COLOMBO – Shops and schools in Jaffna town and several areas in the Northern and Eastern Provinces remain closed on Monday (28) as a hartal was observed in protest against government action preventing the commemoration of what Tamil political and civil society groups called “those who gave their lives for Tamil rights”.
The hartal follows a series of protests and hunger strikes by Tamils across the North and East in defiance of the ban to commemorate the death of Tamil Tiger political leader, Rasaiah Parthipan, known as Lt. Col. Thileepan.
The LTTE leader, who had embarked on a fast to death on September 15, 1987, appealing to the Indian government to honour pledges made to the Tamil people, died on September 26, 1987.
Events were held by Tamils across the globe to mark the 33rd anniversary of his death, but the Jaffna district police obtained an order from the Magistrate’s Court against the commemoration on the grounds that no member of a banned terrorist organization could be honoured.
Tamil political parties and civil society actors on Sunday (27) announced their plans for a hartal across the North and East.
Gajen Ponnambalam, leader of the Tamil National Political Front (TNPF), called for Tamil and Muslim unity in the hartals, stating on Twitter: “We request the Muslim community and progressive Sinhala forces to join our North East wide shut down tomorrow (28), protesting Sri Lanka government’s ban on memorialization.”
His support for the protests was also shared by Jaffna University’s Arts Student Union; which said it fully supports and joins the protest “against to Denying the right of commemorating the dead people” which is to take place in Northern & Eastern Provinces on September 28.
-ENCL