Commemorative function to mark Thirimawithana’s death ANNIVERSARY scheduled for October 30

Dr. Aruna Jayasekara (left) address representatives of the press at a media briefing held to outline the plans for a commemorative function to be held in memory on the late Padmasiri Thirimawithana, who was slain by an unknown armed group in 1988. Dr. Nishantha Dasanayaka is seen on the right (Pix by Samantha Perera) 

By Manjula D. Phillips 

Padmasiri Thirimawithana, who was a medical student and a prominent activist who protested against establishing Private Medical College in Ragama, had been killed along with another 29 medical students by an unknown armed group in 1988. On parallel to his 37th death anniversary this year, a commemorative function will be held on October 30 at the Colombo Municipal Council Library. The event will be organised by the Thirimawithana Commemorative Foundation.

These details were announced to representatives of the media at a press briefing held at N.M. Perera Centre in Borella, on October 15.  The media briefing was organised by the Thirimawithana Commemorative Foundation. 

The commemorative function will be held with the participation of all university students including medical students of all the faculties in the country.

“The people who are responsible for this tragedy should be brought under the spotlight and punished so as to ensure that such tragedies are not repeated in the future. We urge the present government to come forward and punish the brutal killers who are responsible for this incident. We can find many such incidents in the history of the world where the truth came to the surface even after hundred years. We do not know who killed them or their whereabouts or whether they destroyed the bodies. We only witnessed the funeral of Thirimawithana.  We must deliver justice to all those who were killed. It is because of their sacrifices that the Private Medical College in Ragama later became a government institute,” said Dr. Aruna Jayasekara speaking on behalf of the Thirimawithana Commemorative Foundation.