Sri Lankan police blocked Annai Poopathy's daughter from visiting her mother's grave to mark her 34th death anniversary.
Earlier today, Annai Poopathy's daughter, Ms Lokeshwaran Santhi was told by Sri Lankan police officers that she was not allowed to commemorate her mother at her resting place in Navalady, Batticaloa. The officers claimed that Santhi was paying homage to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Santhi was forced to hold a private commemoration in her home to remember her mother's sacrifice.
Poopathy Kanapathipillai, fondly referred as 'Annai Poopathy', was a member of the Navatkerny Mother's Front when she began her fast unto death on March 19, 1988, to protest the injustices and atrocities committed by the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF). The IPKF are accused of perpetrating several atrocities while occupying the North-East including massacres, enforced disappearances and sexual violence during their 'peacekeeping' camapign between 1987 and 1990.
She had called for an immediate ceasefire and peace talks between the IPKF and the LTTE.
Yesterday, the The Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) received notice from the Batticaloa Magistrate’s Court informing the party that all commemorative events planned to mark the death of Annai Poopathy were to be banned.
Sri Lanka has continuously repressed Tamil memorialisation activities by enforcing court-ordered bans and ramping up intimidation and surveillance of Tamil civil society, activists and politicians across the North-East.
