A catholic priest who had been killed for campaigning against crimes by Indian peacekeepers has been remembered on his 36th death anniversary.
A portrait of Rev. Chandra Fernando was garlanded at St. Maria’s Church in Batticaloa at a remembrance event attended by clergy and laity, including Fr. Fernando’s relatives and civil society activists.
The IPKF that arrived in 1987 had been accused of assaults, abductions and disappearances, rapes, killings and destroying properties of Tamils.
Rev. Fernando was among the organizers of a massive protest parade in Batticaloa against these crimes.
Thereafter, he had regularly been targeted by Indian soldiers and the paramilitaries such as PLOTE and EPRLF.
On June 06, 1988, he was gunned down at his church in Batticaloa town occupied by the IPKF.
