Authorities to rebuild Jaffna memorial to civilians killed war

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s government said it would rebuild a memorial to Tamil civilians killed in the country’s civil war that was demolished at the weekend, AFP reported.

The destruction of the monument at Jaffna University — depicting arms sticking out of a mound — prompted protests and threats of a general strike in areas where Tamils are a majority, AFP added.

The government had earlier condemned the structure as a memorial to “terrorists,” saying it glorified Tamil Tiger guerrillas who were crushed in 2009 at the end of a 37-year-long war.

The memorial was erected by students at the university to mark the 10th anniversary of the end of the war, and commemorate the thousands of civilians killed in the final stages.

Opposition legislator Dharmalingam Sithadthan told AFP that the university’s management had ordered its destruction.

“The gates were locked while a bulldozer demolished the memorial inside the university,” Sithadthan said.

“Police were deployed outside for protection.”

The action angered students and residents as well as Tamils in India.

Protesters have accused the government of denying them the right to remember their war dead.

Angajan Ramanathan, a ruling party legislator for Jaffna, said authorities had agreed to rebuild the monument at the same location.

“The foundation stone… was laid today,” Ramanathan said on Twitter on Monday.

Public Security Minister Sarath Weerasekera had earlier said the monument was a tribute to the Tigers, and that “no one will and should be allowed to commemorate dead terrorists.”