SEE! HOW SINHALA ARMY'S RACIST POLICY WORKS AND DESTROY TAMILS' FREEDOM,HUMAN RIGHTS!!!THEY NEVER RESPECT FUNDAMENTAL TAMIL RIGHTS OR CONSTITUTION!!!

COURT TAKES UP RIGHTS PETITION

By S.S. Selvanayagam

A petition challenging the requirements imposed on Tamils in the north to obtain clearance from the army together with a letter of permission from a person in Colombo to travel to Colombo is to be taken up in Court on the 6th June.

The petition was taken up before a Supreme Court Bench comprising Justices N.G. Amaratunga, Saleem Marsoof and S.I. Imam.

Appathuray Vinayagamoorthy President of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress in his petition cited Security Forces Commander (Palaly Army Headquarters), Army Commander Lt. General Sarath Fonseka, Defence Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa and the Attorney General as respondents.

The petitioner stated that the Commanding Officer Jaffna had imposed new restrictions on residents of Jaffna who want to travel to Colombo effective from 1st August 2008.

This new requirement is in addition to obtaining army clearance if a Tamil person wanted to travel to Colombo. Under the new plan a person should also produce a letter or obtain permission from the owner of a house situated in Colombo to be permitted to travel to Colombo.

The petitioner stated this requirement introduced on August 18, 2008, was still in force.

He said as a result of this new requirement people in Jaffna were unable to visit Colombo to receive urgent medical treatment, attend a funeral or a wedding service of close relatives. He complained this imposed great inconvenience and grave restrictions on the people of JaffnaHe alleged that similar restrictions were not imposed on Tamils who wanted to travel to Colombo from Trincomalee, Batticaloa or from any other part of Sri Lanka.

Requiring a person in Jaffna to obtain army clearance and the submission of a letter of permission from a person in Colombo as aforestated, the petitioner contends is a serious and outrageous violation of his/her fundamental right to equality and the right to the freedom of movement and of choosing his residence within Sri Lanka.

The petitioner is seeking a direction from Court to remove these requirements imposed on the Tamil citizens of Jaffna.
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