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Lanka’s Sameera in Gaza-bound Sumud flotilla: Activists urge Govt to ensure her safety
View(s):Civic society groups, political representatives and activists in
Sri Lanka, on Wednesday (13), called for urgent public and diplomatic support to ensure the safety of Sri Lankan participant Sameera Mahboobdeen and the rest of the activists in the Global Sumud Flotilla as it set sail to Gaza from Turkey on Thursday.
The international humanitarian mission, expected to include more than 50 vessels, aims to deliver medical supplies and humanitarian assistance to Gaza’s besieged population of nearly two million people, which includes more than one million children, breaking Israel’s nearly two-decade siege on the territory.
Sameera Mahboobdeen
Addressing a media conference in Colombo, the Free Palestine Movement (FPM) Sri Lanka reminded the government and public about the dangers facing Sameera and the rest of the mission, as well as the relevance of this mission to Sri Lanka’s collective independence and sovereignty under threat by a new tyrannical global order.
The FPM drew attention to what it described as Israel’s continued violations of international law, citing the interception of the flotilla in international waters more than 600 miles from Gaza, near Greek waters, while participants were sailing from Barcelona to Greece.
According to the group, Israeli forces kidnapped and detained those on board the vessels and subsequently subjected two key organisers of the mission to abuse and torture. The activists argued that the absence of meaningful international action to hold Israel accountable has made the flotilla mission a high-risk humanitarian undertaking, adding that the safety of Sameera and the other participants would depend heavily on government support and sustained public, media and diplomatic attention in the coming days.
Sameera’s journey, while for the people of Gaza and in the spirit of answering a human cry born out of continued suffering and oppression, has, in the background, brought together voices across political and civic divides in a testament to functioning democracy, as stated by veteran journalist Lakshman Gunasekara at the press conference.
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