A large rally was held in Kilinochchi yesterday (4) to declare Sri Lanka’s Independence Day as a “Black Day” for the Tamil people, highlighting longstanding grievances in the North and East.
Relatives of persons who went missing during Sri Lanka’s decades-long civil war had staged a protest in Kilinochchi town declaring that they have no true freedom without their missing loved ones.
The march, which began at the Kandaswamy Temple premises in Kilinochchi, had proceeded to the Depot Junction before concluding with a Black Day declaration by a collective of civil society organisations. Protesters had hoisted black flags and wore black armbands, stating that although 17 years have passed since the end of the war, they remain without any information about the fate of their relatives who disappeared during the conflict.
They had emphasized that independence holds no meaning in the absence of their family members and said that despite years of continuous protests demanding truth and justice, no government has so far provided them with answers or accountability. The protestors had also displayed posters and banners declaring that they were observing a “black freedom” rather than celebrating Independence Day. They had chanted slogans including “The North and East are the Tamil homeland,” “We demand an international investigation,” and “Sri Lanka’s Independence Day is a Black Day for Tamils.”
Several political representatives were present at the rally, including Members of Parliament (MPs) S. Sridharan and Durai Raveendran, along with former MPs, representatives of political parties, civil activists, university students, families of the disappeared, and Tamil nationalist groups.
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