accepting it.
“As soon as our hartal announcement was made, the President, Minister Bimal and others contacted us and spoke to us. They said that they have taken steps to remove the Muthu Aiyankattu military camp from there. This is a victory.
“The military must be completely removed from the North and East, they cannot be among the people. There are military camps in the South. There they are trapped inside the military camps. But that is not the case in the North and East. They are among the people, interfering in the normal lives of the people.
“They have taken over schools, private lands, and even land belonging to the Pedro Magistrate's Court and are settling there. Therefore, they must leave here.”
Calling the hartal a “symbolic protest”, Sumanthiran vowed that ITAK would “continue to carry out protests demanding the removal of military camps in the future”.
“The hartal called by the ITAK was a resounding success,” tweeted ITAK MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam. “Following yesterday’s press briefing by the Cabinet Spokesperson, and based on assurances given regarding the investigation and steps being taken towards the removal of army camps, we decided to limit the hartal until 12 p.m.”
“I also strongly condemn the actions of NPP members in the North and East who have reportedly threatened shop owners to keep their businesses open or face legal consequences — such intimidation is a clear violation of the people’s democratic right to protest.”
Not a complete shutdown
Though Mullaitivu is usually paralysed by hartal calls, the protest was not fully observed in the district. Several shops in Mullaitivu town, Mulliyawali, Udayarkattu and Visuvamadu were shuttered, while in Pudukkudiyiruppu businesses operated as usual. All government institutions remained open.
Social activists in the district blamed political rivalries for the uneven response. “If this was done by all public organisations together, it would have sent a 100% positive message to the government,” one activist commented.
‘Why is the army still here?’
The hartal was supported by a wide range of Tamil and Muslim political parties, including the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) and the Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC).
In a letter to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, ITAK highlighted “the oppressive conduct and excessive presence of the military in the North and the East” and urged him to “take immediate steps to remove the excessive presence of the military without delay.”
CWC General Secretary Jeevan Thondaman said, “I extend my support for this hartal, which calls for justice and protests the unlawful actions of the Army. It is regrettable that such inhumane activities are still occurring in Sri Lanka, even though it has been 16 years since the end of the civil war.”
TPA leader Mano Ganesan also threw his weight behind the protest, writing on social media: “Questions remain: Why army arrest civilians? Why torture? Why excessive military presence in the North-East provinces when there’s no war?”
A growing demand
Sumanthiran and Sivagnanam underscored that the removal of the military remains the core demand of Tamils across the North-East.
“This hartal is a symbolic protest,” Sumanthiran said. “We will continue to protest in the future demanding the removal of military camps. Continuous protests will be carried out against militarisation in the North and East.”
