A symbolic hunger strike was held in Vavuniya yesterday to commemorate Lt. Col. Thileepan who fasted unto death 38 years ago.
The hunger strike and memorial was organised by the Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) to remember Lt. Col. Thileepan, also referred to as 'Thiyaga Theepam Thileepan - (light of sacrifice).
Tamil residents paid their respects to Thileepan at a memorial site situated at the Pongu Thamizh monument in front of the Vavuniya Municipal Council.
Floral tributes were offered by his portrait before the observance of the symbolic hunger strike.
Tamils reaffirmed that the five demands Thileepan put forward to the Indian government in September 1987 should be fulfilled.
His demands were:
1) All Tamils detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act should be released.
2) The colonisation by Sinhalese in Tamil areas under the guise of rehabilitation should be stopped.
3) All such rehabilitation should be stopped until an interim government is formed.
4) The Sri Lankan government should stop opening new police stations and camps in the North-eastern province.
5) The Sri Lankan army and Police should withdraw from schools in Tamil villages and the weapons given by the Sri Lankan government to ‘homeguards’ should be withdrawn under the supervision of the Indian army.
Among those present were Member of Parliament Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, former Member of Parliament Selvarajah Kajendren, Mayor S. Kandiban, relatives of the disappeared, local council members, members of the TNPF, and local residents.
