LTTE confers National Patriot title to sportsman Gunaratnam

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 December 2005, 17:01 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Sunday conferred "Nattupattalar" (National Patriot) title on the departed veteran sportsman Mr.A.S.Gunaratnam. Attorney-at-Law Mr.K.Sivapalan read out the statement issued by the LTTE Trincomalee district political secretariat conferring the title at an event held Sunday morning at Trincomalee Hindu Cultural Hall where the body of late Mr.Gunaratnam was kept for paying last respects by the people of the east port city, sources said.

"We confer " Nattupattalar" title on late Mr.Gunaratnam for his services rendered to Tamil cause and against oppression of Tamils in the capital of Tamil nation, Trincomalee," said the statement of the LTTE.

A condolence meeting was held Sunday evening before the body was taken to Vavuniya.

The body of late Mr.Gunaratnam was brought to Trincomalee from Colombo Sunday early morning. The body will be kept in Vavuniya for public viewing on Monday. From there it would be taken to Killinochchi for public viewing.

The body will be taken to Jaffna Tuesday evening from Killinochchi and the cremation will take place Wednesday morning at Kombayanmanal cemetery in Jaffna, family sources said.