Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward to you the following press release from a group of Sri Lankan journalists, religious leaders and other professionals.
Asian Human Rights Commission
Hong Kong
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A Press Release from a group of Sri Lankan journalists, religious leaders and other professionals forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
(October 12, 2011) The shoot out in broad day light in Mulleriyawa area on the day of the elections (08 October, 2011) between MP Duminda Silva, also the Supervisory MP of the Defence Ministry and Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra, Presidential Adviser and Director General for Trade Unions, that led to the death of Premachandra and 03 others, is no issue, the government can be allowed to cover up with special investigations and Presidential statements and guarantees. This peaks on what this government had been cultivating with Ministers and MPs allowed to take law unto their hands, as with Minister Mervyn Silva and MP Muthuhettigama and the politically led brutal attack on FTZ workers on 30 May. Their public actions have often compromised law enforcement and with politicising of State agencies, the police today have lost all respect and credibility in maintaining law and order.
This broad day light gang war between government politicians in seemingly high positions within the political hierarchy, makes it wholly unnecessary for more and long explanations in convincing oneself, how seriously low, the law and order situation is in this country, despite what the government says in pacifying the people.
How much the investigations would reveal and how far they would be free and independent is any one’s blind guess in this country. Therefore with investigations allowed to take their own time and direction, we as concerned citizens, demand that this government:
(1) withdraw all armed security from all elected and national list MPs, politicians and public servants immediately as we believe, the necessity there was to provide armed security for elected MPs and Provincial Councillors since the 87-90 Southern insurgency and the LTTE terror is no more and therefore, emergency regulations have also been allowed to lapse.
(2) remove all MPs and Ministers who have so far been involved in alleged criminal offences and acts of public nuisance immediately, from their political party membership and have them removed (unseated) from parliament, forthwith. We also call upon all professional bodies, trade unions, democratic and “Rights” organisations to take up this call for democracy, as strongly as possible and as as soon as possible to rid this society of “armed” politics.
Consenting Signatories –
1. Rev. Fr. Terrence Fernando
2. Rev Fr. Sherard Jayawardne
3. Dr. Sunil Wijesiriwardne
4. Kusal Perera
5. Anton Marcus – (Joint Secretary / FTZGS&EU)
6. Dr. Mahim Mendis – National University Academic
7. Prof. Navaratna Bandara – University of Peradeniya
8. Ruki Fernando – Rights Now Collective for Democracy
9. Jayathilaka Kammellaweera – Writer and Novelist
10. K. W. Janaranjana – Journalist and Attorney at Law
11. Sudharshana Gunawardana – Rights Now Collective for Democracy
12. Prof Ajith Abeysekera – University of Jayawardnepura
13. Gamini Viyangoda
14. Dr. Jayampathy Wickramaratne, PC
15. Silan Kadirgamar
16. Mahinda Ratnayake – Journalist
17. Philip Setunga
18. Dr. Selvy Thiruchandran – Women’s Education & Research Centre
19. Herman Kumara – National Convener, NAFSO
20. J. C. Weliamuna, Senior Attorney at Law & Lawyers for Democracy
21. Neville Ananda – Senior Attorney at Law
22. Chandraguptha Thenuwara – Artiste
23. Srinath Perera, PC
24. Parakrama Niriella – Film Director and Dramatist
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