Wednesday, December 25, 2013

SRI LANKA BRIEF: Sri Lanka: Official alleges Growth Rate massaged; ...

SRI LANKA BRIEF: Sri Lanka: Official alleges Growth Rate massaged; ...: The Census and Statistics Department’s National Accounts Division Director H.S. Wanasinghe in a revelation made during an investigation, t...

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

SRI LANKA: Catholic Bishops on independence of judiciary and independent Commissions — Asian Human Rights Commission

Friday, November 29, 2013

SRI LANKA: A man is shot dead while in the police custody of Hanwella Police .

24 September 2010 ------------------------------------------------------ SRI LANKA: A man is shot dead while in the police custody of Hanwella Police ISSUES: Extrajudicial killing; impunity; rule of law ------------------------------------------------------ Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a man was shot dead by police officers while in the custody of an officer attached to the Hanwella Police Station. He was arrested on 20 September 2010, brought to a location under police protection and shot dead two days after his arrest on 22 September. The police at no time produced him before a court and his arrest was never reported prior to his death. No proper investigation has been carried out into this case resulting in the denial of justice to the victim and his family which is further evidence of the exceptional collapse of the rule of law in the country. CASE NARRATIVE : According to the information received Dhammala Arachchige Lakshman of Gnanwimala Road, Dematagoda, Colombo 09, was arrested by the police while he was staying in a house in Hanwella by a Special Unit of the Hanwella Police Station on 20 September 2010. From that time until his death he was in the custody of the police officers of the Hanwella police. According to the Criminal Procedure Code of No. 15 of 1979 the police officers are supposed to produce a suspect arrested on suspicion of committing a crime before a Magistrate within 24 hours. But Lakshman was not produced before a Magistrate at any time and neither was his arrest informed to the Magistrate prior to his death. According to the law of the country and the Departmental Orders of the police it is the duty of the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the relevant station to provide protection to the detainees under his custody. Police officers are legally bound not only to ensure that they do not harm any detainees but are also bound to protect them from any third party that might wish to harm them. This includes the provision that they should not be in a position to harm themselves. On 22 September he was brought to a location at Diddeniya in Hanwella by the police officers under the supervision of the OIC R. Pushpakumara of the Hanwella Police. During their investigation the officers shot Lakshman. Lakshman, who sustained serious injuries was rushed to the Avissawella hospital but was dead on admission. According to the police version of the incident at the time of shooting, the OIC was conducting an investigation into Lakshman, under the supervision of DIG Daya Samaraweera and SP Deshabandu Tennekoon who were trying to uncover a stash of weapons. According to their official version the police officers shot him when he tried to escape from their custody by throwing a bomb. Many identical cases have been reported in Sri Lanka in recent past. Ironically, every suspect who has been shot dead by the police have all tried to escape from police custody while showing them a stash of weapons by attempting to throw a bomb at them. Despite being in the presence of several police officers at some point he managed to obtain a hand grenade which he attempted to lob in their direction. Typically, no mention was made of how he was supposed to have survived the explosion. This scenario, as explained by the police has been used in countless other cases so the question is, the officers must have been aware of the danger Lakshman posed. Why then did they not supervise his movements more closely? Why he was not handcuffed securely? According to Departmental Orders any suspect being taken to a destination outside the confines of a police station must be handcuffed to prevent his escape and ensure his safety and that of the officers. The OIC was present at the time of the incident and shooting. Having reached the rank of OIC this officer alone should have had the experience necessary to ensure to handle the situation. It is the non-transferable duty of the police to ensure the safety of any suspect under their detention. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS : The Asian Human Rights Commission has reported innumerable cases of arbitrary arrest, detention, torture and extra judicial killings cases of citizens at the hands of the police which is illegal under international and local law and which have taken place at different police stations in the country over the past few years. The Asian Human Rights Commission has observed that the Sri Lankan police have used torture as an instrument to terrorize innocent persons and harass the public. Further, the country's police are implementing a policy of eliminating criminals by killing them after arresting them without producing them to the court of law. The Constitution of Sri Lanka has guaranteed the right freedom from torture. According to Article 11 of the Constitution 'No person shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment'. Further Article 13(4) "No person shall be punished with death or imprisonment except by order of a competent court, made in accordance with procedure established by law. The arrest, holding in custody, detention or other deprivation of personal liberty of a person, pending investigation or trial, shall not constitute punishment." Further article 13 (5) guarantees the right of presumption of innocence until being proven guilty. Code of Criminal Procedure Act (No. 15 of 1979) According to the section 37 persons arrested are not to be detained more than twenty-four hours. "Any peace officer shall not detain in custody or otherwise confine a person arrested without a warrant for a longer period than under all the circumstances of the case is reasonable, and such period shall not exceed twenty-four hours exclusive of the time necessary for the journey from the place of arrest to the Magistrate ." Further according to the section 38 police should report the arrests to the courts. "Officers in charge of police stations shall report to the Magistrates' Courts of their respective districts the cases of all persons arrested without warrant by any police officer attached to their stations or brought before them and whether such persons have been admitted to bail or otherwise ." Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka In the case of Leeda Violet and Others v. Vidanapathirana, OIC, Police Station, Dikwella and others (3 SLR 1994 377), in a Habeas Corpus application in the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka observed that when there is an established fact that a person was arrested, then it is the duty of the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) to explain the fate of the detainee and what happen to him while in the custody with the relevant entries from the books maintained at the Police Station. As per the Silva J, "In other words, there is no basis whatever for their arrest and custody. The 1st Respondent who admits having visited the place of arrest at the alleged time denies the act of arrest as alleged by the Petitioners. His denial has been disbelieved by the learned Magistrate. Learned Magistrate has correctly observed that if the 1st Respondent visited the place for any official act in connection with any investigation or peace keeping operation, he could have produced the relevant entries from the books maintained at the Police Station. The suggestion of the 1st Respondent appears to be that whatever operation that was carried out by the authorities at the time in question, at Neelwella, was the responsibility of the Army and not of the Police. The shifting of responsibility from the Police to the Army and vice versa, is of little solace or comfort to the Petitioners. Their evidence discloses a harrowing tale where they have seen their sons taken to the Police Station and kept there for several days. For all intents and purposes their sons have disappeared from the face of the earth after 4 days. The denial of arrest and custody, by the 1st Respondent, who is well identified by the witnesses, as a person known to them, has not commended itself to the learned Chief Magistrate. Certainly, that denial does not commend itself, as being worthy of any credit, to this Court. It was in these circumstances that a rule nisi was issued on the 1st Respondent and the Inspector General of Police to disclose any material in their control as to the whereabouts of the corpora. The rule has been answered only by a repetition of the denial which has already been rejected by the learned Chief Magistrate ." The alarming policy of Sri Lankan police of killing the suspects after arrest instead of allowing the court to try them in accordance with the law. The AHRC has recorded hundreds of cases where people were tortured and killed after they were arrested by the police. The Presidential commissions of investigation of cases of disappearances by the Sri Lankan governments have officially recorded more than thirty six thousand cases from throughout the country only between 1988 -1991 which exposed the practice of the Sri Lanka Police of arresting innocent persons, detaining, torturing them and then finally killing them. The AHRC has classified this practice of extrajudicial killing by the state authorities as one of the endemic problems in Sri Lanka. In the recent past the Sri Lankan police have adopted a policy of killing suspects in the name of eliminating organised crime. However, few if any of these cases are investigated by the police. Even the judiciary of the country has not shown an interest in bringing justice in these incidents. The reported cases clearly show all the necessary legal elements of the systematic and widespread practice of killing innocents after arrest by police officers. This whole practice happens despite the Departmental Orders of the Sri Lanka police which expressly rules that OICs of the police stations are responsible to protect the detainees after their arrest. The officers are supposed to maintain public records on the health, foods, all the movements and behaviors of detainees. The Constitution of the country expressly only allow the judiciary to make punishments to those who have found guilty after fair trial. But this practice of killing detainees shows how the police officers torture detainees as punitive action sometime before going to the extent of killing them. This practice is imposed against the poorest of the poor in the country. It is used to harass and terrorize the public to make them silent while many of the fundamental and democratic rights guaranteed even by the Constitution of the country were curtailed vehemently. One the other hand this shows how the state of Sri Lanka failed to fulfill its responsibility to international human rights conventions with the UN from being domestically implemented. Adopting of the policy of killing citizens in the name of combating crime clearly shows the state's unwillingness of respecting internationally accepted human rights and norms. The cases in question show the inability of the state law enforcement agencies that they are no longer willing and able to implement the rule of law in the country. The policy imposed by the Sri Lankan police of killing suspects after arrest clearly shows the sad state of the law enforcement agencies to prosecute the criminals within a rule of law system. Innocent victims who get arrested are in more danger in the hand of police officers than the ordinary citizen might be in the hands of the criminals. Furthermore, Sri Lanka has signed and ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Nevertheless the lack of protection offered to those who are willing to take cases against abusive police officers and the state authorities, means that the law is under-used continues to be employed as a tool by the police to harass people. This not only takes a long-term toll on the victim and his or her family, but on society as a whole, by the undermining of civilian respect for the law and encouraging impunity. Furthermore, the Asian Human Rights Commission has continuously exposed the way the witness and the victims are getting harassed and on some occasions even killed to suppress the justice. Furthermore we have urged the State of Sri Lanka to adopt a law for the protection of witness protection. SUGGESTED ACTION : Please send a letter to the authorities listed below expressing your concern about this case and requesting an immediate investigation into the allegations extra judicial killings by the police perpetrators, and the prosecution of those proven to be responsible under the criminal law of the country. The officers involved must also be subjected to internal investigations for the breach of the department orders as issued by the police department. The AHRC has also written a separate letter to the Special Rapporteur on Extra-judicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions on this regard. To support this appeal please click here:

Urgent Appeals You can filter the articles by the following criteria. Search Text Date Range 1 ... ‹‹ 1 2 3 4 5 6 ›› ... 53 SRI LANKA: An innocent man has been detained for more than four years Urgent Appeal Case — Mar 06, 2013 AHRC-UAC-034-2013-01.png SRI LANKA: An innocent man is detained after a Magistrate released him, severely tortured and is still awaiting trial Urgent Appeal Case — Mar 04, 2013 SRI LANKA: Justice denied for a litigant at courts by the corrupt practices of the Peradiniya Police Urgent Appeal Case — Mar 01, 2013 AHRC-UAC-031-2013-01.png SRI LANKA: A young man was tortured by the Senior Superintendent of Police, Matara Urgent Appeal Case — Mar 01, 2013 AHRC-UAC-030-2013-01.png SRI LANKA: A woman is tortured by Rajanganaya Police and laid with false charges Urgent Appeal Case — Feb 28, 2013 SRI LANKA: A detainee in the custody of Tangalle Prison was severely beaten by an inebriated prison guard - no medical treatment has been provided Urgent Appeal Case — Feb 28, 2013 SRI LANKA: A Buddhist monk who abused a female government officer is being protected by political influence Urgent Appeal Case — Feb 07, 2013 SRI LANKA: Victim of assault continuously denied justice and now lives in fear Urgent Appeal Case — Feb 04, 2013 SRI LANKA: The Coroner of Kandy was denied justice due to political influence Urgent Appeal Case — Dec 12, 2012 AHRC-UAC-196-2012-01.jpg SRI LANKA: A young man is under constant threat by the Officer-in-Charge of the Thambuththegama Police Urgent Appeal Case — Nov 21, 2012 SRI LANKA: Giriulla Police tortured an innocent man after illegal detention Urgent Appeal Case — Nov 20, 2012 SRI LANKA: The Saliya Wewa Police colludes with the murderer of a young girl who died of severe burn injuries Urgent Appeal Case — Nov 15, 2012 SRI LANKA: Continued detention of an innocent man for four years despite a release order from the court Urgent Appeal Case — Sep 12, 2012 AHRC-UAC-168-2012-01 SRI LANKA: The murder of an innocent man by the Hungama police must be independently and promptly investigated Urgent Appeal Case — Sep 11, 2012 INDIA: The government must act immediately to save the lives of protesters Urgent Appeal Update — Sep 09, 2012 SRI LANKA: An innocent woman was physically and verbally abused by the Pamunugama Police who sided with the culprit of her complaint Urgent Appeal Case — Sep 04, 2012 AHRC-UAC-159-2012-01.jpg SRI LANKA: Another innocent victim illegally arrested and tortured after the demonstration at the Thambuththegama Police Station Urgent Appeal Case — Aug 31, 2012 AHRC-UAC-158-2012-01.jpg SRI LANKA: Yet another innocent man was illegally arrested, tortured and forced to sing fraudulent documents after being accused of participating in a demonstration Urgent Appeal Case — Aug 31, 2012 AHRC-UAC-157-2012-01.jpg SRI LANKA: An innocent 19-year-old was illegally arrested, tortured and forced to sign fraudulent documents by the Bandaragama police Urgent Appeal Case — Aug 30, 2012 AHRC-UAC-155-2012-01.jpg SRI LANKA: An innocent man was illegally arrested, tortured and laid with fabricated charges by the Bandaragama Police Urgent Appeal Case — Aug 30, 2012 1 ... ‹‹ 1 2 3 4 5 6 ›› ... 53 1 ... ‹‹ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ›› ... 53 SRI LANKA: A prisoner is in critical condition in hospital after being subjected to severe torture by prison officers Urgent Appeal Case — Aug 29, 2012 AHRC-UAC-151-2012-01.jpg SRI LANKA: An innocent man is illegally arrested, detained, tortured and forced to sign false documents by the Rattota Police Urgent Appeal Case — Aug 29, 2012 SRI LANKA: Two more innocent men have been detained for almost three years without being charged Urgent Appeal Case — Aug 28, 2012 SRI LANKA: Complainant of human rights violation case is illegally arrested and severely tortured at the SP's office of Negombo Urgent Appeal Case — Aug 21, 2012 SRI LANKA: An innocent man has been in custody without being charged for three years Urgent Appeal Case — Aug 17, 2012 AHRC-UAC-144-2012-01.jpg SRI LANKA: Doctor's negligence results in the death of a young girl in Hambantota Urgent Appeal Case — Aug 15, 2012 SRI LANKA: An innocent man has been detained for almost three years on false charges of terrorism Urgent Appeal Case — Aug 15, 2012 SRI LANKA: Man was severely tortured and falsely accused by the Pamunuwa Police Urgent Appeal Case — Aug 13, 2012 AHRC-UAC-142-2012-01.jpg SRI LANKA: An innocent man was illegally arrested, tortured and forced to pay money to expedite his release Urgent Appeal Case — Aug 13, 2012 AHRC-UAC-140-2012-01.jpg SRI LANKA: DIG of Police threatens to kill Municipal Councilor in Negombo Urgent Appeal Case — Aug 09, 2012 AHRC-UAC-128-2012-01.jpg SRI LANKA: An attempt is made to abduct a journalist and human rights defender Urgent Appeal Case — Jul 09, 2012 SRI LANKA: A young woman is sexually assaulted; police refuse to take action against the perpetrator Urgent Appeal Case — Jul 06, 2012 AHRC-UAC-122-2012-01.jpg SRI LANKA: The OIC of Vanathavilluwa Police Station publicly tortures an innocent man Urgent Appeal Case — Jul 05, 2012 SRI LANKA: A 17-year old boy is physically and sexually assaulted by intoxicated police officers at Pallama Police Station for a crime that he did not commit Urgent Appeal Case — Jul 04, 2012 AHRC-UAC-117-2012-01.jpg SRI LANKA: A man is arbitrarily arrested, detained and brutally tortured by the Thambuththegama Police, and threatened with further torture if he speaks out Urgent Appeal Case — Jul 03, 2012 AHRC-UAC-114-2012-01.jpg SRI LANKA: An innocent man is severely assaulted without explanation by the Gampola Police Urgent Appeal Case — Jun 29, 2012 AHRC-UAC-112-2012-01.jpg SRI LANKA: An innocent man is brutally assaulted by Thambuththegama Police; police officers receive impunity for their actions Urgent Appeal Case — Jun 28, 2012 AHRC-UAC-109-2012-01.jpg SRI LANKA: Yet another man is killed by the police Urgent Appeal Case — Jun 27, 2012 AHRC-UAC-108-2012-01.JPG SRI LANKA: Mundalama Police enjoy impunity despite torturing and detaining a businessman in fabricated charges Urgent Appeal Case — Jun 22, 2012 SRI LANKA: The Officer-In-Charge and police officers of Chilaw Police Station trespassed and stole from an innocent family and are pressuring the family against pressing charges Urgent Appeal Case — Jun 19, 2012

Urgent Appeals — Asian Human Rights Commission

Urgent Appeals

You can filter the articles by the following criteria.

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SRI LANKA: A 75-year-old victim of rape and her family seek justice

Urgent Appeal Case — Nov 22, 2013

SRI LANKA: An innocent businessman is tortured by Colombo Narcotics Unit officers in an attempt to extort money from him

Urgent Appeal Case — Nov 21, 2013

SRI LANKA: A security officer is falsely accused of theft and tortured to confess by the Headquarters Inspector of Teldiniya

Urgent Appeal Case — Oct 10, 2013

SRI LANKA: The arrest, detention and torture of an innocent man by officers of the Vavuniya and Colombo TID

Urgent Appeal Case — Oct 09, 2013

SRI LANKA: An innocent man is arrested by the TID and tortured in custody at the Bogambara Remand Prison

Urgent Appeal Case — Oct 08, 2013

SRI LANKA: Two brothers were arrested, tortured and detained by the Terrorist Investigation Division and remain in remand as they cannot pay the amount demanded in bribes by the TID officers.

Urgent Appeal Case — Aug 20, 2013

SRI LANKA: A man suffering from mental disorder is severely tortured by officers from the Inginiyagala Police Station

Urgent Appeal Case — Aug 16, 2013

SRI LANKA: A man is detained by the TID on fabricated charges to prevent him from revealing the torture he endured

Urgent Appeal Case — Jul 05, 2013

SRI LANKA: Police arbitrarily detained three children overnight and a Christian priest for 11 days for challenging the detention of children

Urgent Appeal Case — Jun 26, 2013

SRI LANKA: Siridhamma College teacher severely beat a student

Urgent Appeal Case — Jun 25, 2013

SRI LANKA: A young girl was denied justice by the Peradeniya Police

Urgent Appeal Case — Jun 25, 2013

SRI LANKA: Officers of the Kalutara South Police Station beat a man's testicles with a wooden mallet

Urgent Appeal Case — Jun 19, 2013

SRI LANKA: A reputed Interior Decorator is severely tortured by officers of Matugama Police at the instigation of a lawyer and her husband

Urgent Appeal Case — Jun 18, 2013

SRI LANKA: Officers of the Karandeniya police torture and threaten to sodomize a businessman, insulting him about his 'low' caste origin

Urgent Appeal Case — Jun 18, 2013

SRI LANKA: Three officers of the Department of Excise severely tortured and laid fabricated charges on an innocent man

Urgent Appeal Case — May 24, 2013

SRI LANKA: A man was arrested on suspicion of taking part in a bombing and sentenced to death after a sham trial

Urgent Appeal Case — May 23, 2013

SRI LANKA: Negambo police continuously harass a victim after torture and inhuman treatment

Urgent Appeal Case — May 22, 2013

SRI LANKA: An innocent man died after being illegally arrested and tortured by the Polpithigama Police

Urgent Appeal Case — Apr 02, 2013

SRI LANKA: A mother of two was publicly tortured by the Chairman of the Co-op Lanka, Kotapola

Urgent Appeal Case — Mar 21, 2013

SRI LANKA: An innocent man has been detained for two months by the TID without being produced in court

Urgent Appeal Case — Mar 07, 2013

1 2 3 4 5 ›› ... 53

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Extended Introduction: Urgent Appeals, theory and practice: A need for dialogue
Many people across Asia are frustrated by the widespread lack of respect for human rights in their countries. Some may be unhappy about the limitations on the freedom of expression or restrictions on privacy, while some are affected by police brutality and military killings. Many others are frustrated with the absence of rights on labour issues, the environment, gender and the like.
Yet the expression of this frustration tends to stay firmly in the private sphere. People complain among friends and family and within their social circles, but often on a low profile basis. This kind of public discourse is not usually an effective measure of the situation in a country because it is so hard to monitor.
Though the media may cover the issues in a broad manner they rarely broadcast the private fears and anxieties of the average person. And along with censorship – a common blight in Asia – there is also often a conscious attempt in the media to reflect a positive or at least sober mood at home, where expressions of domestic malcontent are discouraged as unfashionably unpatriotic. Talking about issues like torture is rarely encouraged in the public realm.
There may also be unwritten, possibly unconscious social taboos that stop the public reflection of private grievances. Where authoritarian control is tight, sophisticated strategies are put into play by equally sophisticated media practices to keep complaints out of the public space, sometimes very subtly. In other places an inner consensus is influenced by the privileged section of a society, which can control social expression of those less fortunate. Moral and ethical qualms can also be an obstacle.
In this way, causes for complaint go unaddressed, un-discussed and unresolved and oppression in its many forms, self perpetuates. For any action to arise out of private frustration, people need ways to get these issues into the public sphere.
Changing society
In the past bridging this gap was a formidable task; it relied on channels of public expression that required money and were therefore controlled by investors. Printing presses were expensive, which blocked the gate to expression to anyone without money. Except in times of revolution the media in Asia has tended to serve the well-off and sideline or misrepresent the poor.
Still, thanks to the IT revolution it is now possible to communicate with large audiences at little cost. In this situation there is a real avenue for taking issues from private to public, regardless of the class or caste of the individual.
Practical action
The AHRC Urgent Appeals system was created to give a voice to those affected by human rights violations, and by doing so, to create a network of support and open avenues for action. If X’s freedom of expression is denied, if Y is tortured by someone in power or if Z finds his or her labour rights abused, the incident can be swiftly and effectively broadcast and dealt with. The resulting solidarity can lead to action, resolution and change. And as more people understand their rights and follow suit, as the human rights consciousness grows, change happens faster. The Internet has become one of the human rights community’s most powerful tools.
At the core of the Urgent Appeals Program is the recording of human rights violations at a grass roots level with objectivity, sympathy and competence. Our information is firstly gathered on the ground, close to the victim of the violation, and is then broadcast by a team of advocates, who can apply decades of experience in the field and a working knowledge of the international human rights arena. The flow of information – due to domestic restrictions – often goes from the source and out to the international community via our program, which then builds a pressure for action that steadily makes its way back to the source through his or her own government. However these cases in bulk create a narrative – and this is most important aspect of our program. As noted by Sri Lankan human rights lawyer and director of the Asian Human Rights Commission, Basil Fernando:
"The urgent appeal introduces narrative as the driving force for social change. This idea was well expressed in the film Amistad, regarding the issue of slavery. The old man in the film, former president and lawyer, states that to resolve this historical problem it is very essential to know the narrative of the people. It was on this basis that a court case is conducted later. The AHRC establishes the narrative of human rights violations through the urgent appeals. If the narrative is right, the organisation will be doing all right."
Patterns start to emerge as violations are documented across the continent, allowing us to take a more authoritative, systemic response, and to pinpoint the systems within each country that are breaking down. This way we are able to discover and explain why and how violations take place, and how they can most effectively be addressed. On this path, larger audiences have opened up to us and become involved: international NGOs and think tanks, national human rights commissions and United Nations bodies. The program and its coordinators have become a well-used tool for the international media and for human rights education programs. All this helps pave the way for radical reforms to improve, protect and to promote human rights in the region.

Sunday, November 24, 2013

I am living evidence of ongoing torture in Sri Lanka

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

SRI LANKA BRIEF: Sri Lanka: Colombo forced Tamil doctors to lie - D...

SRI LANKA BRIEF: Sri Lanka: Colombo forced Tamil doctors to lie - D...: Dr Varatharajah Former Regional Director of Health Services (RDHS) for Mullaiththeevu, Dr. Thurairajah Varatharajah, currently in exile ...

Monday, November 18, 2013

Sri Lanka, 'impossible journalism' and Channel 4 News - Channel 4 News

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Abortions Are Increasing In Sri Lanka | Colombo Telegraph

SRI LANKA BRIEF: Sri lanka : Joint Civil Society Memorandum to Comm...

SRI LANKA BRIEF: Sri lanka : Joint Civil Society Memorandum to Comm...: Civil society convention 7th November 2013 – Colombo, New Town Hall We the undersigned civil society organizations who made joint subm...

Introduction Essay Global update World by region Press release Downloads Glossary Sri Lanka Head of state and government Mahinda Rajapaksa Enforced disappearances Arbitrary arrests and detentions Excessive use of force Torture and other ill-treatment Lack of accountability Human rights defenders Freedom of expression – journalists Justice system Internally displaced people Unlawful detentions, torture and enforced disappearances remained rife and went unpunished. Government officials and supporters harassed and threatened human rights defenders, journalists and members of the judiciary who spoke out about abuses of power or advocated human rights accountability. More than three years after the armed conflict between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) ended, impunity persisted for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. The government failed to implement recommendations aimed at accountability made by Sri Lanka’s Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) and the UN Human Rights Council. The authorities continued to rely on the Prevention of Terrorism Act to arrest and detain suspects for lengthy periods without charge or trial. Despite government claims, many people displaced by the armed conflict were not fully settled, including some whose land remained occupied by the Sri Lankan military. Enforced disappearances More than 20 alleged enforced disappearances were reported. Victims included political activists, business people and suspected criminals. Prominent cases from past years remained unresolved. Armed men abducted Tamil businessman Ramasamy Prabaharan on 11 February, just two days before the Supreme Court was scheduled to hear his complaints against arbitrary arrest, detention and torture by police and seizure of his business in May 2009. In April, Frontline Socialist Party activists Premakumar Gunaratnam and Dimuthu Attigala were abducted shortly before the launch of the new party; both were interrogated and eventually released. Premakumar Gunaratnam, an Australian citizen, said he was tortured by his abductors, who he believed were linked to the government. Investigations failed to progress into the cases of political activists Lalith Kumar Weeraraj and Kugan Muruganathan – both allegedly victims of enforced disappearance by the army in Jaffna in December 2011. The two had been planning a peaceful protest by families of the disappeared. The Court of Appeal repeatedly postponed the habeas corpus case filed by relatives of the missing men. In June, former Attorney General Mohan Peiris was ordered to appear at a habeas corpus hearing into the disappearance of political cartoonist Prageeth Eknaligoda after he told the UN Committee against Torture in 2011 that Eknaligoda was living in a foreign country. At the hearing, Mohan Peiris admitted that he did not know Prageeth Eknaligoda’s whereabouts and claimed he could not remember who said he was in exile. Top of page Arbitrary arrests and detentions The authorities continued to arrest people without warrants and detain them for extended periods without charge or trial. As of October, the authorities acknowledged holding almost 500 alleged former LTTE members without charge for what they termed “rehabilitation”. Hundreds of other Tamil prisoners remained in administrative detention pending investigation into their suspected links with the LTTE; many had been detained for years. Surveillance and re-arrest of people released from rehabilitation continued. Top of page Excessive use of force In February Antony Warnakulasuriya was killed and three others were wounded when the Special Task Force (STF), a commando unit, fired live ammunition into a crowd of people from the fishing community who were protesting against fuel price increases outside the west coast town of Chilaw. Police reportedly blocked protesters from taking the injured to hospital by land, forcing them to go by boat. Top of page Torture and other ill-treatment Torture in police custody persisted. In at least five cases, victims died in custody after beatings or other ill-treatment by the police. On 15 April, Chandrasiri Dassanayake, a witness in a human rights case filed with the Supreme Court against the Officer-in-Charge of Wadduwa Police Station, died in custody there. Police claimed they arrested him for cannabis possession and that he fell sick in his cell and was admitted to hospital. The victim’s son reported seeing his father lying on the floor of the cell bleeding and said Chandrasiri Dassanayake told him he had been beaten by police. The death led to local protests and the Officer-in-Charge, a sergeant and two other police constables were transferred to other police stations, but no further action was taken. Thirty Tamil prisoners were assaulted and two died of injuries inflicted by STF members who reportedly beat them in retaliation for a prison uprising in Vavuniya in June. Twenty-seven inmates died in a clash between prisoners and STF members at Welikada prison on 9 November. Results of an official inquiry into allegations that some prisoners were extrajudicially executed were not made public. Top of page Lack of accountability The UN Human Rights Council adopted resolution 19/2 in March, calling on Sri Lanka to implement the LLRC’s human rights recommendations and address accountability for alleged violations of international law. The government’s Plan of Action on the LLRC recommendations, unveiled in July, failed to commit to new or independent investigations, and relied on the military and police – implicated in serious violations of human rights and humanitarian law – to police themselves. Sri Lanka’s human rights record was assessed under the UN Universal Periodic Review in November; Sri Lanka maintained that it did not need independent investigations into alleged human rights violations and past crimes under international law despite concerns raised by UN members. A report by the UN Secretary-General’s Internal Review Panel on UN Action in Sri Lanka, released on 14 November, acknowledged the UN’s failure to protect civilians during the country’s armed conflict. Top of page Human rights defenders Government officials and state-owned media lashed out at human rights defenders who attended the UN Human Rights Council session in March, calling them traitors. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the President of the Human Rights Council denounced Sri Lanka’s threats and called for an investigation. On 23 March, Sri Lanka’s Public Relations Minister threatened physical harm against journalists and human rights defenders, and claimed responsibility for a violent attack in 2010 on a journalist who then went into exile. The Health Minister accused the Catholic organization Caritas of conspiring to undermine the government. Top of page Freedom of expression – journalists Journalists continued to come under pressure for their reporting. On 5 July, Secretary of Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksa threatened Sunday Leader journalist Frederica Jansz with death when she attempted to interview him about an alleged abuse of power. In September, the newspaper’s new owner fired her and she left the country. Journalist Shantha Wijesooriya of the news website Lanka X News told police that assailants he believed to be members of the security forces attempted to abduct him on 5 July. A week earlier police had raided the office where he worked. In September, journalist Nirmala Kannangara and a photographer were surrounded and threatened by army personnel when they tried to report on the relocation of displaced people from Manik Farm. Top of page Justice system On 7 October, armed assailants assaulted Manjula Thilakaratne, a senior high court judge and Secretary to Sri Lanka’s Judicial Services Commission (JSC), and attempted to drag him from his car. On 18 September, he had issued a statement on behalf of the JSC complaining of attempts to interfere with the independence of the judiciary and particularly with the JSC through threats and intimidation. In December, Parliament initiated impeachment proceedings against Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake. The UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers criticized the impeachment process as “extremely politicized,” and lacking due process and fair trial guarantees. Top of page Internally displaced people In late September, the authorities closed the vast Manik Farm displacement camp and announced that the last of more than 200,000 inhabitants had returned home. According to UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, tens of thousands of displaced people still could not go home or fully resettle elsewhere by the end of the year and depended on host families for shelter and assistance. On 30 September, nearly 350 displaced people at Manik Farm boarded army buses expecting to return home to Keppapilavu village, but were relocated to a barren plot of land in Mullaitivu district because the army still occupied their land. Displaced people complained that the new camp had no infrastructure and inadequate drinking water. Other relocated villagers had similar experiences.

Friday, November 8, 2013

SRI LANKA BRIEF: CHOGM in Sri Lanka: Do you approve of this?

SRI LANKA BRIEF: CHOGM in Sri Lanka: Do you approve of this?: Civilians who had been trapped in Sri Lanka’s north, during the last month of the war. May 2009. © Private This image was taken in...

Monday, November 4, 2013

SRI LANKA BRIEF: Aussie reporter's data 'erased' in Colombo

SRI LANKA BRIEF: Aussie reporter's data 'erased' in Colombo: J.Park at her laptop ( Kathmandu Juky 2013) Sri Lankan authorities wiped all the data from the computer of an Australian media rights...

SRI LANKA BRIEF: Ten steps you can take right now against Internet ...

SRI LANKA BRIEF: Ten steps you can take right now against Internet ...: Electronic Frontier Foundation One of the trends we've seen is how, as word of the United States' National Security Agency (NSA'...

Thursday, July 4, 2013

ළමා අපචාරවලට වැට බැඳීමට 'ළමා අධිකරණ අවශ්‍යයි' - BBC Sinhala - Multimedia

Shared from BBC Sinhala Service.
This was re' a workshop on Protection of Children and it was highlighted in this workshop that there is a increasing trend of Child abuses during the last 10 to 15 years. Also highlighted the urgency of establishing Courts for Children to expedite the abuse and rape cases.

ළමා අපචාරවලට වැට බැඳීමට 'ළමා අධිකරණ අවශ්‍යයි' - BBC Sinhala - Multimedia