Update 2300 GMT
Sri Lankan police officials have reportedly attempted to stop a signature campaign in Jaffna calling for an international accountability mechanism to examine mass atrocities committed during the final stages of Sri Lanka’s armed conflict, where tens of thousands of Tamil civilians were killed.
The campaign, launched yesterday, had entered its second day and was taking place in locations across the North. In Nallur, whilst temple festivities were taking place campaigners set up a stall and collected signatures from the Jaffna public.
The president of the Tamil National People's Front Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam tweeted that Nallur police officials had subsequently arrived as signatures were being gathered and “ordered it to be stopped”.
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Speaking to the Tamil Guardian, Mr Ponnambalam said that despite permisssion being granted by Jaffna municipal authorities, police officers led by IC Yapa of Nallur police station demanded the campaigners stop collecting signatures and relocate.
The campaign, organised by the Tamil Action Committee for International Accountability Mechanism (TACIAM), is collecting signatures ahead of the United Nation Human Rights Council session later this month, where a report into mass atrocities in Sri Lanka is to be discused. Tens of thousands have signed the petition since the campaign was started.
Signature campaign in Jaffna calls for international accountability (04 Sep 2015)