London Tamils Rally Against Removal of Thileepan Statue in Jaffna
By Paris Telegraph London Correspondent
London | 4 October 2026
Members of the Tamil community in London have taken part in a demonstration protesting the removal of a memorial statue of Thileepan from Nallur in Jaffna, with organisers seeking to draw the attention of the British Government to what they describe as wider concerns over Tamil rights and political aspirations.
According to the Movement for Self-Determination of Tamil Eelam (MSDTE), the demonstration was organised following the removal of the statue by Sri Lankan police on 27 September.
The organisers said the London protest began in the vicinity of 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the British Prime Minister, and was subsequently taken towards the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). They said the action was intended to urge the British Government to take note of concerns surrounding Tamil political rights, remembrance and self-determination.
Statue removed after Thileepan commemorations
The controversy began in Jaffna after a bronze memorial statue of Rasaiah Parthipan, known as Thileepan, was removed from the Thileepan Memorial Square in Nallur on 27 September.
The removal took place one day after commemorative events marking the 39th anniversary of Thileepan’s death had concluded. Reports said police officers arrived at the memorial in the early hours and removed the statue, taking it away in a vehicle.
Sri Lankan Police Media Spokesperson ASP F. U. Wootler said police had reported the relevant facts to court following a complaint concerning the statue. He said the action was taken under provisions of the Penal Code relating to maintaining public order and enforcing the law.
The Sri Lankan Government subsequently provided a further explanation.
Government spokesperson and Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said police had informed the relevant court before removing the statue and that legal proceedings concerning the matter were continuing. He also said the LTTE is a proscribed organisation and that Sri Lankan law does not permit the promotion of a banned organisation, including through its symbols.
The government has also noted that Thileepan commemorations had previously taken place using photographs, while this year marked the first time a statue had been installed at the site.
Protests followed across the Tamil homeland
The statue’s removal triggered protests in Nallur and other parts of Sri Lanka’s North and East.
Tamil political figures, civil society representatives, religious leaders, families of the disappeared and members of the public have called for the statue to be returned. Tamil Guardian reported that demonstrations subsequently took place in several districts, including Batticaloa, Vavuniya, Mannar and Trincomalee.
The dispute has also generated international reactions. In Canada, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown publicly criticised the removal and said that removing a statue could not erase Tamil historical memory.
London demonstration
The London organisers said their demonstration was intended to take the issue beyond the Tamil community and bring it to the attention of British policymakers.
The Movement for Self-Determination of Tamil Eelam (MSDTE) describes itself as a UK-based organisation advocating political and human rights for Eelam Tamils and supporting the right to self-determination through what it describes as peaceful, democratic and diplomatic means.
London has previously been a venue for Thileepan commemorations. Tamil Guardian has documented Tamil gatherings outside 10 Downing Street in previous years, including symbolic hunger strikes commemorating Thileepan.
The latest demonstration comes amid renewed debate over the right of Tamil communities to commemorate figures associated with the island’s civil-war history, and over how the Sri Lankan state balances its laws concerning proscribed organisations with freedom of remembrance and expression.
Paris Telegraph will continue to follow developments surrounding the Nallur memorial and the response from the Sri Lankan and British authorities.
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