COLOMBO, May 1: History was made on Wednesday with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elaam holding their first ever May Day rally with major celebrations being conducted in Vavuniya, a government-controlled area in the north-east.

The rally was peacefully conducted by the one-time terrorists and police forces provided security to the large number of Tamils gathered for the meeting in Vavuniya town.

The main theme of the LTTE’s May Day rally was peace, but it also highlighted Prabhakaran as the LTTE’s ‘only leader’.

Dr Jayalath Jayawardena, Minister of Rehabilitation and Refugees who is a frequent visitor to the North-East and one of the most pro-peace Ministers in Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s United Front government told the writer in an interview that the LTTE rally was a ‘most positive development’.

“We want them to come out in the open and continue their political work. We are happy that the LTTE too have held their rallies just like all the other political parties in the country,” Jayawardena said.