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A protest was held in Batticaloa on Saturday, denouncing the Sri Lankan government’s offer of Rs. 200,00 compensation for relatives of those who had been forcibly disappeared or abducted by state forces.
The protest, which marched through Batticaloa, was led by Thambirasa Selvarani, President of the Amparai Distrcit Missing Persons' Association, and had representatives from all three districts in the Eastern Province.
“How will the government provide us compensation during an economic crisis?” questioned one protestor, doubtful over the government’s intentions.
The demonstrators went on to denounce Sri Lanka’s domestic mechanisms and reiterated their call for an international accountability process to provide justice for their missing loved ones.
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As they marched to their Divisional Secretariat, Sri Lankan police officers were dispatched to the protest.
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Continuous protests have taken place across the North-East for several years now, with relatives of the disappeared demanding answers.
To date, no one has been held accountable for the disappearances of their relatives.
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