Removal of Thileepan Statue in Jaffna Draws Strong Condemnation from Tamil Politicians

The removal of a statue of LTTE figure and former hunger striker Thileepan from his memorial site in Nallur, Jaffna, has drawn strong condemnation from Tamil politicians, who described the incident as an expression of continued state repression against the Tamil community.

Tamil National Alliance (ITAK) Parliamentarian S. Sritharan made the remarks while participating in a protest held on Sunday in front of Thileepan’s memorial in Nallur, opposing the removal of the statue by police.

Sritharan said Thileepan had sacrificed his life through a non-violent hunger strike while making demands on behalf of the Tamil people, and described the removal of his statue as an expression of what he called the government’s “harsh face” towards the Tamil community.

He said religious observances and public visits had taken place at the memorial without disrupting public order or national security, and questioned why the statue had been removed in haste.

Sritharan also pointed out that many Sinhalese visitors who travel to Jaffna had visited Thileepan’s memorial, and questioned the reason for removing the statue.

He called on the government to take appropriate action to reinstall the statue at its original location.

Former Parliamentarian Selvarajah Kajendren, who also participated in Sunday’s protest, similarly condemned the removal.

Kajendren said Thileepan had abandoned armed struggle and launched a hunger strike as a non-violent protest, presenting a series of demands concerning the Tamil people. He said Thileepan ultimately sacrificed his life after his demands were not met.

According to Kajendren, the removal of the statue prevented Tamil people from exercising what he described as their right to commemorate and pay respects to Thileepan.

He alleged that police officers climbed onto the memorial wearing shoes and dismantled and removed the statue, describing the action as disrespectful and provocative.

Kajendren further accused the current government of failing to honour assurances made during the election period regarding Tamil concerns and alleged that it was continuing policies that discriminate against the Tamil community.

He also referred to election-period statements by politicians regarding memorials and statues connected to figures associated with the Tamil nationalist struggle, claiming that such promises had not been fulfilled.

Both politicians called for the statue to be restored at the same location and urged the authorities to respect the Tamil community’s right to commemorate those they regard as having sacrificed their lives.

The removal of the statue has also renewed debate in Jaffna over the rights of communities to commemorate politically sensitive figures associated with Sri Lanka’s decades-long ethnic conflict.