A separate court order, from Kandy, was issued against four joint opposition MPs to not commence the march from Kandy city limits. This comes in the wake of reports that organized attempts are being made to obstruct the JO march, from Kandy to Colombo, which starts on July 28. The court has also prevented two government ministers from conducting a recruitment drive for the United National Party (UNP) in Kandy tomorrow.

CaFFE says it is deeply dismayed by these developments and requests the constituent parties of the United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG) government to respect the right to protest and not to obstruct the JO march.

It says in a statement that obtaining restraining orders preventing activities of political opponents was a trademark practice of the Rajapaksa administration and it is disappointing to see the UNFGG government resorting to the same tactics. This was not the first time such an order was obtained, the government used this tactic to obstruct a number of protests of the Inter University Students federation (IUSF).

Meanwhile, on the road taken by the JO, a number of political parties have organized a number of 'sudden' events. Already a number of playgrounds, used for political gatherings, on the path of the protest (in Kandy, Mawanella and Nittambuwa) have been booked by one of the most powerful ministers and party members have been asked to arrive at these venues. This might easily lead to clashes between the two sides and such systematic disruptions are a throwback to the dark days of the Rajapaksa administration.

During the previous administrations, as civil society activists we were not able to hold peaceful protests because of the actions taken by the government. Preventing or obstructing a peaceful protest is not the practice of those who respect at least the most basic rights. The Sri Lankan constitution guarantees the right for individuals to hold political opinions and promote these views among others.

Thus it is the obligation of politicians, especially those who proclaim that they adhere to good governance principals, not to violate these fundamental rights and to prevent a return to the dark days under the previous administration.