Abducted TRO staffers final rites held

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 March 2007, 20:01 GMT]
The final rites for the seven TRO staffers abducted by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA)-backed Karuna paramilitary group in January 2006, and presumed murdered, were held on the Saturday, after three days of mourning, sources from Kilinochchi said. Framed memorials with photographs were taken to relatives home in Kilinochchi on Wednesday, 14 March, for people to pay respect. The pictures were taken in procession to the Kilinochchi Cultural Hall where the final ceremony was held.

TRO Press release

Following lighting of the Common flame, relatives garlanded the pictures of the seven staffers.

Mr Sivanadiyar, President of the TRO, speaking at the event said: "Despite the committed efforts taken by the International Red Cross, Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, various Non-Governmental Orgnizations, UN Human Rights Groups, and the TRO, we were unable to save the lives of the seven dedicated workers."

In the euogies, Sivanadiyar told the audience of the empathy the staffers had for the people who were suffering amidst violence and economic hardship, and the dedication with which the staffers served the people.

TRO Pamphlet

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians Pathmini Sithamparanathan, and K Gajendran, LTTE's senior member Balakumaran, Head of Northeast Secretariat on Human Rights (NESOHR) Rev.Fr. Kanagaratnam, and other officials of the TRO spoke at the event.