Another Sri Lankan court order prevents Tamil families of the disappeared protesting in Vavuniya

by admin
Sep 2, 2024

A Sri Lankan court issued a restraining order against four members of the Association for the Families of the Disappeared, preventing them from protesting in Vavuniya town on Sunday, in yet another move to supress Tamil protests.

According to a motion filed by the Sri Lankan police, the court specifically named four individuals, instructing them to cease a planned demonstration on Sunday.

The order was issued to Sivanandan Jenita, president of the Vavuniya Association; Gopalakrishnan Rajkumar, coordinator of the Tamil Disappeared Association; Jayavanitha, president of that association; and Shanmuganan Sarojadevi, a member of the Families of the Disappeared Association.

Under section 106(01) of Sri Lanka’s Criminal Procedure Code, the restraining order prohibited these individuals from organizing demonstrations and processions in Vavuniya town on Sunday.

This is not the first instance where Sri Lankan police in the North-East have secured court orders to suppress planned protests. Just a few days ago, police in Trincomalee obtained a court order to stop demonstrations by Tamil families of the disappeared, who had planned to mark the International Day of the Disappeared with marches and protests throughout the North-East.

Human Rights Watch criticized the Sri Lankan government's latest efforts to silence the Families of the Disappeared who were protesting across the region, stating that the government continues to "resist any progress to address the terrible legacy of enforced disappearances, and instead compounds the anguish of victims’ families."

Tamil families of the disappeared have been protesting for years, demanding justice for the genocide, answers to the whereabouts of their loved ones and an international accountability mechanism.

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