Protest march in Trincomalee against attacks on LTTE

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 June 2002, 15:17 GMT]
"The Tamil people of Trincomalee district urge the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission to intervene using its good offices and see that the offenders are brought to book and to ensure that similar incidents are not repeated or if not, it will only be proper that the LTTE cadres are allowed to be armed to guard their offices," states the memorandum handed over to the Norwegian Head of the SLMM in Trincomalee Ms Victoria Lund Tuesday.

Earlier a protest march was held in Trincomalee around 3 p.m. from Hindu Cultural Hall to the office of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission in the port town.

Hundreds of Tamils representing several trade unions, including the Ceylon Tamil Teachers Union, Trincomalee Tamil district Tamil Fishermen Association, Tamil welfare institutions participated in the march. It was held as part of the 'hartal' (general shut down) observed in the Trincomalee district to protest against the attacks on the LTTE political activists at Velanai in Jaffna district and the Muttur LTTE political office.

Memoranda were handed over to the head of the SLMM in Trincomalee Ms Victoria Lund at her office by several organisations separately.

Ms Victoria Lund held a discussion with the representatives of the Tamil organisations to obtain their views regarding the present situation prevailing in Mutur town following the attack on the LTTE political office. Attorney-at-Law Mr.K.Sivapalan, a member of the SLMM also participated in the discussion.

Mr.K.Thurairetnasingham of the Tamil National Alliance said that a small group of unruly elements in the Muslim community in Mutur town was responsible for the present unhealthy situation.

Representatives of Tamil organisations hand over memorandum to the head of the SLMM in Trincomalee, Ms Victoria Lund at her office, Tuesday. (Photo: TamilNet)

He brought to the notice of the Norwegian head of the SLMM in Trincomalee that although the Defence Ministry Secretary has ordered to arrest the leader of the ëOsama groupí in Mutur which attacked the LTTE political office, no action has been taken to arrest the offenders by the law enforcing authorities.

Mr.T.Mahasivam, general secretary of the Ceylon Tamil Teachers Union and several others participated in the discussion.

The memorandum submitted to the SLMM on behalf of the Tamil peoples in Trincomalee district states: -

"The LTTE has laid down their arms as a consequence of the cease-fire agreement between them and the Government of Sri Lanka and have engaged in political activities. The date for the commencement of the peace talks at Thailand is yet to be agreed upon between the parties.

"Certain disgruntled elements with vested interest are trying to scuttle the peace process by bringing about dissension in the minds of different communities. An incident wherein Ms Kaaronja, the leader of the Education Wing of the Trincomalee district LTTE and her colleague were arrested by the Trincomalee central road police post personnel for no fault of theirs under completely unprovoked circumstances was perhaps the beginning of it all. It would seem that this was done mainly to humiliate them.

"It was followed by the beating and arrest of an unarmed male member of the LTTE Medical Wing at Thirukovil on the pretext of a traffic offence committed by him, by the STF.

"The serious violation of the cease-fire agreement took place at Velanai where the LTTE local political leaders were attacked and were about to be abducted by the naval personnel aided and abetted by the EPDP cadres. If not for the timely intervention of the people of the area a great calamity would have occurred.

"The dastardly act of vandalising the cement built crosses of the Catholic faith at Pachchanoor near Mutur was yet another incident where those against the peace participated.

"The latest of these of incidents took place on 21.06.2002 at about 7.45 p.m. at Alaiyaddy in Mutur where a set of hooligans led by one Hakim, the local Jihad leader who calls his group Osama group caused extensive damages to the LTTE political office there. It was completely unwarranted and uncalled for, especially in the present situation.

"These calculated incidents by these perpetrators of crimes it would seem is to torpedo the peace process and to deny the Tamils a solution that would meet with their just aspirations after more than half century in the political history of their country."

Copies of the memorandum have been sent to the Prime Minister and Minister of Rehabilitation and Resettlement of Refugees.

Protest march in Trincomalee, Tuesday. (Photo:TamilNet)