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A commemoration was held in Kilinochchi last week to mark 17 years since the passing of Anton Balasingham, the chief negotiator and political strategist of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
The event, organised by the World Tamil Cultural Movement saw hundreds in attendance, including Tamil National alliance MPs Shritharan and Charles Nirmalanathan MP, as well as professors, journalists, university students, and activists.
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Amongst those to address the event was the Jaffna University Faculty of Arts Dean and the Prime Minister of Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) V Rudrakumaran.
See more photographs below.
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Balasingham, or as he was fondly known among Tamils - Bala Anna, was widely respected and adored by the nation. His charismatic addresses in venues around the world drew tens of thousands, as he provided political analysis with sharp wit. Leading LTTE delegations through numerous negotiations, Bala Anna eloquently and forcefully articulated the rights of the nation. His intellectual prowess and political acumen earned him respect from all sides of the negotiating table.
He remains an extraordinary theoretician and a formidable figure within the Tamil struggle.
Read more in our feature: Remembering Bala Anna 17 years on
