Tamil political parties have united to call for a hartal on October 20 across the North-East in support of Mullaitivu judge T Saravanarajah, who fled the island in the face of death threats last month.
The parties have called for the total shutdown of the North-East and to demand an investigation into the threats made against Judge Saravanarajah.
The threats and pressure stem principally from his involvement in the contentious Kurunthurmalai archaeological site cases. Judge Saravanarajah revealed that various individuals in government had been exerting immense pressure on him to alter his judgements in these cases. He specifically mentioned the threats made by MP Sarath Weerasekara during parliamentary debates and other public forums.
Since his resignation, demonstrations have taken place across the North-East to denounce the threats made against Judge Saravanarajah and the lack of judicial independence in Sri Lanka.
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
