• Points out government must take steps to protect their rights

By Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera

Claiming that relatives and comrades have a right to commemorate the war dead, NPP MP Vijitha Herath said yesterday that the government must take steps to protect their rights.  

Speaking during the adjournment debate on the Palestine war, he said relatives and comrades of those who were killed in civil wars in Sri Lanka have a right to commemorate the war dead and condemned the arrest of three females and a male in Sampur for holding a commemoration event in remembrance of the Mullivaikkal war dead.  

The MP said United Nations declared a day for commemoration of the dead in the Nakba incident and similarly Sri Lankans also have a right to commemorate those dead in civil wars.  

He said right to commemorate war dead is a right accepted internationally and added that the right should be ensured in Sri Lanka as well.