Government Spokesman and Minister Nalinda Jayatissa has stepped forward to explain the circumstances surrounding the removal of a statue of Rasaiah Parthipan, widely known as Thileepan, a former member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Official Justification
Minister Jayatissa clarified that the removal of the statue was carried out by Police in accordance with legal provisions and was not an act of political suppression or cultural erasure. The Government maintained that proper procedures were followed during the operation, emphasising that law enforcement acted within their authority.
Who Was Thileepan?
Rasaiah Parthipan, commonly referred to as Thileepan, was a prominent figure within the LTTE who gained widespread recognition for staging a fatal hunger strike in 1987. He is remembered by many in the Tamil community as a martyr, and memorials dedicated to him have long held significant cultural and political meaning for Tamil civilians in the North.
Tensions Surrounding the Issue
The removal of the statue has sparked fresh debate over the rights of Tamil communities to commemorate figures from their past, reigniting longstanding questions about reconciliation, memorialisation, and the boundaries of free expression in post-war Sri Lanka.
- The statue's removal was carried out by Police under existing legal frameworks
- Government Spokesman Nalinda Jayatissa confirmed and defended the action publicly
- Tamil community members and civil society voices have raised concerns over the move
Critics argue that such actions risk deepening ethnic divisions at a time when national reconciliation remains a priority. Meanwhile, the Government has urged the public to view the matter strictly through a legal lens rather than a political one.
The action was taken in accordance with the law, and the relevant authorities acted appropriately under the circumstances.
The incident is expected to draw further scrutiny from Tamil political parties and human rights observers, who have consistently called on the Government to take a more sensitive approach to issues of memory and identity in the country's Northern and Eastern provinces.
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Good. No place for LTTE statues in this country. Simple.
Easy to say but north ppl also have feelings no?