Sri Lanka’s Attorney General informed the Court of Appeal that it would submit a ‘comprehensive investigation report’ on all Maaveerar Naal commemorations that have been held to date in the North-East, amidst threats of legal action against any remembrance activity.
Senior State Counsel Shaminda Wickrema appeared for the AG’s department after a retired Sri Lankan army intelligence officer filed a petition at the court seeking to block commemorations from taking place in November 2023.
When the court took up the petition last week, Wickrema said his department “intends to present to the court a full report on the investigations carried out by the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID)”.
Last year, Sri Lanka’s Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Director of the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) pledged to take legal action against those who attempted to mark Maaveerar Naal, as Tamils across the North-East geared up to commemorate their fallen fighters on Monday.
Both the IGP and head of the TID gave an undertaking to the Court of Appeal, the second most senior court in the Sri Lankan legal system, through Wickrema, stating that any individuals who marked the day would be investigated under the Criminal Procedure Code
Last week, Wickrema requested the court to consider approving the withdrawal of the petition after the report was submitted to the court.
Across the North-East commemorations have taken place annually to mark Maaveerar Naal - or Great Heroes Day – which pays tribute to those who sacrificed their lives in the Tamil liberation struggle. It is marked on November 27, in memory of the first death of a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam cadre, Lt Col. Shankar who died in combat on November 27, 1982.
