British parliamentarian Siobhain McDonagh called on her government to condemn the arrest of Sivananthan Jenitta, the head of the families of the disappeared association in Vavuniya who was detained by Sri Lankan police as she protested last week.

Writing to foreign secretary David Cameron earlier today, McDonagh urged the government to “take immediate steps to express the UK's condemnation of this arrest and to take action against police officers who attacked the peaceful protesters as well as to demand a fair trial”.

“Grieving family members wanted to know the whereabouts of their disappeared loved ones, but the President refused to meet them and hear their grievances,” she continued. “Instead police arrested the President of the Families of the Disappeared.”

“Thousands of Tamils including babies and children were forcibly disappeared by the Sri Lankan Security forces. The UN Working Group on Enforced Disappearances stated in 2020 that the second highest number of enforced disappearance cases in the world is from Sri Lanka.

“I strongly urge you to take strong action where victims are abused instead of getting justice,” her letter concluded. “I would be grateful if you would send a representative to attend the court hearing and condemn this arrest.”

See the full text of her letter below.

Tamil families of the disappeared from across the North-East have condemned the arrest and called for the release of Jenitta, who has been detained until January 12.