A protest was held in Jaffna demanding the disclosure of information relating to the enforced disappearance of Lalith Weeraraj and Kugan Muruganandan, and condemning the continued failure of former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa to appear before court in the long-running case.
The demonstration took place as proceedings continued before the Jaffna Magistrate’s Court, where a case has been filed seeking the revelation of information surrounding the disappearance of the two activists. As part of those proceedings, the court had ordered the then Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, to appear in person and provide testimony.
However, lawyers appearing on behalf of Rajapaksa, an accused war criminal, informed the court that he faced security threats in travelling to Jaffna and stated that he was prepared to give evidence online instead. In response, counsel for the petitioners highlighted that Rajapaksa had travelled to Jaffna on numerous occasions after being announced as a presidential candidate, and had continued to do so even after assuming office as Sri Lankan president. They argued that this directly undermined claims that he was now unable to travel to the North due to security concerns.
Following these submissions, the Jaffna Magistrate’s Court ordered that a sworn affidavit be submitted detailing the alleged security threats cited by Rajapaksa. Despite the case being taken up for hearing today, Friday, he did not appear before the court. The court subsequently directed both parties to file written submissions and postponed the case until 6 March.
Against this backdrop, protesters gathered in Jaffna to denounce what they described as Rajapaksa’s continued disregard for the judicial process and to reiterate demands for accountability for enforced disappearances. The protest also situated the case within the wider pattern of impunity surrounding enforced disappearances in the Tamil homeland, where thousands remain unaccounted for years after the end of the armed conflict.
During the demonstration, participants raised slogans declaring, “We will not allow Chemmani to be buried again,” referencing the infamous mass grave case, alongside calls to “Release all political prisoners,” “No more repressive laws,” “Repeal the PTA,” and “Let us win a new Constitution that guarantees equal rights for all communities.”
