Tamil candidate steps up election campaign as Sri Lankan polls draw closer

by admin
Sep 2, 2024

Pakkiyaselvam Ariyanenthiran, a former lawmaker who was put forward by a range of Tamil political parties as a candidate for the upcoming Sri Lankan presidential elections, stepped up his campaign in recent weeks, as he visited the site of an LTTE cemetery, the Mullivaiikkal memorial and met with a range of civil society activists.

This week, Ariyanenthiran continued his election campaign in Mallavi, meeting with representatives of the Mallavi Trade Association and former LTTE cadres.

Ariyanenthiran was accompanied by several Tamil MPs, including Suresh Premachandran, Sivasakthi Ananthan, MK Sivajilingam, and the former mayor of Jaffna, Viswalingham Mannivannan. He also met with Bishop Emmanuel Fernando Andaga of the Mannar Diocese, engaging in a cordial discussion, and paid his respects to the statue of Father Selva in the Mannar Bazaar area earlier today.

Speaking to reporters after his meeting with the Bishop, Ariyanenthiran stated that the Bishop had advised him to unite all Tamils and help improve their lives by advocating for their rights and needs. He emphasized that his candidacy serves as a message to the Sri Lankan government that Tamil votes matter.

In a recent interview with the Tamil Guardian, Ariyanenthiran reiterated that his candidacy aims to be a representative voice for both the international community and the southern part of Sri Lanka, highlighting the rights that should be granted to the Tamil people, who have suffered genocide in their own land.

He also mentioned that he has been canvassing throughout the North-East and plans to visit more constituencies in the coming days.

As part of his campaigning, the former Batticaloa MP also visited the Mullivaikkal memorial, where he paid tribute to the tens of thousands of Tamils who were massacred by the Sri Lanka security forces in 2009.

Addressing the audience in Mullaitivu, he stated that he is not running to become the next President of Sri Lanka but to demonstrate to the rest of the country and the international community that the grievances of the Tamil people remain unresolved despite the numerous Presidential elections the country has seen.

"This is the time for the Tamil community to awaken the conscience of the international community,” he said. “We are united. We have been without rights for 15 years since Mullivaikal. We spoke to three presidents during that time, and none offered a solution. So we are not ready to vote for you. We must claim our rights in a united North-East."

 

Ariyanenthiran also visited the Mulankavil Thuyilum Ilam, the site of an LTTE cemetery, in recent weeks. The cemetery, which once housed the graves of LTTE fighters, has been destroyed by the Sri Lankan government, which bulldozed over the graves.

Ariyanenthiran paid tribute to the fallen fighters as part of his campaign.

“We have lost many Tamil lives in the struggle for our rights,” Ariyanenthiran told the Tamil Guardian last week. “After being repeatedly deceived by successive [Sinhala] presidents, it is time to reflect on these issues. This is why Tamils have decided to field a common candidate.”

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