Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information stating that the main suspect in the alleged rape incident of a female passenger in transit to Kuwait, at the Bandaranaike International Airport (please view our urgent appeal on this case UA-183-2005), Sri Lanka was identified on 28 October 2005 at an identification parade before Negombo Acting Magistrate, Indra Peiris.
A security officer at the airport and main suspect, Mervyn Nissanka Anthony of Mulleriyawa North along with W. Indika Dewapriya Fernando of Amuna Road, Bandarawatte, Seeduwa, Shamindra Tharanga Kumara, of Pahala Ellawala, J.M. Ramesha Dimuthukumara of Elenegoda, Pamunugama, and U.D. Sunil Shantha of Devatagolla, Minuwangoda has been arrested by the airport police and remanded in connection with the incident.
Two of the suspects are security officers, while the others are employees of a janitorial service operating at the airport. The victim of the incident is a resident of Nikadalupotha in Kurunegala.
Negombo Magistrate and Additional District Judge, Kanthi Wanigasekara, remanded the main suspect Mervyn Nissanka Anthony until November 11 and released the others on cash bail of Rs. 5,000 and Rs. 200,000 security bail each.
While the AHRC welcomes this news, we reiterate our strong condemnation of the airport authorities who failed to prevent such incident as a supervision responsibility. Therefore, while we call for a fair trial to be conducted into the rape incident and against those suspected of having committed this dreadful crime, we also urge the Sri Lankan Government to take action against the airport authorities.
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To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear Mr. Fernando,
SRI LANKA: Main suspect identified in alleged rape incident at Bandaranayake International Airport
I write to express my support for the action taken by the Sri Lankan Government in its speedy response to the alleged rape case at Bandaranayake International Airport on 10 October 2005. From the information I have received I have learned that following an identification parade before Negombo Acting Magistrate, Indra Peiris, security officer and main suspect, Mervyn Nissanka Anthony of Mulleriyawa North along with W. Indika Dewapriya Fernando of Amuna Road, Bandarawatte, Seeduwa, Shamindra Tharanga Kumara, of Pahala Ellawala, J.M. Ramesha Dimuthukumara of Elenegoda, Pamunugama, and U.D. Sunil Shantha of Devatagolla, Minuwangoda has been arrested by the airport police and remanded in connection with the incident.
While I applaud this timely response by the government of Sri Lanka, I also ask that action be taken against the airport authorities who failed to prevent such incident as a supervision responsibility. Such failure should not go unnoticed or unpunished, and therefore I request that enquiries are conducted into the responsibility of airport authorities to provide a safe environment for staff and customers alike.
I look forward to your intervention in this matter.
Yours sincerely,
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PLEASE SEND A LETTER TO:
Mr. Chandra Fernando
Inspector General of Police (IGP)
New Secretariat
Colombo 1
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 440440/327877
PLEASE SEND A COPY TO:
1. Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse
Prime Minister
Cambridge Place
Colombo 7
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 682905 / 575454
E-mail: secpm@sltnet.lk or bradmanw@slt.lk
2. Mr. K. C. Kamalasabesan
Attorney General
Attorney General's Department
Colombo 12
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 436 421
3. Dr. Radhika Coomaraswamy
Chairperson
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. Ms. Yakin Erturk
Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women
c/o Ms Lucinda Ohanlon
Room 3-042
OHCHR-UNOG, Palais Wilson,
8-14 Avenue de la Paix,
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 9615
Fax: +41 22 917 9006
Email: lohanlon@ohchr.org
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Desk
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
