Sri Lanka: Tamil's Walk For Justice Attacked by Sinhalese Mob - No Arrests By Police - Police Impartiality Questioned

Tamil Civil Society Forum is organizing this Walk, sidelining Tamil Members of Parliament.

TRINCOMALEE, SRI LANKA, February 5, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The third day of Tamil's Walk For Justice march in Sri Lanka was attacked by Sinhalese mob, when the walk was leaving the Eastern city of Trincomalee.

The Police and Armed Special Task Force (STF) which was constantly intimidating, threatening and erecting road blocks to prevent the Tamil's walk, did not make any arrests of the Sinhalese mob for attacking Tamil's Walk For Justice participants . Raising fears that the Police and Special Task Force (STF) are openly siding with the majority Sinhalese community and allowing attacks on the Tamil minority.

Large crowds are joining this walk and the walk is attracting more people everyday, despite threats and intimidation by the Police.

This walk for justice was organized by North and East Civil Society Organizations to protest abuses against Tamils and to highlight Tamil's joint appeal to UN High-Commissioner for Human Rights and to UN Human Rights Council member states. This appeal included a request to Refer Sri Lanka to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for War Crimes, Crimes Against Humanity and Genocide committed against the Tamil people by the Sri Lankan State.

Interestingly, Tamil Members of Parliament were sidelined in this Walk and was not allowed to play any role in this Walk.

In a dramatic turn of events Catholic Bishop of Trincomalee Bishop Christian Noel Emanuel was served with stay order by the police from participating in the Walk for Justice for Tamils.

This walk started on February 3rd from Pothuvil in the Eastern province and will end in Polihandy in the Northern province on February 7th.
Link to the Rally: https://youtu.be/CGYKkZxfqZ0

The Walk is to highlight the following issues:

1) Continuing land grab in Tamil areas and converting Tamil's traditional and historical places into Sinhalese areas by establishing Buddhist temples after destroying Hindu temples. As of now around 200 Hindu temples were effected.

2) Muslims who died due to COVID are cremated against the wishes of the families and against Islamic teachings.

3) Tamils in the upcountry have been urging for pay raise of 1,000 rupees, but the Government is not responding to their demands.

4) Since the war ended ten years ago, militarization of Tamil areas is continuing and Tamils historical identity is destroyed with the aim to change demography in favor of Sinhalese, using different government departments, especially archeological department. Also, Government sponsored Sinhalese settlements are continuing.

5) Tamil cattle owners are facing numerous problems, where their gracing areas are being occupied by Sinhalese and their cows killed.

6) PTA has been used to imprison Tamil youths without charge or trial for over 40 years are now being used against Muslims.

7) Tamil political prisoners have been imprisoned for years without trial. The Government have pardoned Sinhalese on a regular basis, but none of the Tamil political prisoners were pardoned.

8) Families of the enforced disappeared have been protesting to find their loved ones, but the Government refuses to give them an answer.

9) Tamils have been denied the Right to Remember their war dead, as demonstrated by denying remembrance events, destruction of cemeteries of the was dead and demolition of memorials.

10) Government is targeting Tamil journalists who cover these abuses and Tamil Civil Society activists who protest these abuses.

11) To Implement Tamil's Joint Appeal to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and to UN Human Rights Council Member States, which includes a request to Refer Sri Lanka to International Criminal Court (ICC) for War Crimes, Crimes Against Humanity and Genocide committed against the Tamil people by the Sri Lankan State.


For information contact:

1) : S. Sivayoganathan: + 94- 77-906-0474

2) Velan Suwamikal: +94-77-761-41 21

Email: civilsocietyfromnortheast@gmail.com

S. Sivayoganathan
Tamil Civil Society Forum
+94 77-906-0474
civilsocietyfromnortheast@gmail.com

Tamil's Walk For Justice