President of Women’s Society threatened to death in Point Pedro

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 March 2009, 17:36 GMT]
The President of the Women’s Association, who led the demonstration recently in front of Point Pedro Divisional Secretariat protesting against the inadequate relief food supply, filed a complaint Wednesday evening of threat to her life by unidentified persons who came to her house, to Point Pedro police. Some other activists representing the Fisheries Societies, Women’s and Rural Organizations in Vadamaraadchi who actively participated in the demonstration too have been issued similar death threats, sources in Point Pedro said.



The woman activist and President of the Women’s Society threatened with death is Miss. N. Kalananthy, 42, a resident of Point Pedro.

More than a thousand residents of coastal areas of Vadamaraadchi north gathered on 24 February in front of the Point Pedro Divisional Secretariat (DS) to protest against the inadequate relief rations of food provided by Sri Lanka Government and against the fishing ban that is depriving them from earning a livelihood.

Fisheries Societies of the coastal villages like Paruththiththu’rai Munai and Koththadi in Vadamaraadchi north, Women’s Organizations and Rural Development Societies had organized the above protest demonstration.

The demonstrators had blocked the entrance to the DS from 6:00 a.m but were forced out by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and police deployed in large numbers, around 9:30 a.m, to make way for the employees of the DS.



The demonstrators had pointed out to the difference between the amount of dry food relief items issued by UN World Food Program and the amount supplied by the government of Sri Lanka which is based on the estimates calculated 18 year ago, outdated and hardly sufficient to meet their needs.

The demonstration had been called off on the request of Jaffna Government Agent (GA).

The GA had reportedly warned the representatives of the organizations which demonstrated that he holds the power to arrest the demonstrators for attempting to obstruct duties of government officials in a meeting held with the representatives in Jaffna Secretariat, soon after the demonstration.

Point Pedro DS officials too had issued similar warning to the demonstrators, the sources added.