‘Will report oppression of rally to UN’
A peaceful rally of youth, cutting across party lines, was prevented by police from paying respects to victims of Mullivakkal Massacre 2009 on the Marina beach on Sunday evening.
By : migrator
Update: 2018-05-20 20:00 GMT
Chennai
MDMK leader Vaiko, who led the rally, said that the main agenda was to create awareness across the globe about the memory of Tamils who were killed in the genocide in Sri Lanka.
“We would press the international community to favour a referendum among Lankan Tamils on forming a separate nation. We would not let the Sri Lankan government go scot-free for all the war crimes that it has committed so far,” he said.
The movement coordinator Thirumurugan Gandhi noted that the idea of commemoration is to remind the international community as to how the world stood by and watched while Sri Lanka carried out the mass murders.“To be more specific, this ethnic cleansing was carried out with international assistance,” he added.
Thirumurugan observed that the event is nothing but a commemoration event where the participants would peacefully pay their respects to the victims and martyrs of Eelam war.
“Since it is a cultural event, we need not get any permission. However, the Centre has been forcing the state to stop the event in the pretext of lack of permission. It has not dampened the spirit of the sentiments of Tamils from here who had gathered in huge numbers to pay respects in Tamils Sea (Marina off Indian Ocean). We will take this oppression of the state to the United Nations and other international fora,” he said.
May 17 Movement, which had been organising candle light vigil since 2011, said that it would take up the issue in the international fora for not allowing to pay respects to the departed souls.
Thirumurugan, MDMK chief arrested
Thirumurugan Gandhi, leader of May 17 Movement and MDMK general secretary Vaiko were among 550 men and women, who were arrested on Sunday for trying to enter the sands of Marina to hold a candle vigil to remember the victims of Mullivaikal massacre in Sri Lanka nine years ago.
Since Thirumurugan Gandhi had announced that the march towards Kannagi statue will take place despite police restriction to gather for candle light vigil on the Marina, a heavy posse of police had been deployed on Marina since Sunday morning.
Vehicles and visitors entering Kamarajar Salai were monitored at check points. As many as 2,000 police personnel including trainee sub-inspectors and constables were deployed to control members of various outfits who gathered on Bharathi Salai around 4 pm. They were about 1,000 in number which grew upto 1,500. Thirumurugan Gandhi reached the spot around 5.30 pm followed by Vaiko.
They raised slogans against the state for not allowing a candle light vigil.
They also praised LTTE and demanded justice for Prabakaran’s son Balachandran and scores of other people, who were killed by Sri Lankan Army in 2009.
The participants marched towards Kannagi statue but were prevented under the MRTS bridge on Bharathi Salai. As they tried to cross the barricades, AC (South) MC Sarangan held talks with them after which they were arrested and released later.
Visit news.dtnext.in to explore our interactive epaper!
Download the DT Next app for more exciting features!
Click here for iOS
Click here for Android