Hundreds of Tamils gathered in Jaffna on Sunday to commemorate Lt Col Thileepan, a political wing leader of the LTTE who began a fast unto death 32 years ago.
Thileepan began his fast on the September 15, 1987, with 100,000 people gathered around the historic Nallur Kandwaswamy Temple in Jaffna; the same spot where commemorations took place earlier today.
Amongst those present this morning were the TNA’s Mayor of Jaffna Emmanuel Arnold, senior TNPF politicians and civil society activists.
Crowds gathered at the now destroyed Thileepan memorial in Nallur, which the Sri Lankan military bulldozed after they captured Jaffna in 1996. Despite being reconstructed during the ceasefire period, the memorial was destroyed again in 2007. The remnants of the tower were once again demolished further in 2012.
