A Sri Lankan court resumed proceedings today against 19 Tamils, including local traders and youth from Mallavi, who participated in the Pottuvil to Polikandy (P2P) protest march, a landmark peaceful demonstration calling for Tamil rights and justice in 2021.
The latest hearing was held at the Mankulam Magistrate’s Court on 6 August, where the defendants stood accused under case number B/229/21, filed by the occupying Sri Lankan police in Mallavi.
The charges stem from the P2P march held on 3 February 2021, which saw thousands of Tamils take to the streets from Pottuvil in the Eastern Province to Polikandy in the Northern Province, demanding accountability for genocide, justice for the disappeared, and the recognition of Tamil political aspirations. As the march passed through Mallavi, dozens of local youth, traders, and activists joined in solidarity.
Instead of recognising the peaceful protest as an expression of democratic rights, Sri Lankan authorities moved to prosecute participants. Nineteen individuals were issued court summons by Mankulam police.
During the hearing, Attorney V.S.S. Dhananjayan and a legal team of three other lawyers represented the defendants, arguing that the P2P march was conducted peacefully and within the legal framework. They cited Article 14 of Sri Lanka’s Constitution, which guarantees the right to freedom of speech and peaceful assembly.
The legal team maintained that the charges were politically motivated, aimed at suppressing Tamil dissent and criminalising legitimate expressions of identity and collective memory.
The case has been postponed to 29 October 2025.
