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In a display of solidarity, a mass protest took place in Mullaitivu on Monday, echoing demands for the immediate release of Jenitta, the head of the Vavuniya chapter of the Families of the Disappeared, after she was arrested by Sri Lankan police last week.
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Organized by the Mullaitivu District Disappeared Relatives Association, the demonstration commenced in front of Mullaitivu St. Rajapar Church and progressed to the Mullaitivu District Secretariat, culminating in a united call for justice.
Amid the chants of "end the police anarchy," "free Jenita," and "international investigation is the solution for us," the participants voiced their grievances against the perceived injustices faced by those tirelessly advocating for the disappeared.
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The roots of this protest trace back to Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe's visit to Vavuniya, during which he attended a meeting at the Vavuniya Municipal Council. Jenitta, alongside other families of the disappeared, staged a demonstration in front of the municipal council, leading to her arrest and the detention of one other relative of a disappeared person.
The protesters also decried the alleged police brutality faced by the families advocating for their missing loved ones.
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The legal proceedings that followed saw Jenitta being remanded until January 8th and the other relative of a disappeared was released on bail. Subsequent court hearings extended her remand period until Friday, January 12th.
The protest was widely attended by concerned relatives of the disappeared, former Northern Provincial Council member Durairasa Ravikaran, and other social activists.
