Human Rights Day celebrations banned in Kandy
A court forced the diocese to cancel the event. Twenty-two families with at least one relative in prison were expected to receive tokens of appreciation. For Fr Nandana Manatunga, “these actions show the use of force by the authorities against oppressed people.”
Colombo (AsiaNews) – A court banned Human Rights Day celebrations, a worldwide event held on 10 December, the Human Rights Office of the Diocese of Kandy (HROK), Central Province, announced.
The latter had organised an event for the following day on the theme “Ensure the Prisoners their Dignity and Rights to Human Conditions”.
At least 22 families, each with relatives in prison, were set to receive tokens of appreciation for the emotional, social and financial struggles they face.
Police handed over the court order to HROK director Father Nandana Manatunga.
The Kandy court banned the event because it could cause disunity among the country’s various ethnic groups, HROK said. “We were forced to cancel” but “the hardest part was informing tokens’ recipients, who were eagerly awaiting this event.”
When the families were invited the charges and the nature of the crimes blamed on the prisoners were not been taken into consideration.
Former prisoners, members of the clergy, lawyers, prison and United Nations officials, as well as police officers from various ethnic and religious backgrounds were among the invited guests.
“How is it possible that the participation of different religious groups can lead to their disunity?” asked Fr Nandana.
Speaking to AsiaNews, the priest, recipient of the 2018 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights, expressed his regrets.
“The day that honours the commitments and sufferings linked to human rights was cancelled,” he said. “We express all our disappointment; these actions show the use of force by the authorities against oppressed people.”
The clergyman added that he is considering holding the celebrations on another day.
In recent years, HROK’s work has been monitored by intelligence services who have repeatedly questioned its staff.
This increased this year after the Counter-Terrorism Investigation Department summoned two staff members to Colombo by the for questioning on two separate occasions.
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04/07/2016 17:49
