Wednesday, 21 May 2014 01:27
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Northern mourning ban continues to cause tensions
Academics summoned before military officials at Palaly about planned memorial event
By Dharisha Bastians
In a bid to stall a planned remembrance ceremony for civilians killed in the final stages of war today, the Terrorist Investigations Department has issued written notice on a Jaffna university academic, to appear in Colombo for an inquiry.
The notice followed a 90 minute pow-wow between representatives of the Jaffna University Teachers Association and Brigadier Abeynayake in Palaly yesterday, where the academics were asked to cancel their memorial event on grounds that it was a violation of the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
JUTA President A. Rasakumaran has been ordered to appear before the TID at 10 a.m. today.
Speaking to Daily FT, Police Spokesman SSP Ajith Rohana said the academic had been summoned to record a statement based on an ongoing investigation. The Police Spokesman said the summons was not tied to the planned memorial event in Jaffna.
Ahead of Victory Day celebrations in Matara last Sunday, the military banned public memorials for persons killed during the war in the Northern Province. The Jaffna University was also closed between 16-20 May, coinciding with the Victory Day celebrations in the South, even though authorities claimed the closure was for ongoing repairs.
JUTA had organised a memorial event in Jaffna at 11 a.m. today, three days after Victory Day.
The academics told the military official that they had obtained legal advice and learned that public remembrance was not illegal. However the military official argued that the Army had information that certain elements were attempting to turn the event into a commemoration for the LTTE, Tamil National Peoples’ Front President and Tamil activist Gajen Ponnambalam said.
JUTA officials had asserted that based on their legal advice, the remembrance event will go ahead as scheduled, Ponnambalam said.
