Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that one more journalist, Sampath Lakmal Silva was found shot and killed on the morning of 2July 2006. Mr. Silva is believed to have been abducted, brought to the scene of his execution and shot, according to the media quoting police sources. Mr. Silva was known to have been writing for several publications, which included Irudina, Lakbima, Sathdina and TNL. He was known to have writing mostly on defense matters.
Early on the morning of 2 July 2006, Mr. Silva left home after receiving two telephone calls. His body was later found in a suburb 10 kilometers south of Colombo. According to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), who was interviewed by the BBC Sinhala Service, the investigations are ongoing and no one has yet been identified as the culprits or arrested.
This killing took place in an atmosphere of intense insecurity arising from the escalation of violence due to the intensification of the conflict of the ethnic issue. This climate provides an easy background for any sort of killing in any part of the country. The abduction of journalists and their murder in this manner has taken place in Colombo during the previous months. Throughout all parts of the country, journalists have been targeted for killing.
While many journalists have been killed, there has been not one single successful prosecution into any of the cases relating to the killings. Under the present circumstances where such killings happen quite frequently, the likelihood of any speedy inquiry or trial is very slim.
In the recent weeks the media has been threatened quite intensely. There were threats of the reactivation of the Press Council for the control of the media. Throughout the country, there is no protective mechanism of any sort to safeguard persons from gross human rights abuses. The AHRC has constantly pointed this out in its statements. (AS-156-2006)
While calling upon the Sri Lankan authorities to investigate this matter, we also call upon, particularly the UN agencies, to address the issue of the complete absence of mechanisms for human rights protection in Sri Lanka.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write letters to the persons listed below and urge them to ensure a fair and impartial investigation into this case. Please ask the Sri Lankan authorities to investigate series of killings of journalists and intimidation on the media that have taken place in recent months.
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To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear _________,
SRI LANKA: The fatal shooting of a journalist points to the complete absence of human rights protection in Sri Lanka
Name of the victim: Sampath Lakmal Silva, a freelance journalist
Alleged perpetrators: Not known
Date of incident: 2 July 2006
I am shocked by the killing of another journalist in Sri Lanka. The killing of journalists is quite routine news now in the country. Whoever may be behind such killings, the actual responsibility for the protection of persons from human rights abuses is with the state.
This latest killing in the very heart of Colombo points to the complete failure of protection in the country. No one can now live in the country with any sense of security.
While the policing system, which has been in serious crisis in recent decades, is now in an even worse situation within the intensification of violence throughout the country, all the independent institutions which were to maintain some supervision over the security situation such as the National Police Commission and the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka do not have any valid legal existence due to the failure to appoint members to the Constitutional Council of Sri Lanka. Thus there is not only an intensification of violence but also complete institutional failure.
It is the duty of the Sri Lankan government as well as the international bodies, particularly the UN agencies, to effectively intervene to bring this situation to an end. I therefore strongly urge you to conduct an effective investigation and a prosecution of the perpetrators of this murder. I also urge you to ensure that effective actions to be taken in order to reestablish the law and order situation in the country.
Yours truly,
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PLEASE SEND LETTERS TO:
1. Mr. K. C. Kamalasabesan
Attorney General
Attorney General's Department
Colombo 12
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 436421
Email: attorney@sri.lanka.net
2. Mr. Chandra Fernando
Inspector General of Police
New Secretariat
Colombo 1
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 440440/327877
Email: chandralaw@police.lk
3. 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
4. Mr. J Thangawelu
DIG Legal
Police Headquarters
Colombo 1
SRI LANKA
Fax: 94 11 2381 394
Email: legaldiv@police.lk
5. National Police Commission
3rd Floor, Rotunda Towers,
109 Galle Road
Colombo 03
SRI LANKA
Tel: +94 11 2 395310
Fax: +94 11 2 395867
E-mail: polcom@sltnet.lk
6. 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 (this is contact for Secretary to President)
Email: secretary@presidentsoffice.lk
7. Hon. Mahinda Samarasinghe
Minister for Disaster Management and Human Rights
Parliamentary Complex
Colombo 1
SRI LANKA
8. Mr. Philip Alston
Special Rapporteur on Extra-judicial, Summary, or Arbitrary Executions
Attn: Lydie Ventre
Room 3-016
c/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 9155
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (ATTN: SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR EXECUTIONS)
Email: lventre@ohchr.org
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ahrchk@ahrchk.org)
