A catholic priest who had campaigned against crimes by Indian peacekeepers in the north and the east has been remembered on his 35th death anniversary.
A portrait of Rev. Chandra Fernando was garlanded at St. Maria’s Church at Puliyantivu at a remembrance event organized by Caritas Lanka.
The Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) that arrived in 1987 had been accused of assaults, abductions and disappearances, rapes, killings and destroying properties of Tamils.
Rev. Fernando was among the organizers of a massive protest parade in Batticaloa against these crimes.
Thereafter, he had been targeted by Indian soldiers and the paramilitaries such as PLOTE and EPRLF.
On June 06, 1988, he was gunned down at his church in Batticaloa town occupied by the IPKF.
