The Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa
On behalf of the Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs, Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa tabled an answer on war-related commemorative events, stating that 212 were held in the Northern Province and seven in the Eastern Province. The answer noted that LTTE promotion remains prohibited under Gazette Extraordinary No. 1721/2 of 2011, but memorial events for deceased persons are not prohibited unless they involve specified unlawful acts. It said about seven northern events in 2024 included activities viewed as potentially promoting the LTTE, with court reports filed, three files sent for Attorney-General’s advice, and further investigations ongoing. In the Eastern Province, police were instructed to act under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and relevant regulations if organizers disseminated separatist views or attempted to promote the LTTE.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs, I table the answer.
¶ 02 Answer tabled.
¶ 03 (a) (i) In the Northern Province, 212 commemorative events to remember deceased relatives during the war, and in the Eastern Province, 07 such events, were held.
¶ 04 (ii)–(iii) See Annex 01.
¶ 05 (iv) Police stations were made aware through intelligence reports.
¶ 06 (v) By Gazette Extraordinary No. 1721/2 dated 2011.08.29, Regulation 2 declares the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) a proscribed organization. If any person of the LTTE, any organization representing, acting on behalf of, or reasonably suspected to be associated with such, carries out any act mentioned from 3(a) to 3(k) of that Gazette, it is an offence. However, memorial events to remember deceased persons, not amounting to such acts, are not prohibited.
¶ 07 (vi) In the Northern Province in 2024, 212 memorial events to remember deceased relatives were held; of these, about 07 included certain activities that could be seen as promoting the LTTE. Regarding those events, the Magistrates’ Courts of Kilinochchi, Pooneryn and Jaffna were moved to report facts; broad investigations are underway; 03 files have been referred for the Attorney-General’s advice and investigations continue on the remaining 04.
¶ 08 In the Eastern Province, intelligence indicated that Tamil political party representatives, activists and university students would arrange memorials in November 2024 to remember those who died during the war. Accordingly, if it is observed that the organizers disseminate separatist views regarding the LTTE or attempt to promote that organization, all OICs in the Eastern Province were instructed to take persons into custody and produce them before Court under Section 27 of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act, No. 48 of 1979, and Regulations 03(a) and 03(b) of Gazette Extraordinary No. 1721/2 dated 2011.08.29.
¶ 09 (vii) Investigations are being conducted by Sri Lanka Police regarding illegal commemorations of a proscribed organization, and legal action will be taken based on the findings.
¶ 10 (b) Does not arise.
Provenance
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- Hansard, Thursday, 8 May 2025 ·No. 1748426168056758 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 8 May 2025. No. 1748426168056758. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/21781