The murders last week of two Jaffna high school principals produced a wave of anger and outrage amongst the region’s residents with protests and condemnations as well as fear that violence between Army-backed paramilitaries and the Liberation Tigers was set to rise.
Kopay Christian College principal Nadarajah Sivakadacham and Jaffna Central College principal, K. Rajadurai were shot dead by unidentified gunmen on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively last week.
The Sri Lankan government has accused the Tigers of carrying out the killings of the principals because they had refused to allow recruitment of students and lodged a protest with international ceasefire monitors.
But Cabinet spokesman Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva acknowledged to reporters the government’s claim was based on “circumstantial evidence.”
Jaffna residents said they believe Sivakadacham, an energetic pro-LTTE activist, was gunned down by Army-backed paramilitaries of the Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP).
They also believe Rajadurai, said to be a strong supporter of the EPDP and according to the paramilitary group’s leader, Douglas Devananda, a close friend of his, was killed in retaliation for Sivakadacham’s murder.
The killings sparked street protests by students and parents. Some reports quoting Sri Lankan military officials as saying students of Jaffna Wembady Girls School and Hindu College had also joined the protests.
Local news reports said shouted they shouted slogans condemning the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and the EPDP but the Army said students had shouted anti-LTTE slogans.
Troops assaulted students protesting after the funeral of Sivakadacham, local press reports said.
Sivakadacham was one of the chief organisers of the massive LTTE-backed Tamil Resurgence rally on September 30, which drew over 200,000 people to demand for their right to self-determination.
The LTTE conferred the title "Tamil national patriot" on Sivakadacham and condemned his killing, saying “Mr Sivakadadcham rendered invaluable service towards education of Tamil youths and for the social welfare of his community in Kopay. Above all, he worked until his death for the liberation of his people.”
The LTTE did not comment on Rajadurai’s murder.
The Association of Principals in Jaffna kept all schools in the peninsula closed until Wednesday this week, the Army said.
The Ceylon Teachers Service Union (CTSU), in association with the Ceylon Principals Service Union, observed a minute’s silence in schools during morning assembly last week, reports said.
Sivakadacham was killed Tuesday night outside his front door in Army dominated Jaffna by gunmen who fled on a motorbike. Mr. Rajathurai was shot the following day when he arriving for a religious function at the Weerasingham hall in the heart of Jaffna. Whilst some reports blamed a lone gunman, others said up to four were involved.
The Jaffna peninsula is dominated by the Sri Lankan security forces whose checkpoints and bunker networks crisscross the major towns.
Earlier high profile killings in Jaffna include those of BBC journalist M. Nimalrajan, who was fatally wounded at his home by unidentified gunmen. The EPDP is blamed for murdering Nimalrajan after his critical reports of the paramilitary group’s electoral malpractices and illegal activities.
Jaffna has seen rising violence in the past few weeks which many observers attribute to the widening shadow war between Army-backed paramilitaries and the LTTE.
The government has blamed the LTTE for the violence. But weekend press reports speculated Sri Lanka’s military has inducted several paramilitary cadres into the northern peninsula and suggested many alleged victims of the Tigers are in fact LTTE members themselves.
Kopay Christian College principal Nadarajah Sivakadacham and Jaffna Central College principal, K. Rajadurai were shot dead by unidentified gunmen on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively last week.
The Sri Lankan government has accused the Tigers of carrying out the killings of the principals because they had refused to allow recruitment of students and lodged a protest with international ceasefire monitors.
But Cabinet spokesman Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva acknowledged to reporters the government’s claim was based on “circumstantial evidence.”
Jaffna residents said they believe Sivakadacham, an energetic pro-LTTE activist, was gunned down by Army-backed paramilitaries of the Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP).
They also believe Rajadurai, said to be a strong supporter of the EPDP and according to the paramilitary group’s leader, Douglas Devananda, a close friend of his, was killed in retaliation for Sivakadacham’s murder.
The killings sparked street protests by students and parents. Some reports quoting Sri Lankan military officials as saying students of Jaffna Wembady Girls School and Hindu College had also joined the protests.
Local news reports said shouted they shouted slogans condemning the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and the EPDP but the Army said students had shouted anti-LTTE slogans.
Troops assaulted students protesting after the funeral of Sivakadacham, local press reports said.
Sivakadacham was one of the chief organisers of the massive LTTE-backed Tamil Resurgence rally on September 30, which drew over 200,000 people to demand for their right to self-determination.
The LTTE conferred the title "Tamil national patriot" on Sivakadacham and condemned his killing, saying “Mr Sivakadadcham rendered invaluable service towards education of Tamil youths and for the social welfare of his community in Kopay. Above all, he worked until his death for the liberation of his people.”
The LTTE did not comment on Rajadurai’s murder.
The Association of Principals in Jaffna kept all schools in the peninsula closed until Wednesday this week, the Army said.
The Ceylon Teachers Service Union (CTSU), in association with the Ceylon Principals Service Union, observed a minute’s silence in schools during morning assembly last week, reports said.
Sivakadacham was killed Tuesday night outside his front door in Army dominated Jaffna by gunmen who fled on a motorbike. Mr. Rajathurai was shot the following day when he arriving for a religious function at the Weerasingham hall in the heart of Jaffna. Whilst some reports blamed a lone gunman, others said up to four were involved.
The Jaffna peninsula is dominated by the Sri Lankan security forces whose checkpoints and bunker networks crisscross the major towns.
Earlier high profile killings in Jaffna include those of BBC journalist M. Nimalrajan, who was fatally wounded at his home by unidentified gunmen. The EPDP is blamed for murdering Nimalrajan after his critical reports of the paramilitary group’s electoral malpractices and illegal activities.
Jaffna has seen rising violence in the past few weeks which many observers attribute to the widening shadow war between Army-backed paramilitaries and the LTTE.
The government has blamed the LTTE for the violence. But weekend press reports speculated Sri Lanka’s military has inducted several paramilitary cadres into the northern peninsula and suggested many alleged victims of the Tigers are in fact LTTE members themselves.
