Government Says Thileepan Statue Removed Following Court Proceedings

Government Spokesman Minister Nalinda Jayatissa says a statue of former LTTE member Rasaiah Parthipan, also known as Thileepan, was removed from the Thileepan Memorial Square in Nallur, Jaffna, after police reported relevant facts to the area court.

Speaking during a televised interview, Minister Jayatissa said the police had submitted the facts to court and that legal proceedings relating to the statue are currently under consideration.

The minister said commemorative events marking Thileepan’s death anniversary have been held in the North in September in previous years, including the use of his photograph, but that this was the first occasion on which a statue had been erected at the site.

He said the statue was erected this year and subsequently removed by police. According to the minister, the LTTE is a prohibited organisation and Sri Lankan law prohibits activities promoting a banned organisation, including the display of its flags and symbols.

Minister Jayatissa said legal action would be taken in accordance with the law and reiterated that police had presented the relevant facts to court before removing the statue.

He also said there have been periodic attempts to create racial tensions in the country, adding that the government would take legal action against activities it considers to be aimed at provoking such tensions.

The comments followed the removal of the statue of Rasaiah Parthipan, also known as Thileepan, from the Thileepan Memorial Square in Nallur on Sunday (27).

The statue was removed a day after commemorative events marking the 39th anniversary of Thileepan’s death concluded at the site.

Thileepan died in September 1987 after staging a hunger strike in Nallur, during which he made several demands of the Indian government.