Tamil civil society organisations across the North-East outlined the demands of the Pottuvil to Polikandy protesters in a letter to the United Nations.
In their appeal to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), they highlighted that they will be participating in a peaceful walk from Pottuvil to Polikandi to draw attention to key issues faced by the Tamil community in their homeland.
Some of the issues highlighted in the letter include the continued land grabbing and Sinhalisation of traditionally Tamil areas, the ongoing and intensifying militarisation of Tamil lands and the denial of the right to remember those who gave their lives in the Tamil struggle for freedom.
See the full text and signatories of the letter here and below:
The walk, endorsed by Tamil politicians and Tamil and Muslim civil society organisations, has been met with a crackdown from the Sri Lankan state, with troops and police suppressing marchers through threats and court orders. Demonstrators bravely defied attempts of disruption and intimidation as they completed their 5-day protest march.
