A signature campaign demanding the removal of the Sri Lanka Army from the Theravil Maaveerar cemetery was launched by war-affected Tamils in the Northern Province.
The petition is gaining momentum with large numbers coming forward to sign.
It calls upon President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to remove the army from the Theravil cemetery which they claim has been occupied for over 15 years.
‘Maaveerar Thuyilum Illam’ or ‘heroes resting place’ is where the LTTE laid to rest their cadres who fell in the civil war. Such cemeteries or resting places were established by the Tamil Tigers throughout the North and East.
As such, the Theravil cemetery is considered to be the largest one in the Wanni area. This cemetery is situated in the Viswamadu area in Mullaitivu.
Tamils who have started this massive signature campaign on 08 January in front of the said cemetery told local journalists the Sri Lankan Army has forcefully occupied the place where they say their beloved ones are laid to rest and is sentimentally very sacred to them.
The signature campaign launched by the Theravil Cemetery Memorial Committee says the Army, apart from forcefully occupying the land, is also using it for commercial purposes and making money out of it.
“The Army continues to stay at this place where our war heroes are laid to rest to date. Only a few families live around the place. Toddy is being tapped and sold on a commercial basis. We demand the Anura Kumara Dissanayaka-led National People’s Power government to remove the armed forces from this place and hand over the land to the parents who lost their children in the war allowing them to live freely and peacefully while carrying on with their trade”.
After the signature campaign is over, the petition would be sent to President AKD through the Governor of the Northern Province.
Local residents allege that over 76% of the Theravail Cemetery area where over 7000 former LTTE cadres are buried, is being forcefully occupied by the Army.
Noting that the place where their beloved ones are buried is very sacred to them, they allege the military is desecrating that area by playing cricket and football, literally trampling those buried there.
For many years now, locals have been demanding the release of the land and the eviction of the army from there saying that only by doing so the sanctity of the place and honour of those buried there could be restored and preserved.
Local journalists say the demand for the dismantling of the army camp at that place has been raised for many years but the government has ignored it, thereby deeply hurting the inner feelings and sentiments of the Tamil people, whose kith and kin are laid to rest at Theravil.
Many war cemeteries or ‘Thuyilum Illam’ have been completely demolished by the state security forces and converted into tri-services camps.
“Such action had deeply affected us leaving an indelible scar in our hearts. Destroying cemeteries is considered a religious offence and insulting gods as those fallen heroes, our beloved ones are like gods to us,” a signatory to the petition told local journalists with tears rolling down his cheeks.
Tamils say over 25 cemeteries where over 20,400 LTTE cadres are buried and graves built over it have been destroyed as the army started taking control of the areas of the Northern Province which the Tamil Tigers once held.
“Until the cemeteries were under the control of the LTTE, it was maintained to very high standards with utmost reverence and was considered a place of worship for us. None dare to even think of damaging the graves or desecrating them knowingly or unknowingly. But all that changed with the end of the war when the humiliation of both the living and the dead became common,” another signatory to the petition said.
The United Nations has accepted that respecting and honouring the dead is an important aspect of the Hindu Tamil heritage and culture and also a fundamental right.
President AKD has also assured he accepted the UN stand on respecting and honouring the dead as a fundamental right.
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