Tamil families of the disappeared brave intimidation to mark International Women’s Day 

Tamil families of the forcibly disappeared in Mullaitivu marked International Women’s Day this week with a protest through Mullivaikkal, the site of the 2009 genocide, as uniformed Sri Lankan police officers watched on.

The families, mostly made up of women, marched through Vattuvakal Bridge, the same site where hundreds of thousands of Tamils crossed into Sri Lankan army territory in 2009. Many saw their loved ones abducted by the military at this point.

Their protest began before the Vattuvakal Naval Camp, a heavily militarised site, before marching towards the area where mass surrenders took place in 2009. The demonstration concluded with a poignant appeal to the United Nations, as a statement addressed to Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, was read aloud.
"Once more, we reaffirm our demand for an international judicial process," declared the Association for Relatives of Enforcedly Disappeared (ARED) – Northern and Eastern Provinces.

The protest comes just weeks after Sri Lanka’s government dismissed past UN resolutions during the 58th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. While the Sri Lankan delegation claimed to support accountability, they simultaneously rejected all previous resolutions—effectively refusing to investigate the mass enforced disappearances or hold perpetrators accountable.

For the families protesting in Mullaitivu, these statements were part of Sri Lanka’s ongoing deception. They directly refuted Colombo’s claims, stating:
"The Sinhala nationalist government of Sri Lanka has outrightly rejected all calls for justice. Standing here in Mullivaikkal, Vattuvakal—the very site where our loved ones were last seen—we once again cry out for an international investigation."

During the protest, the families held banners with urgent messages to the international community:
•    “What happened to our relatives who were handed over to the army at the end of the war in Vattuvakal?”
•    “The government has made women cry on the streets even on this day when the whole world is talking about women’s rights.”
•    “The issue of the Kokkuthoduwai mass grave should not be covered up—we demand truth and justice.”

Meanwhile, in a display of militarised repression, Sri Lankan police were stationed in large numbers near a controversial Buddhist temple built near the Vattuvakal Bridge—part of Colombo’s ongoing Sinhalisation of Tamil land.

The eight district chapters of ARED have resolved to:
•    Hold regular monthly protests to keep international attention on the cause
•    Launch international awareness campaigns to mobilise global support
•    Engage directly with civil society, human rights activists, and journalists to amplify their demands

"Unity is strength—Let us march forward together towards our goal," the families declared.