TID seeks to interview 3 Jaffna editors over Tamil homeland display

Sri Lanka's Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) sought permission from Jaffna magistrate court to interview the editors of three Jaffna based newspapers, the Uthayan, Valumpuri and Thinakkural. 

Justice Kanagaratnam Kesavan however today refused the application on the grounds it was only written in Sinhala. 

Ordering the TID to produce an application written in the language of the Jaffna court, the judge adjourned the hearing until November 16. 

Last month the TID summoned five Tamils along with a journalist, Uthayarasa Shalin to their Colombo office for an inquiry. 

The summons were in relation to the display of a map of the North-East during a Hindu temple festival in Aanaikkottai, Jaffna, which sparked weeks of investigation and summons of Aanaikottai locals and temple board members by several different divisions, including Kankesanthurai Police’s intelligence division, Manippay and Jaffna police and Koppay security forces.

Most recently, Jaffna police said the investigation was closed after taking statements from the temple’s youth forum members and the temple’s chair and secretary, and warning the temple to not repeat such actions in the future.

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