Black Tigers’ day celebrations in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 July 2003, 15:17 GMT]
The Black Tigers’ day was celebrated in the Trincomalee district Saturday, with the opening of a memorial at Sampur village in the LTTE controlled Muttur east for Black Tiger cadres from the Trncomalee district, by the Trincomalee district area commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Colonel Pathuman, as the main event in the morning, sources said.


Colonel Pathuman, district political head Thilak and other area leaders taking salute when Tamil national anthem is sung

The memorial is for the sixteen Black Tigers from the Trincomalee district to date, in addition to the first Black Tiger, Captain Miller, and the first woman Black Tiger, Angayarkanni, the sources said.

All Tamil villages in Muttur east were gaily decorated with yellow and red flags and special pandals were erected to pay homage to the Black Tigers.

Colonel Pathuman, accompanied by the LTTE’s district political head, Mr.Thilak, and other LTTE area military leaders, arrived at the site around 10.30 a.m. A relative of a Black Tiger lit the flame of sacrifice and thereafter the LTTE’ military commander for the Trincomalee town, Mr. Uthayan, hoisted the Tamil Eelam national flag. Colonel Pathuman then declared open the memorial by cutting the ribbon, sources said.

Col. Pauthman, the Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian, Mr.K.Thurairetnasingham, Mr.Thilak and LTTE area commanders paid floral tributes to the fallen Tigers. Leading citizens, principals of schools, teachers, students and the public also paid their homage to the Black Tigers, sources said.



Later, a military training display was held at the nearby ground. A large crowd witnessed the training practice held by the LTTE’s fighting cadres, the sources said.



Colonel Pathuman presented an award to the LTTE’s military instructor, Mr.Mathi. Mr.Thurairetasingham also presented prizes to the best LTTE cadres who have excelled in their respective spheres, the sources said.

The day was also celebrated in the Trincomalee town political office of the LTTE Saturday morning .The President of the Trincomalee District Chamber of Commerce, Mr.K.Thurairajah, lit the flame of sacrifice and the LTTE’s Trincomalee town administrative head, Mr.Mathi, hoisted the Tamil Eelam national flag, sources said.

The head of the Tamil Eelam Economic Development Organization (TEEDOR) in Trincomalee, Mr.Tharman, lit the flame of sacrifice in front of a picture of the first Black Tiger, Captain Miller, and garlanded it. The Anpuvallipuram political head of the LTTE, Mr.Rathees, garlanded the photograph of the first woman Black Tiger, Angayarkanni, and lit the flame of sacrifice.

The Secretary to the Trincomalee District Refugees Association, Mr.S.Jesuthasan, Human Rights activist and Attorney-at-Law, Mr.K.Sivapalan, and Mr.V. Vigneswaran spoke at the event.