Tamil families of the disappeared held a rally in Vavuniya yesterday as they continue to call on the international community to investigate the fate of their loved ones, who were forcibly disappeared by the Sri Lankan state. 

The families have been calling for international justice and accountability for years as successive Sri Lankan governments have failed to address their demands. 

15 years have passed since the end of the armed conflict in which many Tamil families surrendered their relatives to the Sri Lankan military. To this day, Sri Lanka has failed to provide answers on their whereabouts. 

"It is because the state abducted our children that we continue to protest," the protesters said. 

The families have also called on Tamil political parties to come together and put forward a common Tamil candidate for the presidential elections, so that they can put forward and champion the issues affecting Tamils in the North-East. 

Earlier this week, Tamil families of the disappeared in Vavuniya marked 2,625 days of continuous roadside protest. Many Tamil mothers and fathers have passed away without getting any justice for their forcibly disappeared loved ones.