SLA, police in Jaffna against hoisting of LTTE flag

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 August 2004, 02:27 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army and Police in Jaffna district have been exerting pressure on the organizers of public and sports events in the Vadamarachchi division not to hoist the Tamil Eelam national flag, which is also the flag of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). During the weekend, the LTTE flag was hoisted at four sports events in the Vadamaradchchi division. The SLA and police rushed to the sites and ordered the organizers to remove the flags. But the people gathered at the events refused, sources said.

LTTE flag was hoisted at sports events held at Koovil village, close to Point Pedro and at Valvettithurai. Sri Lanka armed forces who were present at these events in large numbers --some of whom were in civil--ordered the organizers to bring down the LTTE flag as it was violating the ceasefire agreement between the Government of Sri Lanka and LTTE, sources said

Tension prevailed when the villagers refused to carry out the orders of the Police and army. Organizers of those events continued to conduct the sports events without bringing down the LTTE flag, sources said.