Black Tiger day marked at site of first attack

[TamilNet, Saturday, 06 July 2002, 01:40 GMT]
Over five thousand people gathered in Nelliady in the Jaffna peninsula Friday to mark Black Tigers day - the first time the event had been held here since 1995. July 5 is the anniversary of the death of the first Black Tiger, Captain Miller, who was killed destroying a Sri Lanka Army base located in the Nelliady Madhya Maha Vidiyalyam - the site of the commemoration this Friday. His mother was amongst those who paid their respects to fallen Black Tigers.

The several thousand people marched in procession from Nelliady junction to the school to attend the event Friday evening. Mr. Arunan, head of the Liberation Tigers’ political section in Vadamarachi, lit the traditional lamp to start the event. Ms Malvilzi of the LTTE hoisted the Tamil Eelam flag.

The mother of Captain Miller, whose truck-bomb attack in 1987 killed scores of soldiers and stalled an SLA advance, also lit flame in remembrance. Mr. Paapaa, a senior official of the LTTE's political section, garlanded the portrait of Captain Miller.

In his address, Mr. V. Balakumar, another senior LTTE official, said that the Liberation Tigers were committed to the ongoing peace process. He called on the Sri Lankan government to deal firmly with 'saboteurs of the peace process' amongst the armed forces.

Before the ceremony, a public meeting was held presided over by a trade union leader, Mr. Thavayogan. Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians Mr. Mavai Senathirajah and Mr M. K. Sivajilingam addressed the meeting along with other speakers.

On Friday morning Black Tigers day was also observed at Periya Arasady junction in Chavakachcheri where Mr. Sivanathan, head of the LTTE’s political section in Thenmaradchi, hoisted the Tamil Eelam flag. At Kodikamam, another LTTE official, Veeman, hoisted the flag whilst in Vadamaradchi, at the Black Tigers mausoleum, the local political leader, Daya, did the same.