Black flags and protests mark Human Rights Day in Tamil homeland, as families brave Sri Lankan intimidation

Tamil families of the disappeared marched across the North-East today in a series of rallies and demonstrations to mark International Human Rights Day, despite Sri Lankan military intimidation.

Protests took place across the Tamil homeland, with families holding photographs of their forcibly disappeared loved ones, black flags and placards demanding justice for genocide.

“Today marks the 1,750th anniversary of our struggle to find our missing relatives by Sri Lankan government forces and paramilitary groups,” read a letter that the Association for Relatives of the Enforced Disappearances wrote to UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet earlier today, noting the number of days they have protested on the roadsides of the North-East.

It goes on to state that at least 108 parents of forcibly disappeared Tamils have died since the protests began. “We live in a situation where we are denied all our rights,” the letter continued.

See the full text of the letter here.

In Mullaitivu, as the protestors marched, at least 25 different members of the Sri Lankan security forces were seen photographing and monitoring the demonstration.

Similar protests took place in other regions across the Tamil homeland.

See more photographs from across the North-East below.

 

Mullaitivu

 

Vavuniya

 

Jaffna

 

Amparai

 

Mannar