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Rally in Jaffna demands Sri Lankan state to sign Ottawa agreement prohibiting land mines

Government officers, members of the public and students from schools participated in large numbers in this rally organized by the public organizations of the Kopay Pradeshya Saba Division. People assembled at two points, one at J/Kopay Christian College and the other at J/Neerveli Athiyar Hindu College, and marched to Kopay Divisional Secretariat. The slogans raised in the rally were in protest against the Sri Lankan Forces for not permitting the demining of landmines planted by the Security Forces themselves in the neighbourhood of the inhabitants of the area. As these were planted for the protection of the state forces, demining has not been permitted by them.

There were many more slogans protesting against the state for not hastening the urgently required demining of landmines and unearthing other Un Exploded Ordinance (UXO) lying covered by earth and these UXO are remnants of fire power items left behind by the security forces in many a location in the homeland of Tamils. These locations are invariably in places evacuated by the people during heavy shelling and wanton operations of the Sri Lankan forces. At the end of the rally memoranda addressed to President Chandrika, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse and to representatives of UNHCR and UNICEF were handed over to Kopay Deputy Divisional Secretary Mrs. Santhaseelan Anjalidevi. At the time the rally was in progress Sri Lankan security men were patrolling the routes taken by the rally and recording the particulars and details of the organisers.

23 June 2004

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