Remains of damaged vehicles in the war seen by the roadside in Mullaitivu district.
| Photo Credit: File Photo
The story so far: On August 18, Sri Lanka’s prominent Tamil party the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK), called a symbolic hartal across the Tamil-majority north and east, to protest militarisation of the former war zone, 16 years after the Sri Lankan armed forces crushed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Businesses and commercial establishments across the northern and eastern provinces remained shut for a few hours in the morning — while some remained open owing to political differences with the ITAK — joining the call to demilitarise their districts.The recent killing of 32-year-old Ethirmanasingham Kapilraj of Mullaitivu district, in Sri Lanka’s northern province triggered it. The young Tamil man died in an alleged attack by military men from an army camp located in the district. In a letter to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on August 10, the ITAK demanded an “unhindered, thorough investigation” into Mr. Kapilraj’s death, and also highlighted the “oppressive conduct and excessive presence of the military” in the north and east after the war ended. The government has promised to hold a thorough investigation and bring the perpetrators to book. The police has arrested three soldiers in connection with the killing. Published - August 22, 2025 08:30 am IST
