Sri Lankan govt to probe 'false media propaganda' over Heroes Day events

Sri Lankan authorities have announced an investigation into "false media propaganda" aimed at discrediting the government for permitting commemorative events in the Northern Province for those who lost their lives during the decades-long separatist conflict with the LTTE.

The week-long events commemorating 'Maaveerar Naal' or Great Heroes Day are observed from November 27 by some Tamil political groups and the relatives of those killed in the conflict.

We were not opposed to the relatives celebrating their dead," Ananda Wijepala, the public security minister told reporters.

However there is no room for celebrating the LTTE who remains a banned terrorist organisation," Wijepala stressed.

He said the LTTE remains a banned organisation as per the government gazette of 29 August 2011.

Wijepala said an investigation would start on false media propaganda carried out to discredit the government for allowing LTTE celebrations in the north and east.

Slain LTTE supremo Velupillai Prabakaran used to make his annual policy speech on his birthday on November 26 when the LTTE ran a parallel state in parts of Sri Lanka.

The LTTE had run a military campaign for a separate Tamil homeland in the Northern and Eastern provinces of the island nation for nearly 30 years before its collapse in 2009 after the Sri Lankan Army killed Prabhakaran.

Relatives said they lit oil lamps in commemoration of their kith And kin.