COLOMBO – A signature protest campaign in Kilinochchi on Friday (3) demanding the release of Tamil political prisoners was obstructed by the police, claiming prior permission was required for such an event.
The event, held near the public market in Kilinochchi town, was part of a wider campaign across Vavuniya, Mannar, and Mullaitivu districts, calling for the release of individuals detained for extended periods under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and those re-arrested despite court orders to release following rehabilitation.
Organizers of the event in Kilinochchi, the Villagers’ Welfare Association, said the Kilinochchi Traffic Police had ordered the event to be stopped as no prior permission had been obtained to hold the event.
“They used loudspeakers to order the event be stopped, claiming prior permission was required,” one of the organizers was quoted as saying in the local media. He also added that the intervention disrupted the peaceful protest, sparking dissatisfaction among participants.
Religious leaders, civil society representatives, social activists, and members of the general public had gathered at the marketplace to sign the petition, demonstrating broad community support for the release of Tamil political prisoners.
The organizers said the campaign reflects widespread frustration over the prolonged detention of individuals under the PTA, which has enabled indefinite detention without charge, often disproportionately targeting Tamils, since its introduction in 1979.
The abusive counterterrorism law has been used with abandon by Sri Lankan authorities despite the armed conflict ending more than fifteen years ago.
-ENCL
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