What a FREEDOM we achieved as Sri Lankan CITIZENS today?

I am receiving two negative, very disturbing information from the East coast as well as Northern coast of Sri Lanka.
My colleague, Francis Raajan, the coordinator of Praja Abhilasha Land Coalition who accompanied with Rev.Thomas John and Chenoa Stock to go to meet people at Andankulam, Mannar day before yesterday was blocked by the military personal and did not allow them to travel beyond the check point there. When my colleague argue with the military personal, they have informed the team to get the prior permission from the Vanni headquarters and come to visit the community. After more than one hour discussion and arguments they were returned back without any progress. Raajan wanted to meet people there to gather some information about their landlessness. Praja Abhilasha want to organize a Permanent People's Tribunal on Land Issue and expected to bring the landless people together for their rights. But, this is the unexpected, unbearable situations we face in the field with military regime here.

At the same time, today I got another disturbing news from my another colleague, Sugala Kumari who is working with IDPs in Baticoloa. She is a social activists as well as a journalist and serving the displaced women and children specificaly in Batticoloa. When she wanted to travel to Kudimbimalai, the military personal at the entrance to Kudimbimali at Kiran check point had blocked them and retruned back.
She has not given up and argued about her requirement to visit the community though it was not success.
This is totaly unacceptable incidents.
We are not living in a military society as it says. But, military can block our Right to Freedom of Movement.
Right to meet people whom our Loved ones.

But, what our media always says is something different.
After 18th May, we have achieved the Second Freedom.

Both the incidents we report here as those give us clear indication that we are not living in a society with FREEDOM.
We strongly condemn these incidents and expect to bring the situation into normalcy with the involvement of couregeous citizens in the country.
We need to higlight this in the public media and make aware the concern citizens on the issues of the victims, specifically the victims of war.


Herman Kumara.
03.06.10