SL military, police block protesters in North on International Day of Disappeared

[TamilNet, Sunday, 31 August 2014, 06:52 GMT]
The occupying Sri Lankan Military and Police on Saturday blocked the kith and kin of disappeared persons who were on a protest rally in Vavuniyaa organised by the citizens committees from the five districts in the North. The peaceful march, which started with a public meeting at Vavuniyaa Urban Council building, was blocked by the riot control police from proceeding towards the office of the Government Agent.

Mothers who represent the missing persons organisations criticized the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader Mr R. Sampanthan, for having failed them at the international avenues to voice for the concerns of the relatives of the missing persons.

A section of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians, Northern Provincial Council (NPC) councillors, Democratic Peoples Front (DPF) representatives from the Western Province and human rights defenders from South took part in the rally.

Tamil activists from North urged the southern activists to enlighten the masses in the South.

After the meeting at the UC building, more than 500 people, most of them mothers, were confronting the SL riot police, demanding access to the office of the SL Government Agent to hand over their appeals.

As no one were available at the District Secretariat, TNA MP Mavai Senathirajah received the appeal to be forwarded to SL president, SL presidential commission and UN investigation panel, news sources in Vavuniyaa said.