by Melani Manel Perera

The people blocked (75% women) were from the north and went to Colombo to protest against enforced disappearances. Police and army speak of "security reasons", but witnesses tell of threats.

Colombo (AsiaNews) - The Sri Lankan police and army have blocked and prevented tens of Tamil families from the north of the country from participating in a demonstration against enforced disappearances. The police claimed their actions were because of an inability to "provide security" for those traveling at night, but witnesses tell of clear threats and sabotage. Scheduled for March 6 in Colombo, the protest was organized by the "Association of the Families Searching for the Disappeared Relatives"

For these people - 75% of whom are women - the trouble began the night of March 5 and 6 in Vavuniya (Northern Province), their point of departure, scheduled for 4:30 in the morning as established by the police permission. After hours of waiting in the rain, the 10 buses on which the people were to have travelled arrived. However, local sources report that agents and plainclothes police began to threaten the drivers, telling them that they would have "problems" if they transported the group of Tamils. Thus, only two of the 10 coaches left, allowing people on board to reach Colombo and attend the event.

"What happened - points out Networking for Rights (NFR), a network of journalists and activists - is a clear work of intimidation and violation of the right of these people to demonstrate peacefully, and shows the growing militarization of the north [majority Tamil, ed] from the rest of the country. This is in stark contrast to the image of normalcy that the Sri Lankan government wants to give to the world. "

• sri
• lanka
• tamil
• north
• peace
• protest
• human
• rights
• disappeared
• police