A hartal opposing the Sri Lanka’s new anti-terror legislation and the ongoing Sinhalisation of the Tamil homeland has caused a complete halt to all economic activities and movement of the public across the North-East.
Tamil political parties called for a hartal today as Sri Lanka is set to debate the proposed Anti-Terrorism Act which has been ciritcised for failing to adhere to international human rights standards. Sri Lanka’s Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) has been condemned by the international community for years but the state have not repealed the notorious legislation.
The proposed legislation which was published last month retains PTA provisions that enable prolonged detention for up to one year which can be extended on the request of the Attorney General.
In the Mannar district, all economic activities have been closed for the day, and the general public, civil organisations, and unions that engage in economic activities have unanimously supported the initiative. The movement of the public in the streets is practically non-existent, with attendance in schools extremely low.
Unanimous support for the hartal in Vavuniya has led to the complete halt of all economic activities, and the movement of the public has been limited. Private bus unions have stopped services completely, and private buses that are entering the northern provinces have stopped providing their services at Vavuniya. Even though schools are open, attendance is extremely low. Services have also halted in suburban areas such as Nedunkerny, Cheddikulam, and Kanakarayankulam.
All private services have also come to a halt in Mullaitivu district with business owners from Visuvamadu, Udayar Kattu, Puthukkudiyiruppu, Mulliyavalai, Mankulam, Oddusuddan, and Mallavi have completely shut down operations, and cooperatives have also completely shut down operations, including grocery shops and fish markets.
In Mullaitivu, a government bus service which departed from Mullaitivu around 5:30 am on its way to Jaffna was attacked with stones by two people on a motorbike. The windshield of the bus was damaged, and the driver was injured. Following this incident, a complaint was made at the Mullaitivu police station, and the Police have provided security for all government bus services in Mullaitivu.
In Jaffna, while government bus services are operating, private bus owners have ceased operations for the day. Three-wheelers are sparsely operating, and with the exception of a few restaurants, pharmacies, and other essential services, all business operations have been halted. Schools and universities have also stopped for the day.
In Trincomalee, all Muslim and Tamil-owned services have stopped for the day, and the daily lives of the general public are expected to be disrupted by this hartal.
It is important to note that government bus services from outside the northern district are not going beyond Vavuniya, causing significant inconvenience to passengers traveling to and from the northern districts. The hartal has brought to light the ongoing oppression faced by the Tamil and Muslim communities in Sri Lanka and the urgent need for the government to take action to address these issues.