Protests across North and East demand restoration of Thileepan statue
COLOMBO ‒ Demonstrations broke out across all eight districts of Sri Lanka’s Northern and Eastern Provinces on Monday (28) following the police removal of a statue honouring former Tamil militant figure Thileepan from his memorial site in Nallur, Jaffna.
Organized by the Relatives of the Enforced Disappearances in the North and East, the rallies drew relatives of missing persons, civil society activists, religious leaders, politicians, and local residents. Protesters chanted slogans and displayed placards criticizing the police and the administration of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, demanding the monument’s immediate reinstallation.
Police removed the statue on September 27 at the conclusion of annual commemorative events marking the anniversary of Thileepan’s death. Police Spokesman Assistant Superintendent of Police F. U. Wootler stated the action followed a report to the Jaffna Magistrate’s Court, noting that official authorization for the temporary monument had expired on September 26.
Demonstrations took place at central landmarks throughout the region. In Jaffna, protesters gathered directly outside the Nallur memorial site, carrying banners accusing authorities of abusing power to erase history.
In Kilinochchi and Vavuniya, marchers processed through town centres, from the Kandasamy Temple to the District Secretariat in Kilinochchi, and from the Pongu Thamil Memorial to the main bus terminal in Vavuniya, warning that the statue’s removal aggrieved the local Tamil population.
In Mannar, Mullaitivu and Trincomalee, rallies assembled at symbolic sites, including the S. J. V. Chelvanayakam Memorial in Mannar and the Sivan Temple in Trincomalee, calling on the state to respect non-violent acts of commemoration.
In Batticaloa, Members of Parliament S. Shritharan and S. Srikanth joined activists at Gandhi Park, while demonstrators in Ampara marched from the Thambiluvil Central Market to the Thirukkovil Clock Tower.
Thileepan, born Rasiah Parthipan, was a prominent political wing leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). He died on September 26, 1987, following a 12-day fast unto death in Jaffna to press for political demands.
-ENCL
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