Why are soldiers commemorated and not Tamil civilians? - TNA

Wednesday, 21 May 2014 

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has posed a question in parliament as to why only soldiers killed during the war are commemorated on Victory Day and not the Tamil civilians who were also killed during the period.

TNA General Secretary Mavai Senathirajah speaking in parliament on the no-confidence motion against the government has reportedly said that there will be no meaning to the word reconciliation in Sri Lanka if even parliament cannot commemorate Tamil victims of the war.

Senathirajah has slammed the government for using the military to block families of those killed in the north from going to the Temple to pray for their relatives.

The TNA MP has noted that even the Jaffna university was closed by the government last week to prevent the students from holding remembrance events for the civilians killed during the war.

He has charged that by blocking even Hindu religious events from taking place the government, which has been accused of being involved in the drugs trade, is also involved in targeting religious minorities.