Dear friends
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is concerned by the arbitrary shooting of the Gampola police into a crowd, killing young Suranga Sampath. The police have further failed to conduct any investigation into this matter. Your urgent intervention to correct this matter is required.
Urgent Appeals Desk
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
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CASE DETAILS:
Name of the victim: Dissanayake Mudiayanselage Suranga Sampath
Address of victim: No. 187, Angammana, Gampola
Officers identified: Silva/ Chandrapala, attached to the Gampola police station
Date and time of shooting: 11 January 2004, at about 2:30 am
Place of shooting: by the side of the Gampola, Nuwara Eliya road.
Witnesses: 1. Prassanna Kumara Hapuarachchi
2. Namal
3. Sajith and others
A clash took place between two groups of young people who had gone to see a musical show at the paddy field of Mahara, Angammana, Gampola on 10 January 2004. Due to this clash, a large number of spectators were assaulted by the police officers attached to the Gampola police station. Some of them were then detained, and later mercilessly beaten. When some of the spectators were being detained, others decided to sit at the junction to the new Gampola bridge until the detained were released. A quarrel erupted and so the police tried to disperse them.
Finding it difficult to disperse them, the officers rushed back to the police station and returned with about ten persons, in uniform as well as civilian clothing, with firearms. The police then advanced, while shouting and firing at the crowd. The people ran in all directions. The police then arrived at the place of the musical show, where Suranga and the others were. A tear gas can fell near them. A few moments later Suranga fell on the ground struck by a bullet fired by the police. Suranga’s friends carried him to a bush and then fled the area. After the officers had left, Suranga’s friends returned and telephoned Gampola Municipal Member Mr. Mahesan Pelpola. They together with him and the Venerable Wimalaratne, took Suranga to the Gampola hospital. The doctor after examining him certified him dead.
The post mortem was conducted in Kandy on 12 January 2004 and the body was then handed over to Suranga’s family. Until the funeral was over security was provided to Gampola town by the army and the police.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please send a letter, fax or email to the local authorities and urge them to take appropriate action to address this issue.
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 (need to ask to change to fax mode) / 691 926
Fax HOME: +94 11 2 674148
4. Dr. Radhika Coomaraswamy
Director
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. Ms. Asma Jahangir
Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary killings
OHCHR-UNOG
8-14 Avenue de la Paix
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Fax: +41 22 917 9006
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear
Re: Arbitrary shooting of the police in a crowd
Name of the victim: Dissanayake Mudiayanselage Suranga Sampath Dissanayake
Address of victim: No. 187, Angammana, Gampola
Officers identified: Silva/ Chandrapala, attached to the Gampola police station
Date and time of shooting: 11 January 2004, at about 2:30 am
Place of shooting: by the side of the Gampola, Nuwara Eliya road.
Witnesses: 1. Prassanna Kumara Hapuarachchi
2. Namal
3. Sajith and others
I am shocked to hear about the incident of police brutality that took place on 10 January in Gampola, whereby during a clash between two groups of young people, the police assaulted a large number of spectators, detaining and beating several people. When the police could not disperse the crowd, they went back to the station and returned with firearms, and then arbitrarily began shooting in the crowd, killing Dissanayake Mudiayanselage Suranga Sampath, who had fallen to the ground after being exposed to tear gas. His friends brought him to a nearby bush, and later took him to the Gampola hospital together with a Gampola Municipal Member, where he was pronounced dead.
This is yet another example of the appalling police brutality that continues in Sri Lanka. I strongly urge you to order a thorough investigation of this case and bring those responsible for the assault and killing to court. The perpetrators should be suspended from their service at the police station during the investigation. I further urge you to provide compensation to the victims family, and medical treatment for all those injured during the attack. Lastly, I urge the Sri Lankan government to change this attitude and to take genuine steps to stop the common practice of assault and murder by the police.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
