SLA denies passage to dead LTTE cadre's uniformed body

[TamilNet, Friday, 01 August 2003, 01:55 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army refused permission to take the body of a dead Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam cadre through the SLA checkpoint in Uylankulam in Mannar to his hometown under the SLA control in Mannar for funeral rites, on the grounds that they could not allow the LTTE uniform and flag on the body, and the relatives of the cadre had to be taken to an LTTE-held area where the funeral with full honors took place, LTTE political sources in Mannar said.

The LTTE cadre, Mr. Sebamalai Anton Dineswaran (alias Puradchi Maran), is native of the Kalimoddai-Murungan area, near the Annai Velankanni temple, and died in an accidental explosion in Mullaitvu on July 24, the LTTE sources said.

When the body with the cadre’s LTTE uniform and the LTTE flag was being taken to his hometown, the police officers at the Uylankulam checkpoint refused permission to proceed and advised the LTTE to seek permission from the SLA.

As the SLA officer in charge was on vacation on that day, permission was sought the next day and he denied permission. The LTTE later sought the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission’s assistance, but the SLA was adamant in not letting the body go through with the LTTE uniform and flag, the LTTE sources said.