SLA dismantles Maveerar Naal decorations in Point Pedro

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 26 November 2002, 16:23 GMT]
Students of Hartley College, Point Pedro, in the Jaffna district Tuesday boycotted classes in protest of the removal by the Sri Lankan Army of cutouts and other decorations made in celebration of the Maveerar Naal (Heros' Day).

The Students found Tuesday morning that the decorations and cutouts put up by them on Monday had been removed from the school premises. They walked out of the school condemning the action of the SLA, civilian sources said. Thereafter, more than six hundred students studying in higher grades held a picketing campaign in front of the SLA sentry located along the road that leads to Hartley College.

The Police immediately sent a riot squad to the spot as a precautionary measure to prevent any breakdown in the law and order situation. An official of the SLA 52 Brigade stationed in Point Pedro visited the scene. On receipt of information a team of representatives of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission rushed to the scene and held discussion with the SLA officials. However the SLA reiterated its position to the SLMM delegation that it could not allow any one to hoist Tiger flag in the high security zone. The SLA officials videoed the students when they dispersed Tuesday evening at the end of the picketing, the sources said.