Tamil families of the disappeared marked Children's Day in Vavuniya on the 2050th day of their roadside protest as their campaign to know the whereabouts of their forcibly disappeared relatives continues.
“Children's Day is celebrated worldwide to raise awareness about the rights, education, and welfare of children. But we are still searching for our children who were abducted by the Sri Lankan army. Only the US and the European Union can provide justice and accountability for the Tamil genocide and war crimes," said one protester.
Tamil families have held roadside protests across the North-East since 2017 demanding an international investigation into the enforced disappearances of their relatives and the Tamil genocide as countless domestic mechanisms have failed to provide any justice or accountability.
The latest draft resolution by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) calls for the “effective and independent” function of domestic institutions such as the Office of Missing Persons (OMP) although Tamil victim-survivors have repeatedly highlighted the flaws of the mechanism.
Speaking to the press, one protester also spoke on the ongoing Sinhalisation of the Tamil homeland and highlighted that “Sri Lanka is destroying Tamil temples."
"There is no law and order in this country. The temple in Kurunthurmalai is being destroyed and despite a court order, a Buddhist vihara is being built," they added.
The families called on the international community to intervene and deliver on justice and accountability and to to resolve the demand of Tamils for a safe and secure homeland.