The Sri Lankan Government has banned all forms of commemorations of the Tamil National Remembrance Day.
Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said today, Sri Lanka will urge other countries to follow suit.
The ban comes as the Tamil people in the North-East defiantly commemorated the National Remembrance Day in the face of increased militarisation and threats by Sri Lankan security forces.
Rambukwella also defended the attack of Tamil political prisoners by guards at Anuradhapuram prison on November 27, which resulted in injuries to several inmates.
According to the minister, if the guards didn’t stop the plans, Sinhalese prisoners would have attacked Tamil inmates.
“Fifty three hardcore LTTE cadres including two condemned to death were making surreptitious arrangements to hold ‘Maaveer Day’ at the Anuradhapura prison,” the minister said.
He claimed subsequent searches resulted in the find of mobile phones and posters of the LTTE.
See related articles:
Tamil defiance in the Eelam homeland (30 Nov 2011)
Jaffna uni students detail their defiant act of remembrance (29 Nov 2011)
Prison guards attack Tamil detainees over Heroes’ Day (27 Nov 2011)
