Mayor of Jaffna released on bail after arrest by Sri Lanka's Terrorism Investigation Division

by Abi
Apr 9, 2021

UPDATED 1730 GMT

The Mayor of Jaffna, Viswalingam Manivannan, who was arrested by Sri Lanka's Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) at around 2.30am on Friday morning, was released on bail. Manivannan, was issued bail at the Jaffna Magistrates Court on Friday evening after paying a Rs. 2 Lakh payment. The Magistrates Court has filed the case under the Penal Code and not under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), despite being arrested and investigated by TID officers. 

Former Senior Lecturer in Law at University of Jaffna, Dr Kumaravadivel Guruparan questioned the validity of the reasoning used to carry out Manivannan's arrest. 

Manivannan, who is also an attorney-at-law, was arrested on charges of attempting to resurrect the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and taken to Vavuniya for 'further investigation'.

The arrest follows an investigation into the uniforms of a Jaffna Municipal Council task force which was launched this week to enforce penalties against environmental infractions such as littering and spitting. Sri Lankan police alleged that the uniforms worn by the task force were similar to those formerly worn by the LTTE's police force. 

The Jaffna Municipal Commissioner was summoned by police on Wednesday night and interrogated for around 3 hours regarding the uniforms. Police also told the Commissioner to halt the task force's duties and to hand over its uniforms, which the commissioner carried out the following day. Police said at the time that the uniforms and the remainder of the investigation would be handed over to Colombo.

At around 8pm on Thursday night, Manivannan, along with another council member, Varatharajah Partheepan, were summoned to the Jaffna police station. After a lengthy interrogation, the Mayor was handed over to the TID and arrested. Partheepan continued to be interrogated and was released around 3am.

Earlier on Thursday evening, Manivannan held a press conference to address the allegations, and explained that the uniforms were in fact the same as those worn by a similar task force ran by the Colombo Municipal Council. The Mayor said that the uniforms held no further connotations and that the police were making allegations based on social media conspiracy theories.

Arrest warrant issued to the Mayor of Jaffna, V. Manivannan

"I strongly condemn the arrest of Mayor of Jaffna V Manivannan by the Sri Lankan governmentt, and call for his immediate release," Canadian MP Gary Anandasangaree said on Twitter. "The continued harassment and arbitrary arrests of members of the Tamil community including elected officials, journalists & human rights defenders must end."

The Mayor of Toronto, John Tory and Mayor of Brampton, Patrick Brown also joined in calling for the release of the Jaffna Mayor.

"I join Gary in condemning the arrest of the Mayor of Jaffna by the Sri Lankan government. I echo the call for his immediate release. This continuing unjust treatment of Tamils is unacceptable," said John Tory on Twitter. "I urge others to join in this call and to stand in solidarity with our Tamil community."

Patrick Brown tweeted, "The arrest of #JaffnaMayor by the Sri Lankan gov seems to be a revenge tactic against the UNHRC for setting up an investigation against them. This is wrong, wrong, wrong. They should release all political prisoners & cooperate with the UN to ensure justice for the #TamilGenocide". 

Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) leader, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, said on Twitter that his party condemns the arrest and echoed calls for Mayor of Jaffna, V Manivannan's release. "The @TnpfOrg unreservedly condemns the arrest of Manivannan by the TID and calls for his immediate release. The severe racial and political insecurities of this regime have reached such heights that a steady path towards fascism is inevitable," tweeted Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam. 

Manivannan was represented by the Tamil National Alliance’s (TNA) spokesperson and lawyer, M.A Sumanthiran and 25 other supporting lawyers. Manivannan has insisted that he will pursue legal action against the police for his detention.

“If taking steps to uphold the cleanliness of the [district] is a mistake, we wil continue to make that mistake. Arresting me is disgusting and it disrespects the independence of the [Jaffna] Municipal Council,” said Manivannan. “They claimed I was attempting to recreate the LTTE with the uniforms. But the police have no authority to intervene in the independent activities of the Municipal Council. I am ready to fight a legal battle against the tyranny of the police, I will not allow tyranny of the police to exist.”  

The case has been adjourned until 26th June 2021. 

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Tamil asylum seekers in Australia mark 100 days of continuous protests for permanent visas

Over 200 refugees and supporters marked a significant milestone by marching 10 kilometers from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s office to the Immigration Minister’s office this week, commemorating 100 days of continuous protest.

This demonstration, which culminated in a rally and speeches in Punchbowl, highlighted the plight of refugees denied permanent visas for over 12 years. Speakers at the event shed light on the profound impact of the current system, including barriers to higher education, employment, and access to essential services.

The protest has now entered its 100th day, with Tamil asylum seekers and their supporters continuing their relentless demand for permanent protection. For 38 days, they camped outside Australia’s Minister for Home Affairs, Tony Burke’s office in Sydney, calling on the government to end the visa limbo that has left many without basic rights and stability. Tamil asylum seekers have been in Australia for over a decade, living on short-term visas that must be renewed regularly. Without permanent residency, they are excluded from Medicare—Australia’s universal health insurance scheme—and are denied the right to work, study, travel, or access essential services. Many are also required to report to visa offices weekly.

The crisis is compounded by the controversial 'Fast Track' system introduced in 2014 by the Abbott government. According to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, this system has resulted in the rejection of around 8,500 asylum seekers' cases. It specifically targets individuals who sought asylum by sea and arrived in Australia between August 13, 2012, and December 31, 2013. Tamil asylum seekers, stuck in visa limbo for years, have launched protests nationwide, with 24-hour encampments in Melbourne, Perth, and Brisbane.

Amaran - Problematic propaganda

amaran

The genre of war epic makes its grand re-entry to Tamil cinema with director Rajkumar Periasamy’s sophomore feature film, ‘Amaran.’ As is often the case with this genre, one cannot help but feel the events of the ‘true story’ onscreen have been heavily modified for easy consumption.

 

 

 

The patriotic military films of Tamil cinema had taken a back seat for a while. The subject matter is now seldom a prominent theme of a film, instead lurking in the shadows peeking through such as via the heroes in the works of Nelson Dilipkumar. The genre of war epic makes its grand re-entry to Tamil cinema with director Rajkumar Periasamy’s sophomore feature film, ‘Amaran.’ As is often the case with this genre, one cannot help but feel the events of the ‘true story’ onscreen have been heavily modified for easy consumption.

The film follows the tale of Major Mukund Varadarajan (Sivakarthikeyan) and his partner Indhu Rebecca Varghese (Sai Pallavi), who meet at college and soon become lovers. Indhu grapples with her lover’s life ambition of becoming a soldier for the Indian army, admiring his courage and more than willing to become his doting wife at home. We then watch as Mukund is stationed in Kashmir and follow along with his various missions in the volatile area. The film’s depiction of the Indian army is one solely made up of heroes rescuing civilians and looking out for the public’s interests. It is not necessary to delve too much into why this is an oversimplified and problematic portrayal.

The central performances by Sivakarthikeyan and Sai Pallavi carry the almost three hour film adequately. Despite moments where Sivakarthikeyan lacks the intensity to land highly emotional scenes, the pair deftly share the screen between them, with Pallavi picking up any slack. Another notable performance comes from Geetha Kailasam, a character actor who has featured in many films recently in the role of ‘the mother.’ ‘Amaran’ gives her another opportunity to showcase her own humorous brand of motherhood.

Technically, the film runs smoothly. The film is decently shot and edited. Other than a few overly melodramatic moments, the screenplay is solid, albeit a little superficial. GV Prakash Kumar continues his trend of matching the quality of the film with the quality of his music. The track ‘Hey Minnale’ is an earworm, but the rest of the score and soundtrack does not shine through.

Overall, ‘Amaran’ is a straightforward piece of propaganda. A shot in ‘Amaran’ depicts a soldier of the Indian army blocking a closing door with his rifle. On the other side of the door is a Kashmiri child. To appease the child, the soldier sneaks a chocolate bar through the gap in the doorway. The reverse of this tactic is what director Rajkumar Periasamy employs to hook his audience in: the sweetness of the Penelope-Odysseus relationship between Mukund and Indhu hides the intrusion of the weapon of jingoist ideology. 

Krishna's rating: 2.5 stars

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Official trailer for film below.

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