Dear friends
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is gravely concerned of brutal torture of Jayasekara Vithanage Saman Priyankara, 32, at the Matale Police Station. The officers poured boiling water on his genitals that caused severe burnt wounds. The victim was arbitrarily arrested and tortured by the police only because he was rude to a ‘Gramaarakshaka (village security officer)’ during the argument with him. In particular, after he was released, the police have kept visiting the victim’s house to check whether he took any legal steps regarding the incident and he fears of his safety.
AHRC urge you to send a letter to the local authorities requesting them to thoroughly investigate this matter, punish the perpetrators and ensure the victim’s safety.
Urgent Appeals Desk
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
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DETAILED INFORMATION:
Name of the victim: Jayasekara Vithanage Saman Priyankara, 32, Self-employed (runs a poultry farm), Married with two children aged 12 and 8 years of age.
Address of the victim: 50/1 Ruwanpaya, Ratwatte, Ukuwela
Alleged Perpetrators: The Sub Inspector (SI) Mr. Panannwala and four other officers attached to the Matale Police Station
Date of arbitrary detention and torture: from 5 to 6 January 2004
Case details:
Around 4:00 p.m. on 5 January 2004, the Sub Inspector (SI) Pananwala and other three or four officers from the Matale Police Station came to the house of Jayasekara Vithanage Saman Priyankara (the victim) to search for him. The policemen told Saman Priyankara that they wanted to punish him because he was rude to one of their officers. Saman Priyankara had took some argument with a ‘Gramaarakshaka (village security officer)’ some time before. The policemen pushed Saman Priyankara into the police jeep and took him to the Matale Police Station.
At the police station, the SI Pananwala started to beat him severely and ordered one officer to boil the water in the jug saying that he was going to make sure that the victim would not be able to have a normal sex life anymore. After the water boiled, they poured the boiling water down his right leg from the hip downwards. The victim cried in pain and pleaded with them not to do it. After the victim received severe burnt wounds, the officers gave him some kind of oil to apply on the wounds.
Then, the policemen warned the victim not to report the incident to anyone and not to take any treatment at the hospital. In several torture cases in Sri Lanka, the AHRC has reported that policemen (the perpetrators) have obstructed the victim from receiving medical treatment at the hospital because they are afraid that the medical report would be used as unfavorable evidence against them in court. Saman Priyankara was released from the police station around noon of 6 January 2004. He has been admitted to ward No. 10 – accident ward in the Kandy Hospital.
After he was released, the police have kept visiting Saman Priyankara’s house to check whether he took any legal steps regarding the incident. They have already visited his house five times from 6 January until 20 January 2004.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please send a letter, fax or email to the addresses below and express your concern about this serious case.
1. Hon. Mr. Ranil Wickremasinghe
Prime Minister
Cambridge Place, Colombo 7
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 682905 / 575454
E-mail: secpm@sltnet.lk or bradmanw@slt.lk
2. Hon. Mr. K. C. Kamalasabesan
Attorney General
Attorney General’s Department
Colombo 12
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 436 421
Email: attorney@sri.lanka.net or counsel@sri.lanka.net
3. Mr. Ranjith Abeysuriya PC
Chairman National Police Commission
69-1 Ward Place, Colombo 7
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 669 128 / 691 926
Fax HOME: +94 11 2 674148
4. Dr. Radhika Coomaraswamy
Chairperson
National Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka
No. 36, Kynsey Road, Colombo 8
SRI LANKA
Tel: +94 11 2 694 925 / 673 806
Fax: +94 11 2 694 924 / 696 470
E-mail: sechrc@sltnet.lk
5. Mr. Shavindra Fernando
Senior State Counsel
Torture Perpetrators Investigation Unit
Attorney General’s Department
Colombo 12
SRI LANKA
Tel/Fax: +94 11 2 327 765
Email: Prsec@visual.lk or savifdo@yahoo.co.uk
6. Mr. Theo C. van Boven
Special Rapporteur on the Question of Torture
OHCHR-UNOG
8-14 Avenue de la Paix
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Fax: +41 22 917 9016
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear
Re: Torture by pouring boiling water on the victim’s genetal by the officers of the Matale Police Station in Kandy
Name of the victim: Jayasekara Vithanage Saman Priyankara, 32, Self-employed (runs a poultry farm), Married with two children aged 12 and 8 years of age.
Address of the victim: 50/1 Ruwanpaya, Ratwatte, Ukuwela
Alleged Perpetrators: The Sub Inspector (SI) Mr. Panannwala and four other officers attached to the Matale Police Station
Date of arbitrary detention and torture: from 5 to 6 January 2004
I am very concerned by the report of the brutal torture of Jayasekara Vithanage Saman Priyankara, 32, at the Matale Police Station in Kandy on 5 January 2004.
The victim was arbitrarily arrested and tortured by the police only because he was rude to a ‘Gramaarakshaka (village security officer)’ during the argument with him. The police officers poured boiling water on the victim’s genetal that caused severe burnt wounds. In particular, after the victim was released, the police have kept visiting his house to check whether he took any legal steps regarding the incident. They have already visited his house five times from 6 January until 20 January 2004. Under the consequences, I am very much concerned of the victim’s safety.
I strongly urge you to order a thorough investigation of this case and bring those responsible persons behind the arrest, torture of a victim before court. The perpetrators should be suspended from their service at the police station during the investigation. I also urge you to ensure the safety of the victim and his family. I further urge you to provide compensation to the victim and to assist victim in accessing full medical treatment. Lastly, I urge to the Sri Lankan government to change this attitude and to take genuine steps to stop the practice of torture by the police.
Thank you.
Sincerely yours
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Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
