1000 Days ~ "Where is Prageeth?"

Text and Pix By :~ Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipillai

 

"1000 Days, Where is Prageeth?"; "Give Our Prageeth to Us"

Missing Sri Lankan cartoonist Prageeth Eknaligoda’s 1000^th day is marked today ~ 22^nd of October 2012. He was last seen 24^th of January 2010, and has been missing ever since. A sit-down protest was held in front of the United Nations office in Colombo today. Friends and families of the disappeared from all corners of the country took part in today’ s silent protest, and urged the United Nations Organisation to deliver justice for the disappeared. They also urged accountability by prosecuting people responsible for the enforced disappearances in Sri Lanka . “Give us JUSTICE; Bring our loved ones ALIVE” ~ protesters demanded.

The protest was jointly organized by Prageeth Eknaligoda’s family along with Families of the Disappeared and Committee for Investigating Disappearnces (CID).

Cartoonist Prageeth Eknaligoda's wife Sandya Eknaligoda at a sit down protest in front of the United Nations office in Colombo

Cartoonist Prageeth Eknaligoda's eldest son Sanjaya Eknaligoda (18) at a sit down protest in front of the United Nations office in Colombo

 "Where is my husband?" ~ Sandya Eknaligoda. "Where is my father?" ~ Sanjaya Eknaligoda Wife Sandya Eknaligoda and eldest son Sanjaya Eknaligoda of missing cartoonist Prageeth Eknaligoda, while on a sit down protest in front of the United Nations office in Colombo

"Tell us where is Prageeth?"

 "My son went missing from Kotahena in Colombo on 21st August 2006. My son Manivannan Shanmugalingam (31 at the time of disappearance) was the owner of an audio and video shop" ~ Ashadevi Shanmugalingam. She cries in front of United Nations office in Colombo while being on a sit down protest urging the United Nations Organisation to take appropriate action without further delay

"My two sons (Mohamed Izzer (30) on the left and Mohamed Izath (35) on the right in the photograph she is holding) went missing on 31st of May 2010 from our house. They were doing business" ~ Noor Najeeba from Mattegoda

 "My husband (Kathiravelu Thangarasa (50)) was injured in a shell attack in Puthumaaththalan in May 2009. I have not heard about him ever since" ~ Thamizhselvi Thangarasa (39) from Puthumaaththalan

"My husband was abducted from our house in Mattakkuli in a "white van" on 1st of January 2007. He is a driver and I have three young sons. Abductors! Tell me whether I should continue to wear the Red Puttu (symbol of marriage) and "Thaalikkody" (Gold chain symbolises marriage"~ pleads Anpuselvi Morrison (39)

"My son is a tuk tuk driver and took a Tamil man for a hire on 21st March 2009 and has been missing since then" ~ Sithy Emeena from Mattakkuli

"I was injured in a shell attack in Suthanthirapuarm. My husband went to leave my children with my mother. He went missing on the way back to Suthanthirapuram on 11th of February 2009" ~ Sarojini Jeyakumar (35) from Suthanthirapuram in Kilinochchi. Her husband is Iyampillai Jeyakumar (35)

"My three sons have been missing. My eldest son went missing with his tuk tuk from Mannar in 2008. My second son has been taken for an inquiry from Mannar bus stand in 2007. And my third son has been abducted in a "white van" near the Trincomalee harbour in 2008"  ~ Parameswary Sathanantharasa (51). Her eldest son is Aruseelan Sathanantharasa (30), second son is Sivakumar Sathanantharasa (27) and third son is Nishanthan Sathanantharasa (24),

Three Tamil men has been missing from the same family in Trincomalee

"My two sons were abducted in a "white van" on 4th of February 2008 form our house in Trincomalee" ~  Lalitha Ramakrishna. Her sons are Pratheepan Ramakrishnan (26) and Jegaruban Ramakrsihnan (24).They were working at a gold jewelley shop as gold smith

"My son is a brilliant student and excelled in Maths. He went missing from a communication centre in Wellawatte on 22nd of December 2006, where he went to make a telephone call" ~ Parvathy Thangavel (63). Her son is Mayuran Thangavel (29)

"My son tried to go to France and deported. He was taken for an inquiry from home on 27th of May 2008" ~ Jeyalakshmi Nagendran (47) from Trincomalee

Family members and friends of the disappeared taking part in the silent protest

"Government is accountable for the disappearances!"~  Reverend Father.M.Sathivel

Wives of the disappeared from Vanni signing the petition in Tamil to the United Nations Organisation

"Justice Delayed; Justice Denied!"

"Investigate and tell us the truth!" ~ protesters demanded

Occupy Pavement ~ Protesters sit on the pavement in front of the United Nations office in Colombo