Thileepan remembered

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 September 1998, 17:06 GMT]
The final day of the Thileepan remembrance week was marked with fasts held all over the areas in the north-east that are under the control of the Liberation Tigers. Reports from Batticaloa said that thousands of civilians had joined the fast in Kokkaddicholai, west of Batticaloa today.

Sources said that at least one person from each household in the area took part in the fast and that there will be a major cultural function tonight in the village.

They said that the LTTE's political wing leader for Batticaloa- Ampara, Inithan, will unveil a picture of Thileepan and take part in another function in the northern part of the Vaakarai region tonight.

More than five hundred people participated in a fast that was held near the Vishnu temple in Palugamam, south west of Batticaloa, according to residents of the village.

Palugamam is a large Tamil village under the LTTE's control in the western hinterland of the district.

Meanwhile, reports from Mannar said that few civilians had come through the Uyilankulam SLA 'border' point today from the LTTE controlled Vanni region.

Sources said that token fasts and functions had been arranged in Pallamadu, Vidaththalthivu and Adampan by local traders' associations and vehicle owners' unions.