Tamil MPs to stage protest in Parliament today

Tamil Parliamentarians representing the North and Eastern provinces will stage a protest in Parliament today in Opposition to the recent arrests during Maha Shivaratri religious observances at the Vedukkunaari Hill Athi Sivan temple in Vavuniya. 

Eight Tamil worshippers including temple official T. Tamilselvan were arrested on 8 March by the Police. Member of Parliament Selvarajah Kajendren was also present at the event.

The following persons, aged between 24 and 45, were among those arrested: Kanthasamy Gowrikanthan, Thilakanathan Kinthuyan, Sivam Luxshan, Thurairasa Thamichelvan, Makenthiran Narenthiran, Rasaratnam Vinayagamoorthy, Subramaniyam Thavapalasingam, and Thampirasa Mathimugarasa.

Following their arrest, five out of the eight individuals initiated a hunger strike in protest of their alleged unlawful detainment, demanding their immediate release.

Those arrested have now been charged under the Antiquity Ordinance No. 9 1940 for damaging the temple’s antiquities. The case against them will be taken up before the Vavuniya Magistrates Court today. 

Counsel Kanagaratnam Sugash representing the accused maintains that the Department of Archaeology has falsely accused the eight persons of damaging historical monuments at the temple.

A protest was also staged in front of the Trincomalee Shiva Temple yesterday over the incident. The Police are being accused of deploying the riot police and the Special Task Force (STF) to forcibly take away devotees who were engaged in worship.

A dispute is ongoing over the site, with Buddhist and Tamil groups both asserting claims over the historical site, while the Department of Archaeology has declared it as an ancient Buddhist site.