US Senator calls on Sri Lankan authorities to allow commemorations 'without fear of arrests'

by Sharmini
May 18, 2024

US Senator for Maryland, Ben Cardin, called on Sri Lanka to allow Tamils to commemorate 15 years since genocide "without fear of arrest". 

The senator, who also chairs the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said on X: 

 

"Troubled by arrests around Mullivaikkal Day in Sri Lanka, a commemoration of thousands of Tamils killed, forcibly disappeared & tortured during Sri Lanka’s brutal civil war. The Sri Lankan gov't must allow for peaceful commemorations without fear of arrest."-Chair @SenatorCardin https://t.co/TjKN16km2x

— Senate Foreign Relations Committee (@SFRCdems) May 18, 2024

 

Commemorations in the North-East have been met with surveillance, harassment and arrests. In Batticaloa, Tamil students from the Eastern University were threatened with arrest during a vigil outside the university campus. Sri Lankan police officers aggressively pushed flowers and candles that were set up for the vigil and took away a pot of kanji that the students were going to serve. 

Last week, four Tamils were arrested in Trincomalee for serving kanji to remember the victims and victim survivors of the genocide that took place in 2009. 

 

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