Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information detailing the torture of a man by police officers attached to the Alawathugoda Police Station. The victim was beaten and humiliated by the police who accused him of being in possession of illicit liquor. They also threatened to disappear him if he did not cooperate. Upon release the victim received medical attention at the Kandy General Hospital.
On 9 July 2006, at about 1.30am, the victim was stopped by the police while he was returning home after attending the funeral home of Gune Ayyas Mother. The police were in civil clothes at the time. They told the victims friends to go away as it was he who they were after. At that point they began to brutally beat the victim.
After beating the victim for some time the police then asked him where the kasippu (illegally made arrack (liquor)) was. The victim maintained that he was not in possession of any kasippu. The police then made the victim take off his shirt and tied this around his mouth. They then put him in their nearby jeep and drove to the police station.
Once at the police station the victim was forced to strip naked and to walk around the building. During this time he was also beaten once more. He was then told to sit on a table where he remained until 6am that morning. At that point Police Officer Hettiarachchi (S.I.) came and warned, “If you don’t tell me the place, even now, I know where you should be left”. When, one of the victims fellow villagers phoned the police station and asked whether he was there, Mr. Hettiarachchi replied “no”. Further, he told the villager that the person in question (the victim)was not taken to the police station. Such a statement led to the victims fears that he might be disappeared.
On July 10 at about 9.30a.m, the victim was released by the police. At 1.30pm he went to the Peradeniya Government Hospital due to the severe pain that he was suffering. As patients were not being admitted that day, the victim instead went to the Kandy General Hospital where he was admitted into ward No. 10. The Judicial Medical Officer attended to him and wrote down his details. He was discharged the following day. Upon his release from hospital the victim approached the Human Rights Office in Katugastota to lodge a complaint.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write a letter to the relevant authorities requesting their intervention in seeking justice for the victim. Those deemed responsible must be brought before a court of law and punished for the crimes they have committed. It must be ensured that the victims medical costs are met and that he receives compensation for the torture inflicted on him.
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SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ______________,
SRI LANKA: Man tortured by Alawathugoda Police
Name of victim: Suppaiya Saundarajan, resident of Hapugollawatta, Vilanagama, Kandy, Sir Lanka; occupation Mason, single.
Names of alleged perpetrators:
1. Mr. Hettiarachchi (Sub Inspector of Police of Alawathugoda Police Station)
2. Mr. Kulathissa (driver)
Place of incident: Vilanagama
Date of incident: 9 July 2006
I write seeking your intervention in bringing justice to yet another torture victim in Sri Lanka. According to the information I have received, the victim was tortured by police officers attached to the Alawathugoda Police Station on 9 July 2006. The victim was beaten and humiliated by the police who accused him of being in possession of illicit liquor. Police Officer Hettiarachchi (S.I.) also threatened to disappear him if he did not cooperate by informing outsiders that the victim was not in his custody. Upon release the victim received medical attention at the Kandy General Hospital. The Judicial Medical Officer attended to him and wrote down his details. He was discharged the following day. Upon his release from hospital the victim approached the Human Rights Office in Katugastota to lodge a complaint.
I trust that you will share in my frustration at the repeated incidents of torture, arbitrary arrest and detention and blatant corruption and cover-up by the police in Sri Lanka. The impunity that police officers enjoy in the country makes the pursuit of justice for victims almost impossible. Such a situation is highly unacceptable and must be remedied without any further delay.
I therefore ask that you take steps to ensure that an investigation is launched into the actions of the accused and if the allegations are found to be true, then charges must be laid. Those deemed responsible must be brought before a court of law and punished for the crimes they have committed. It must be ensured that the victims medical costs are met and that he receives compensation for the torture inflicted on him.
I look forward to your intervention.
Yours sincerely,
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PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. Mr. Chandra Fernando
Inspector General of Police
New Secretariat
Colombo 1
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 440440/327877
Email: chandralaw@police.lk
2. Mr. K. C. Kamalasabesan
Attorney General
Attorney General’s Department
Colombo 12
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 436421
Email: attorney@sri.lanka.net
3. 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
4. Secretary
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
5. 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
6. Prof. Manfred Nowak
Special Rapporteur on the Question of Torture
OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 9230
Fax: +41 22 9179016 (general)
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ahrchk@ahrchk.org)
