Siva Parameswaran
Massive protests were held in the North and East of Sri Lanka by the Tamils calling the Sri Lankan independence day a ‘Black Day’ for the Tamils.
Protest rallies were held in Jaffna, Killinochi, and Batticaloa among other places with hundreds of Tamils participating including Tamil MPs Sivagnanam Shritharan from the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam leader of the Tamil National People’s Front and the Selvarasa Kajendran the TNPF’s General Secretary.
Slogans like “Sri Lanka Independence Day is Black Day for Eelam Tamils and the Tamil nation, where are the ones who were handed over by many families, international inquiry is needed, international community reply to us, North and East are traditional Tamil homeland” were raised by the protestors.
The rally in Jaffna commenced in front of the famous Nallur Kanthasamy Temple, where women and children, young and old, youth and students participated holding black flags and black headbands.
A huge banner declaring “Sri Lanka’s independence is Black Day for Tamil homeland, we want an international investigation into the Tamil genocide” in white and red letters on a black background was carried by the protestors in the front.
The Sri Lankan lion on three legs and carrying a sword in the other in yellow with blood dripping from the sword and splashing across the lion’s throat could also be seen in the banner.
The protesting Tamils also carried banners demanding “Tamil people’s right to external right to self-determination” and condemning the government for trying to cover up their actions by paying compensation.
Members of the Association for Relatives of the Enforced Disappearances (AERD) in the North East Provinces, a civil society group created to search for the tens of thousands of people who disappeared during Sri Lanka’s armed conflict also participated in the protest, carrying placards and banners rejecting any internal investigation by the Office on Missing Persons (OMP).
“We reject all political solutions under a unitary state constitution” and “OMP is an eye wash and we demand an international inquiry” the banners and placards read.
Pictures from the Jaffna University the hotbed of Tamil politics black flags flying from the gate along the main entrance leading to the main buildings.
At one place, the national flag was brought down and a black flag was hoisted on the campus, although this could not be independently verified.
Students along with civil society activists lined up in front of Jaffna University and raised slogans against “Sri Lanka’s Independence Day”.
They also raised slogans denouncing the Anura Kumara Dissanayaka-led National People’s Power government condemning their stand.
“Before the elections-we will release the political prisons; after the elections-no political prisoners”.
The protesting students also demanded the military be removed from the Tamil homeland.
“Get out military, occupation on one side and eviction from the other side” and “Kurunthoormalai our property, Mylathamadu-Mathavanai our property, Thayiddy our property”, vedukkunari our property”.
In Batticaloa, the protest rally commenced in front of the Sengaladi Pillayar Kovil and ended at the Kommonthurai Pillayar Kovil. Earlier the Batticaloa Magistrate’s Court issued a ban order against 8 people including all three Tamil MP’s-Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam, Gnanamuthu Srineshan, Elayathamby Srinath all elected on behalf of the ITAK from the district, and Amalanayaki Amalan, President Batticaloa district ARED against staging any protest in and around the Gandhi Park.
Protestors in the East demanded the grazing lands at Mylathamadu-Mathavanai be handed over to the Tamil farmers, part of which is forcefully occupied by Sinhala farmers facilitated during the earlier regimes.
After the rally ended in front of the temple, Tamil broke coconuts calling upon the Anura government and praying for a permanent political solution based on federalism. The prayer was led by former Tamil National Alliance MP and the common Tamil candidate in the last presidential election Packiyaselvam Ariyanethiran.
As part of the protest, a 14-point demand by the Tamils was also read out which included international justice for the enforced disappearances release of all the political prisoners, stopping of the Buddistisation of Tamil areas, ending land grabs and plundering resources in Tamil homeland.
Apart from demanding the removing the military from the Tamil homeland they also demanded an international inquiry into Tamil genocide and putting an end to intimidating civil society activists and journalists.
They also called for the recognition of the Tamil Nationhood, sovereignty, and right to self-determination as their rights. Protestors also wanted the North and East as traditional Tamil homeland, recognizing the Vaddukoddai resolution and referendum in the Tamil homeland as per international norms to decide their future.
