The commemoration of Maaveerar Naal, a remembrance day observed by Sri Lankan Tamils to remember the deaths of militants who fought with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) during the civil war, has been reportedly disrupted by the Sri Lanka Police in Batticaloa.
According to reports, the commemorations were held at the Tharavai Maaveerar Thuyilum illam in Batticaloa yesterday.
The Police allegedly intervened and prevented the people from continuing the commemoration events, while they had also removed red and yellow flags put up at the cemetery.
Video footage shared by MP Gajen Ponnambalam shows a confrontation between the Police and people who had gathered to commemorate Maaveerar Naal in Batticaloa.
Speaking during the confrontation with the Police, an organiser who had participated in the commemoration events, accused the Police of disrupting the event despite the court having permitted them to carry out the commemoration. (NewsWire)
UPDATE – Cameras captured the moment that Sri Lankan police raided a Maaveerar Naal commemoration in Batticaloa.
As lamps were about the be lit and the 'Thuyium Illam' song started being played, uniformed Sri Lankan officers were pulling down red and yellow bunting that had been… pic.twitter.com/IRb1Has9W1
— Tamil Guardian (@TamilGuardian) November 27, 2023