A Statement from Lawyers for Democracy, Sri Lanka. forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission
“Lawyers for Democracy” views with deep concern the death of Marimuttu Manoj, a youth from Talawakelle, while under the custody of the Talawakelle Police as a suspect. It is reported by police that the suspect, while being transferred in a police jeep, jumped out of the police jeep and jumped into a [water] tank and was drowned. This explanation of the Police is suspicious due to several improbabilities and this explanation resembles the explanation given by the police in respect of several deaths of suspects while in police custody during the last three years. It is regrettable that the police [have] not appreciated the verdict of the people at the Presidential Election, where the people rejected human right violations committed during the previous regime. We call upon the Inspector General of Police to hold a high level inquiry immediately to ascertain the truth of the version given by the Talawakelle Police, to reassure the people that [the] inhuman and undemocratic actions that took place during the period of the last regime will not continue under the new regime.
