Tamil people in their traditional homeland of North and East were intimidated and humiliated on Sri Lanka’s Independence Day. A legitimate right to protest was denied to the Tamils as police unleashed violence on peaceful protestors in the Northern part of the nation.
War-affected Tamils observe the 4th of February- Sri Lanka’s Independence Day as a ‘Black Day’ to express their deep sense of resentment and anguish against the treatment meted out to them since British left the island nation in 1948.
Celebrating the 76th Independence Day with a military parade in Colombo, President Ranil Wickremesinghe who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces had promoted a total of 211 Officers of the Sri Lanka Army and 1239 Other Ranks of the Army to their respective next rank.
Sri Lanka police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse a rally by the Tamils in Killinochchi organized by the Jaffna University Students Organization.
Police attacked the protestors when they tried to breach the barricades when the rally which began from the Iranaimadu junction and moved along the A-9 road. Seven students were arrested by the police.
Jaffna district MP and newly elected leader of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) Sivagnanam Siritharan was manhandled and pushed aside by the police when he tried to stop them from arresting a student by hugging him. With scant respect for a senior Tamil lawmaker, the police elbowed him almost pushing him to the ground the video of which has gone viral on social media.
In the same video, police can be seen dragging an undergraduate on the tar-topped road in a brutal manner. Police also pushed the barricades against the Tamils injuring many.
Social media users have strongly criticized the police action against the Tamils.
Sivagnanam Siritharan recalled why Tamils observe the day as a ‘Black Day’
“The draconian face of the Sri Lanka government has come to the fore once again, the students and the public who protested peacefully were attacked brutally by the police. Their ugly faces have been exposed before the international community. The sovereignty of the Tamils was taken away by the colonial rulers and handed over to the Sinhala rulers this day when Sri Lanka became independent and that day is Black Day for the Tamils”.
Adding further Siritharan said he is prepared to release the video evidence of him being attacked.
Following the brutality of the police Tamils led by MPs Siritharan and Charles Nirmalanathan sat on the A-9 road for over three hours demanding the release of the arrested students.
Finally, they were released around 4 PM without any charges and the protest came to an end.
Similar protests were organized in Mullaitivu by the Tamil People’s National Front.
In Batticaloa, the police obtained a restraining order from the local court stopping the protests.
