Sri Lankan court banned Human Rights Day event in Kandy

^{Human Rights Day marked in Mullaitivu last week.}

A Sri Lankan court banned an event by the Human Rights Office of the Diocese of Kandy (HROK) to mark Human Rights Day, claiming that the event could “cause disunity”.

According to a report in AsiaNews, Sri Lankan police handed over the court order barring the event to HROK director Father Nandana Manatunga.

The event was due to have 22 families of prisoners receive “tokens of appreciation for the emotional, social and financial struggles they face” with members of the clergy, lawyers, prison and United Nations officials, and even Sri Lankan police officers themselves invited.

“How is it possible that the participation of different religious groups can lead to their disunity?” asked Fr Nandana.

“The day that honours the commitments and sufferings linked to human rights was cancelled,” he said. “We express all our disappointment; these actions show the use of force by the authorities against oppressed people.”

Read more from AsiaNews here.

Tamil families of the disappeared marched across the North-East on International Human Rights Day in a series of rallies and demonstrations, despite Sri Lankan military intimidation.

Protests took place across the Tamil homeland, with families holding photographs of their forcibly disappeared loved ones, black flags and placards demanding justice for genocide.