Point Pedro Magistrate Courts issue order against token fast to commemorate Thileepan

The Point Pedro Magistrate Court issued a court order today against attempts by Tamil political parties and civil society groups to conduct a token fast in view of commemorating late Rasanayaham Partheepan alias Thileepan, a LTTE cadre who passed away in 1987 following a fast-unto death campaign.

A notice signed by Registrar of Point Pedro Magistrate Court said that Officer In Charge (OIC) of Valvettithurai Police station P.B. Herath came to know about plans by groups to organize the event and  Court was notified. 

Citing the Penal Code Provisions No 106, the Court issued an order not to conduct any such events within the areas of Vadamarachchi North, Valvettithurai and Thondamanaru for next fourteen days. 

Earlier, Tamil political parties and civil society groups decided to hold the token fast at the Chelvasannity Murugan Kovil, Thondamanaaru to commemorate late Thileepan after Jaffna Magistrate Court issued a similar order against any commemoration events in Jaffna.

The parties also, collectively wrote to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa last week urging him to allow the commemoration events stressing that Tamil speaking people have a right to mourn for their dead. The political parties also called for a hartal campaign across the North and Eastern provinces on next Monday (28).