Protest in Kilinochchi demanding Judicial independence

In a demonstration of concern and solidarity, protestors in Kilinochchi gathered to demand independence for the judiciary and condemn political interference that led to the resignation of Mullaitivu Magistrate Court Judge T. Saravanaraja.

Protestors voiced their strong condemnation of politicians meddling in the duties of the Judiciary, which ultimately led to Judge Saravanaraja resigning from his post and fleeing the country. They called for justice and fair treatment for the judge.

This protest was organised by the Tamil National Alliance and Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi on October 2nd. As part of their efforts, a letter addressed to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will be presented to the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka, Marc-Andre Franche, on October 3rd. 

The letter reads:

His Excellency, Antonio Quterres
Secretary – General,
United Nations,
Newyork.

Mr.Marc Andre Franche
UN Resident Coordinator,
United Nations Compound,
No.202-204, Bauddhaloka Mw,

Colombo 07.

A Recommendation to Remedy the State Crisis on the Sri Lankan Judiciary.

This petition was placed in the People's Meeting on Democracy and Judiciary Security held in Kilinochchi District, Sri Lanka on 02.10.2023, seeking justice and security for Honorable Justice T. Saravanaraja, who has left the country due to various threats on the Judiciary in the island of Sri Lanka by the government administration departments and for your highest consideration. We handed it over to the Member of Parliament of our district Hon.Sivagnanam Shritharan to send.

Honorable Secretary-General, we know through your reporters that you are aware of the history of ethnic conflicts in the island of Sri Lanka for more than 70 years and the government's structured ethnic deceptions that have escalated into genocide.

It is not difficult to realise how the judicial and administrative discriminations carried out on the traditional habitats of a national race and the forceful expropriations carried out through the constitutional amendments carried out from time to time can annihilate a national ethnic group with the lowest number living in the world.

It is true that the genocide committed against the Tamil nation in the island of Sri Lanka and a deceitful act have deprived all the nationalities in the island of Sri Lanka of their democratic and judicial rights. Whenever the government is empowered by the political system, the judicial system has been created to act as a puppet of the executive department by making amendments. By giving the President the power to appoint the Judicial Service Commission, the appointments, promotions, welfare grants, trainings and protections of judges are all done at the discretion of the political power.

By this the judiciary is organised to obtain the judgments desired by the government, issue decrees and preserve political power. Through this, the rule of law was taken away and the judicial department was forced to deal with the government's war crimes, genocide cases, extrajudicial killings, missing persons cases, human burials, Buddhistization, land encroachment, etc. This resulted in the departure of Honourable Justice Saravanaraja from the country.

The government is operating without any sound foreign economic policies with a democratic veneer for authoritarian thinking and actions with the aim of its regime of Sinhalese Buddhist supremacy. At this moment, when the judicial system of Sri Lanka and the Tamil nation living here are destroyed through structured means, you and the international community directly intervene to protect peace, tranquillity, harmony, independence of the judiciary, and build a brotherly Sri Lanka. We call you to the island of Sri Lanka without any compromises in all your powers and attitudes.