Maaveerar Naal in Nallur

Commemorative flames and candles have been lit to commemorate Maaveerar Naal, the Tamil national remembrance day, in Jaffna.

Members of the Northern Provincial Council, led by Councillor Shivajilingam, gathered at Nallur temple and Gurunagar's St Mary's church to light candles in remembrance of Tamil national liberation fighters who lost their lives in the armed conflict with the Sri Lankan state.

At least 27 Tamils were arrested overnight in the run-up to Maaveerar Naal, in the Chunnakam police district, in Jaffna.

Local sources told the Tamil Guardian that they were arrested on suspicion of being involved in Maaveerar Naal events.

However Chunnakam police said they were detained for "acting suspiciously" at night.

Tamils in the North-East participated in an event planting trees, commemorating Maaveerar Naal, the Tamil remembrance day.

The event, attended by local Tamils in and around Iththavil, near Palai, was organised by the Northern Provincial Council, with several officials, including Agricultural Minister Ayngaranesan, present.

The University of Jaffna commemorated Maaveerar Naal at an event on the campus at noon today.

The Madras High Court on Thursday gave permission for two organisations to hold events commemorating Maaveerar Naal, the Eelam Tamil national day of remembrance. The events are due to go ahead today in Kolathur in Salem district and at Palanisamy grounds in Alamoor.

Justice M.M. Sundresh allowed two different pleas filed by C Ramamurthy, town secretary of the Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam and by P Bharathi of Sethiathope in Cuddalore district, a functionary of Naam Thamizhar Katchi, requesting police to permit the meetings, the PTI reported.

The judge ordered the respective police authorities to allow the Maaveerar Naal events.

Mr Ramamurthy submitted that he had been conducting the meeting for the past 10 years, but when he applied for permission earlier this month, police refused.

Sri Lanka’s justice minister Wijeyadas Rajapakshe assured the Sri Lankan public that there would be no threat to “national security” if the government were to release Tamil political prisoners, in comments to the media on Thursday.

Speaking in Sinhala at a special press conference held at the Parliament complex, the minister pointed to previous release by the Sri Lankan government under Mahinda Rajapaksa as examples of the safe release of those held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

However, he stressed that those who were convicted under the much criticised PTA would not be released.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa said the continued attacks by the Sri Lankan navy on Indian fishermen are “creating a sense of fear and unrest among the fisherfolk in Tamil Nadu,” after further arrests by the Sri Lankan military on Thursday.

A group of 15 fishermen from Tamil Nadu were arrested by the Sri Lankan navy whilst fishing in the Palk Straits in separate incidents on Thursday.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa wrote to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating it was “imperative that the issue of the release of these boats is taken up with the highest levels of the Sri Lankan administration and the immediate release of these boats is ensured.”