Sri Lankan police obstruct Keppapulavu signature campaign

Sri Lankan police officers and intelligence personnel threatened displaced families from Keppapulavu who launched a signature campaign this week. 

The protesters, who are predominantly women, were photographed and warned against conducting their protest. 

The campaign is to be taken via a mobile van across the North starting in Mullaitivu, travelling to Kilinochchi, Jaffna, then Mannar, Vavuniya and Negombo, before going to Colombo on March 2.

Although almost ten years have passed since the end of the armed conflict the Sri Lankan military continues to control and occupy vast swathes of land in the Tamil homeland, forcing families to remain displaced.

Keppapulavu families began their prolonged campaign for their homes in March 2017. The campaign, which has seen widespread support among Tamils across the North-East and diaspora worldwide, has reached out to several international bodies, including the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.