Thamilchelvan, Tigers pay homage to 'Siva'

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 June 2002, 16:44 GMT]
The body of Mr. Murugesu Sivasithambaram, the leader of the Tamil United Liberation Front, was taken to Kilinochchi Friday afternoon. The head of the LTTE's political division Mr.S.P.Thamilchelvan and other members of the organisation paid their last respects to 'Siva' at the Thooyavan College for Political Studies where the cortege lay this afternoon for homage by the public.

Mr. Thamilchelvan read out a message of condolence on behalf of the Liberation Tigers. White flags were flown along the road in Kilinochchi. The LTTE flag was flown at half-mast. The cortege arrived in Jaffna later in the evening.

Around Friday noon, Liberation Tigers led by Parthipan received the body of Mr. Murugesu Sivasithambaram at the border of the Omanthai Sri Lanka army check point from the members of the Tamil United Liberation Front. The body was then taken in a motorcade to Kilinochchi. All the arrangements were made by the LTTE's headquarters in the Vanni, sources said.

Earlier the body of the TULF leader was kept on a specially erected dais in the Vavuniya Urban Council grounds. Local leaders of Tamil political parties and leading citizens of Vavuniya including the Government Agent Mr. K. Ganesh, Vavuniya Magistrate Mr. M.Illancheliyan and High Court Judge Mr.N. Ramachandran paid their last respects to 'Siva'.

A condolence meeting followed.

Mr. M. Kulathevarajah, TULF's Vavuniya organiser, presided. Mr.Ranee Mainthan, student leader of the Liberation Tigers said in his Condolence speech that the late Mr. Sivasithamparam had exhorted the world that the LTTE is the sole representative of the Tamils in Sri Lanka.

Vavuniya district parliamentarians Mr. Sivasakthi Anandan and Mr. Rajaguhaneswaran also spoke. TNA parliamentarians Mr. R. Sampanthan, Mr. Joseph Pararajasingham and Mr. V. Anandasangaree accompanied the cortege to Kilinochchi and Jaffna.

(Photo:TamilNet)