The Sri Lanka Campaign (SLC) has called on the Sri Lankan government to release a list of all those who surrendered or were detained by the security forces during and after the war, in a new initiative launched this week.
“For approximately half a year, family members of those who disappeared during and after Sri Lanka’s civil war have been protesting continuously at various locations across the North and East of the country,” said the group. “Today we are launching this campaign in support of their struggle.”
In particular the SLC is calling on the Sri Lankan government to release a list “known to have been kept by the authorities, of all those who surrendered or were detained by the security forces during and after the war”.
“This demand, along with four others, was issued by the protestors at a meeting with President Sirisena in June of this year,” it continued.
“It was met by a pledge from the President that he would take immediate action to secure the release of the records. But as of today, they have not been disclosed.”
Stating that protestors, who have been demonstrating across the North-east for almost 6 months, have “extraordinary resilience”, SLC added that “the time has come to say: enough is enough”.
“Promises and pledges from the government of Sri Lanka must now give way to concrete action. The release of the list of war end detainees, un-doctored and in full, would be a crucial first step in the right direction, demonstrating a genuine commitment by the government to the families’ right to the truth and justice.”
See more from SLC here and their petition to the Sri Lankan government here.
Also see an infographic detailing the protests here.
The campaign launch comes as a Tamil woman at the forefront of the Mullaitivu families of the disappeared protest was assaulted by two men who also threatened her with death if she did not stop protesting.
