meetings would help to minimize complaints made to the Commission against the Police Department. Working with Civil Society Organizations A discussion was held with the Human Development Foundation of Polonnaruwa and the said Foundation had submitted a lot of facts relating harassments to women in the Polonnaruwa district and requested the Human Rights Commission to launch an awareness programmes as those women had no knowledge what-so-ever on the law. Accordingly, an awareness programme was held on 04th July   2013   for   representatives   of   women’s   organizations and other social activists, at the Pradeshiya Sabha of Thamankaduwa. A  discussion  was  held  by  an  NGO  called  “Rajarata  Gemi  Pahana”  with  the  regional  office   on 08.05.2013. The main objective of the organization was to hold programmes to rehabilitate vagrant woman and to launch health programme with the assistance of the Department of Health to prevent spread of venereal diseases by them. It was requested from the Commission to look into ground issues relating to arrest of such woman under cover of the organization by police without any valid reason and the non-availability of their identity cards. Accordingly, a discussion was held with the OIC Anuradhapura and he was made aware of the situation and arrangements were made to contact the District Registrar to obtain identity cards. The Chairman of the Talawa Association for Disabled Women lodged a complaint over harassments by way of cracking jokes to inmates of the home by some youths in the area and a boundary issue of the premises and action was taken to immediately inform Talawa OIC of the situation and request the Provincial Director of Social Services to intervene in the matter. 62