We don't want a death certificate, we want a judicial investigation' - families of the disappeared demand in Batticaloa

The family members of the enforced disappeared gathered in Batticaloa in protest, demanding that the Sri Lankan government allow foreign experts to conduct a thorough judicial investigation. Young children and women were seen at the Gandhi Park in Batticaloa carrying placards and demanding the government deliver justice. "We don't want a death certificate or compensation, we want a judicial investigation,"  they demanded. 

Tamil families have been protesting across the North-East since 2017 in a bid to find the truth about their loved ones, many of whom were forcibly disappeared when they surrendered to the Sri Lankan military at the end of the armed conflict in May 2009. Despite their longstanding protests, successive Sri Lankan governments have failed to take meaningful action to address their demands. The families have been protesting throughout the North-East including Jaffna, Vavuniya, and Kilinochchi.