His Excellency Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse,
President of Sri Lanka,
Temple Trees,
Colombo-03
Your Excellency,
It is with deep concern that I wish to bring to your kind notice the pathetic plight of the kith and kin of the missing persons, abducted by unknown persons with no trace of their whereabouts. In some cases the abducted person’s dead body is found somewhere, the next day or the day after Abductions during the day time can be easily detected by holding proper investigations. It can be found from the neighbour-hood of the victim whether the victim had any political affiliation and from that information it can be found out whether the person concerned was abducted to take vengeance or to extort money. The public should be encouraged to give information to the authorities. Even if the identity of the informant is not revealed, yet such information become useful some times.
Abductions in the nights can be stopped to some extent by making it a requirement for owners of certain class of vehicles to carry a permit authorising them to drive such vehicles in the night.
The Army and the Police are also accused of arresting civilians and detaining them without informing the kith and kin of the arrest. In certain cases the victims seem to be recently married. Close relative of some of those persons arrested and detained without being informed of the whereabouts, have contacted me and plead with me that you be requested to take action to give all information about the person’s arrest and other relevant information and permission to visit them. The Government should take immediate steps to announce as to who and who are arrested and where they are detained.
There is another class of persons detained, falsely accused of being in possession of arms or ammunitions. I am positively sure of a case where one who ran out of his house to look for his two children who had gone for tution, on hearing the exchange of fire between the Government forces and the terrorists, was arrested. The Soldier who handed him over to the Police lodged a complain that he was arrested with a weapon. He is in detention for more than one year now. I am aware of another case, in which a person arrested with his N.I.C was produced without the N.I.C and was remanded for not being in possession of the N.I.C.
Due to the fault of some one, the Government is getting the blame. I therefore very strongly urge that apart from taking suitable action on the matters referred to here, kindly appoint a committee of three or four people headed by a retired Judge to go into the case of all those detained under detention order and to recommend the release of those who are found innocent. In certain cases the detainees could be handed over to the Parents with an undertaking to have the person concerned under strict control.
I needless say that arrests at random and unjustifiable detentions will only help the LTTE to escalate their anti-Government propaganda and strengthen their claim. The International Community too will not be happy seeing innocent people harassed and detained. Hence please take immediate steps to screen those arrested and release the innocent ones immediately.
No innocent person should be detained unreasonably even for a day.
I would like to meet you and brief you further on this matter.
Thanking you,
Yours Sincerely,
V.Anandasangaree,
President – TULF.
Copies To:-
1. Secretary Defence.
2. Commander of the Army.
3. I.G.P.
President of Sri Lanka,
Temple Trees,
Colombo-03
Your Excellency,
ARRESTS AND DETENTION.
It is with deep concern that I wish to bring to your kind notice the pathetic plight of the kith and kin of the missing persons, abducted by unknown persons with no trace of their whereabouts. In some cases the abducted person’s dead body is found somewhere, the next day or the day after Abductions during the day time can be easily detected by holding proper investigations. It can be found from the neighbour-hood of the victim whether the victim had any political affiliation and from that information it can be found out whether the person concerned was abducted to take vengeance or to extort money. The public should be encouraged to give information to the authorities. Even if the identity of the informant is not revealed, yet such information become useful some times.
Abductions in the nights can be stopped to some extent by making it a requirement for owners of certain class of vehicles to carry a permit authorising them to drive such vehicles in the night.
The Army and the Police are also accused of arresting civilians and detaining them without informing the kith and kin of the arrest. In certain cases the victims seem to be recently married. Close relative of some of those persons arrested and detained without being informed of the whereabouts, have contacted me and plead with me that you be requested to take action to give all information about the person’s arrest and other relevant information and permission to visit them. The Government should take immediate steps to announce as to who and who are arrested and where they are detained.
There is another class of persons detained, falsely accused of being in possession of arms or ammunitions. I am positively sure of a case where one who ran out of his house to look for his two children who had gone for tution, on hearing the exchange of fire between the Government forces and the terrorists, was arrested. The Soldier who handed him over to the Police lodged a complain that he was arrested with a weapon. He is in detention for more than one year now. I am aware of another case, in which a person arrested with his N.I.C was produced without the N.I.C and was remanded for not being in possession of the N.I.C.
Due to the fault of some one, the Government is getting the blame. I therefore very strongly urge that apart from taking suitable action on the matters referred to here, kindly appoint a committee of three or four people headed by a retired Judge to go into the case of all those detained under detention order and to recommend the release of those who are found innocent. In certain cases the detainees could be handed over to the Parents with an undertaking to have the person concerned under strict control.
I needless say that arrests at random and unjustifiable detentions will only help the LTTE to escalate their anti-Government propaganda and strengthen their claim. The International Community too will not be happy seeing innocent people harassed and detained. Hence please take immediate steps to screen those arrested and release the innocent ones immediately.
No innocent person should be detained unreasonably even for a day.
I would like to meet you and brief you further on this matter.
Thanking you,
Yours Sincerely,
V.Anandasangaree,
President – TULF.
Copies To:-
1. Secretary Defence.
2. Commander of the Army.
3. I.G.P.
