Tamil politicians and Diaspora groups have condemned an attack on a motorcade to remember LTTE’s Rasiah Partheepan alias Thileepan.
The motorcade began on 15 September a journey to the north to remember Thileepan, who died while on a hunger strike in 1987.
In Trincomalee, a club-wielding group of Sinhalese attacked the procession, especially targeting MP Selvaraja Gajendran, who was taking part.
TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran urged authorities to take speedy legal action against the attackers.
In a message on twitter, he brought the matter to the attention of the president and the public security minister, asking them to prove talk of reconciliation by deed.
MP Sivagnanam Sritharan denounced the ‘barbaric attack’ on a Tamil MP and questioned what security could be guaranteed for the average Tamils.
This incident has again highlighted the Tamils’ right to self-determination, he said.
EPRLP leader Suresh Premachandran said they were forced to struggle even to remember their dead.
MP from TELO Vino Noharadalingam said racist and religious extremism opinions remain unchanged in the country.
Leader of TELO Selvam Addaikkalanathan told parliament on 19 September that an immediate investigation should be conducted into the attack.
MP Mano Ganeshan too, denounced the incident.
In a statement, the students union of Jaffna University said it was a shameful cultural attack that took place in the capital city of the Tamils.
The faculty of arts and culture at Eastern University too, issued a statement calling for the culprits to be brought before the law.
Others who condemned the attack include Canadian minister Gary Anandasangaree, British MP Theresa Villiers, EU MP Nikolaj Villumsen, former Finnish MP Husein al-Taee, International Diplomatic Council of Tamil Eelam, Australia’s ATC, BTF of UK, Ireland’s ITF, SGPJ of South Africa, STAG of Switzerland, USTAG of the US and PEARL Action of Sri Lanka.
