Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that two young men, Thusev Kamal Priyantha and Matarage Sudhrsana Priya Kumara, were severely assaulted by several policemen attached to the Aluthgama Police Station without any reason on 26 April 2004. The two victims made a complaint to the Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Kalutara on the same day.
However the police have not yet conducted any serious investigation on this case. On the contrary, it is reported that the Officer In Charge (OIC) of the Aluthgama Police Station, who has direct responsibility for this incident, tried to hush up the case by offering the money to the victims, rather then conducing an inquiry into the case and identifying the perpetrators. Your urgent action is required to pressure the local authorities to conduct an impartial and thorough investigation on this case and take legal/disciplinary action against the officers involved in this incident immediately.
Urgent Appeals Desk
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
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DETAILED INFORMATION:
Name of the victims:
1) Thusev Kamal Priyantha, 25, (married, Sinhala, Buddhist, a mason), Temple Road, Magala North, Uragasmanhandiya
2) Matarage Sudhrsana Priya Kumara, 23, (single, Sinhala, Buddhist, a technician), “Lucky Sevena” Padagoda, Beruwala
Alleged perpetrators: several officers attached to the Aluthgama Police Station
Date of incident: on 26 April 2004
Case details:
At around 1:30 am of 26 April 2004, Thusev Kamal Priyantha and Matarage Sudhrsana Priya Kumara were returning to their house after watching a musical show at Beruwala. When they were passing the Pinhena junction, Beruwela, they met several police officers in civilian clothes of the Aluthgama Police Station who were drunk. Some of them were bare bodied. They stopped Thusev Kamal Priyantha and Matarage Sudhrsana Priya Kumara and started to severely assault them with fists and T-56 firearms and kicked them on their heads, faces, necks and sex organs.
After that, the police officers forced one of the two victims to enter a nearby boutique through the roof. When he refused to do it, he was severely assaulted again. Then one officer deflated tyres of the bicycle the victims were riding and forced the other victim to run carrying the bicycle. Before chasing away the two victims, the drunk policemen told them to tell the villagers not to go out on the road after 7:00 pm and to inform them how they themselves were treated as an example.
After being chased away by the policemen, Thusev Kamal Priyantha and Matarage Sudhrsana Priya Kumara were admitted in ward no. 11 at the Nagoda General Hospital, Kalutara. Thusev Kamal Priyantha was discharged on 3 May 2004 and Matarage Sudhrsana Priya Kumara on 28 April 2004. They made a complaint to the Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Kalutara on 26 April 2004.
On 14 May 2004, the Officer In Charge (OIC) of the Aluthgama Police Station requested the victims to come to the police station. When they went to the station, the OIC said the police could do nothing on this case if they could not identify the policemen who had assaulted them. (It indicates that the police did not take any action to investigate the incident.) He further suggested to them that he would provide Rs. 2,000 each if they agreed to settle the case.
This is another example of the police brutality towards innocent civilians in Sri Lanka. Especially, AHRC is gravely concerned that the OIC of the Aluthgama Police Station, who has direct responsibility for this incident, tried to hush up the case by offering the money to the victims, rather then by conducing an inquiry into the case and identifying the perpetrators. For an impartial and thorough investigation, an independent agency, not the Aluthgama Police, should conduct the inquiry of this case and the ASP Kalutara must identify the officers involved in this incident and take legal/disciplinary action against them immediately.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Send a letter to the addresses below and express your concern of this case.
1. Ms. Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga
President
Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Presidential Secretariat
Colombo-1, Sri Lanka
Fax: +94 11 2 333 703
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
E-mail: polcom@sltnet.lk
4. Inspector General of Police (IGP)
New Secretariat
Colombo 1,
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 381394/ 446174
5. 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
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: SRI LANKA: Brutal Assault of two citizens by the Aluthgama Police
I write regarding the brutal assault of Thusev Kamal Priyantha and Matarage Sudhrsana Priya Kumara by the policemen attached to the Aluthgama Police Station on 26 April 2004. The two victims were severely assaulted without any reason and they further testified that the officers were drunk at the time of the incident.
Even though the victims made a complaint to the Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Kalutara on 26 May 2004, the police have not yet conducted any serious investigation on this case. On the contrary, the Officer In Charge (OIC) of the Aluthgama Police Station, who has direct responsibility for this incident, tried to hush up the case by offering the money to the victims.
Therefore, I urge you to order an immediate investigation into this case and identify and take legal/disciplinary action against the perpetrators immediately. The inquiry must be conducted by an independent agency, not the Aluthgama Police, to ensure an impartial investigation. I also urge you to take appropriate action to ensure the security of the victims and their family while the investigation is going on. The victim should be compensated as well.
Sincerely yours,
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Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
