SLA disrupts Thaippongkal Day in Thenmaraadchi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 January 2008, 10:36 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops in Kaithadi in Jaffna forcibly took more than 600 local residents Tuesday early morning, disrupting their Thaippongkal rituals, to the playgrounds and schools in the area and held them for interrogation until evening. The SLA troops also assaulted the people going along Jaffna-Kandy road in Kaithadi during the extensive SLA cordon and search operation conducted in Kaithadi area on Thaippongkal Day.

Residents had to abandon Thaippongkal rituals halfway being forced by SLA troops to gather at places the troops took them to.

The SLA behaving in a manner disrespecting the Tamil celebration of Thaippongkal by offering cooked milk-rice to the Sun God has very much hurt the feelings of the Tamils, a social activist in Thenmaraadchi told TamilNet.

SLA in Jaffna claimed that its sentry posts located near a Saiva temple in Kaithadi was attacked by gunmen Tuesday night and its troops had opened fire in retaliation.

Meanwhile, the SLA commander in Jaffna had issued a message of Thaippongkal greetings to the people in Jaffna peninsula.

The Jaffna-Kandy road which passes through Kaithadi is also the main route used by people traveling to places like Chaavakachcheari and Kodikaamam in Thenmaraadchchi.

No one has been arrested in the cordon and search on Tuesday.