Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is gravely concerned about the information regarding alleged disappearance of another four persons within the first week of February 2007. Forced disappearances in Sri Lanka are now targeting well known union activists, journalists and businessmen. In January 2007, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Mangala Samaraweera, was quoted in several news agencies stating that a disappearance takes place in Sri Lanka every five hours (See further: AS-025-2007). We call for your urgent intervention into this serious matter. Please urge the Government of Sri Lanka to conduct a speedy and full inquiry into these four cases as well as all the other alleged forced disappearance cases that have been brought before it.
CASE DETAILS:
Mr. Lalith Seneviratne (35), a Tamil ethnic ex-journalist of the Hiru, a Sinhalese-language weekly, and a magazine named Matota, was abducted from his home around 9:30pm on 5 February 2007. According to his wife Mrs. P. Champika, seven armed men claiming to be from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) entered the home and arrested Lalith. Mrs. Champika has since lodged a complaint with the Athurugiriya police.
Another victim named Mr. Sisira Priyankara (38), the Treasurer of the Railway Trade Union Alliance Front, has also been reportedly missing since 11:00pm on 5 February 2007, after he went out of the working place to answer a telephone call. The two men are known as persons working for media freedom and a political solution to the problems in the north and east parts of Sri Lanka. A third person named Mr. Nihal Serasinghe, a printer for the Hiru newspaper and father of two, has also been missing since 3:00 pm on February 5. All three are affiliated with the Sri Lanka Railway Trade Union and its publication Akuna.
Another person namely Mr. Yogaraj Madan Raj was also abducted by unknown people, on his way to report to the Kotahena police in Colombo North District II, Colombo North Division, Sri Lanka. Two days before his abduction, he had been questioned by the police about possible connections to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) but had been released at that time due to the lack of any evidence to connect him to any terrorist activities. However, he had been asked to come to report to the police station and was abducted on his way.
Mr. Vijeya Kumara, a well known businessman engaged in foreign exchange living at Wellawatte, Ratnapura District I, Ratnapura Division, was reportedly abducted by a group of persons who came in a white van around February 1 or 2. He is the brother-in-law of a well known professor.
Meanwhile, over five thousand workers from the Railway Trade Union Alliance Front marched in protest of the disappearances and demanded the release of the victims on 5 February 2007.
These four disappearance cases took place within the first week of February 2007. Neither their families nor the organizations they work have been able to locate them to date. Complaints have been made to the police regarding their disappearances but there has no progress made in finding any of the victims.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:
The AHRC has on previous occasions highlighted the disappearances that have dramatically increased in Sri Lanka in recent times. The most disturbing news was a statement by the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mangala Samaraweera, who wrote in a letter to the president mentioned that a person disappears every five hours (Refer to AHRC statement: AS-025-2007: SRI LANKA: A disappearance every five hours is a result of deliberate removal of all legal safeguards against illegal detention, murder and illegal disposal of bodies). He is still holds a ministerial post in the government.
Please also refer to the disappearance cases which the AHRC has recently reported. There is little progress in all these cases.
UA-401-2006: SRI LANKA: Alleged forced abduction of a man and brutal action against victims family by police
UA-385-2006: SRI LANKA: An abduction of a man allegedly by the Sri Lankan military
UA-368-2006: SRI LANKA: One man killed after abduction and his brother complains of his possible forced disappearance
UA-317-2006: SRI LANKA: Another abduction case by a white van without a number plate
UA-310-2006: SRI LANKA: Another forced disappearance in Jaffna
UA-305-2006: SRI LANKA: Alleged abduction of three brothers by the Navy officials
UA-280-2006: SRI LANKA: One Catholic priest and a man disappear
To learn more about the issue of disappearance in Sri Lanka, please also see our recent statements:
1. AS-012-2007: SRI LANKA: Presidential Commission on Disappearances requests President Rajapakse to take action on the abduction of Nishantha Chandrasiri
2. AS-278-2006: SRI LANKA: The launching of a signature campaign by victims of past disappearances to demand authentic investigations and against sham commissions
3. AS-277-2006: SRI LANKA: Commission to investigate disappearances – real or fake
4. AS-213-2006: SRI LANKA: White vans without number plates; the symbol of disappearances reappear
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write to the relevant authorities listed below and urge them to take urgent intervention to locate the victims and conduct a speedy and proper inquiry into these cases.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear _________,
SRI LANKA: Alleged forced disappearance of five more persons
Names of victims:
1. Mr. Lalith Seneviratne, 35 years of age, a Tamil ethnic ex-journalist of the Hiru, a Sinhalese-language weekly, and a magazine named Matota; allegedly abducted by 7 armed men from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) from his house in Athurugiriya at around 9:30pm on 5 February 2007
2. Mr. Sisira Priyankara, 38 years of age, a trade union activist and Treasurer of the Railway Trade Union Alliance Front; disappeared at around from his workplace at around 11:30pm on 5 February 2007
3. Mr. Nihal Serasinghe, 40 years of age, a printer with Hiru newspaper, disappeared at around 3:00pm on 5 February 2007
4. Mr. Vijeya Kumara, 55 years of age, a person engaged in foreign exchange who was living at Wellawatte, Ratnapura District I, Ratnapura Division, Sri Lanka; abducted by men came in a white van on around 1-2 February 2007
5. Mr. Yogaraj Madan Raj, who was residing at Kotahena, Colombo North District II, Colombo North Division, Sri Lanka; abducted by unidentified men on his way to report to the Kotahena police station on around 1-2 February 2007
I draw your attention to the alleged disappearance of another four persons that took place in the first week of February 2007. Whereabouts of all these persons remain unknown.
I urge that all appropriate action be taken to investigate these disappearances and to ensure the security of these people. I am also taking this opportunity to express my shock and dismay about the large numbers of disappearances that are alleged to be taking place in the country. Despite the statement of the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Mangala Samaraweera, that a disappearance takes place in Sri Lanka every five hours, little action has been taken by the Government of Sri Lanka to stop such disappearances. For many years now disappearances remain a major issue in the country and it has defied all solutions.
Details of the disappearances of the persons mentioned above are as follows:
Mr. Lalith Seneviratne, a Tamil ethnic ex-journalist of the Hiru, a Sinhalese-language weekly, and a magazine named Matota, was abducted from his home in Athurugiriya around 9:30pm on 5 February 2007. According to victims wife Mrs. P. Champika, seven armed men claiming to be from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) entered the home and arrested Lalith. Mrs. Champika has since lodged a complaint with the Athurugiriya police. Another victim named Mr. Sisira Priyankara, the Treasurer of the Railway Trade Union Alliance Front, has also been reportedly missing since 11:30pm on 5 February 2007, after he went out of his workplace to receive a phone call. The two men are known as persons working for media freedom and a political solution to the problems in the north and east parts of Sri Lanka. A third person named Nihal Serasinghe, a printer for the Hiru newspaper and father of two, has also been missing since 3:00 pm on February 5. All three are affiliated with the Sri Lanka Railway Trade Union and its publication Akuna.
Another person named Mr. Yogaraj Madan Raj was also abducted by unknown people, on his way to report to the Kotahena police in Colombo North District II, Colombo North Division, Sri Lanka. Two days before his abduction, he had been questioned by the police about possible connections to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) but had been released at that time due to the lack of any evidence to connect him to any terrorist activities. However, he had been asked to come to report to the police station and he was abducted when he was going to the police station on the requested date.
Mr. Vijeya Kumara, a well known businessman engaged in foreign exchange living at Wellawatte, Ratnapura District I, Ratnapura Division, was reportedly abducted by a group of persons who came in a white van around February 1 or 2. He is the brother-in-law of a well known professor.
Yours truly,
——————–
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTER TO:
1. Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse
President
Socialist Democratic Republic of Sri Lanka
C/- Office of the President
Temple Trees
150, Galle Road
Colombo 3
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2472100 / +94 11 2446657
Email: secretary@presidentsoffice.lk
2. Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa
Minister
Ministry of Defence, Public Security, Law and Order
15/5, Baladaksha Mawatha,
Colombo 03,
Sri Lanka.
Tel: 94-11 2 430860-9, 430878-9 or 435879 (for the secretary)
Fax: 94 11 2 446300 or 421529
E-mail: secdef@sltnet.lk
3. Mr. Victor Perera
Inspector General of Police
New Secretariat
Colombo 1
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 440440/327877
E-mail: igp@police.lk
4. Secretary
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. Ms Leila Zerrougui
Chairperson
Working Group on arbitrary detention
Attn: Mr Miguel de la Lama
OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (ATTENTION: WORKING GROUP ARBITRARY DETENTION)
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ahrchk@ahrchk.org)
