EU and US condemn attack on Weliamuna's residence
The American Embassy in Colombo released a statement condemning the Attack on human rights lawyer Weliamuna's residence on September 27, 2008. It stated that a hand grenade attack has been made on a human rights lawyer who fearlessly voiced his opinion against corruption abduction and human rights violations and urged the Government to carry out investigation without delay and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Lawyer known for human rights violation litigations and Transparency International (Sri Lanka) Director J.C. Weliamuna's Kohuwela house came under a bomb attack on Saturday night causing damage to the premises. However no causality was reported. Two hand grenades were thrown at the house of the lawyer but only one had exploded and the other grenade was later defused. The house came on attack at around 11 pm when Mr. Weliamuna and his family were in the residence.
European Union in its statement quoted that that it is shocking to note that journalists and human rights lawyers constantly come under attack and urged the civil society to support organizations such as Transparency International and other individuals who voice their opinions. It also requetsed the government to take swift action against the perpetrators.
Mr. Weliamuna is presently appearing for several fundamental rights violation cases, including the case against the arrest and detention of Journalist J.S. Tissanayagam
The HRC suspends issuing complaint forms to families of the disappeared
The Human Rights Commission has suspended issuing complaint forms regarding the disappeared who have in actual fact been detained by the intelligence offers for interrogation. The new measure was taken as result of the extensive campaign taking place claiming that the security forces are behind disappearances, abductions and killings taking place in the island. As the campaign is drawing widespread condemnation internationally, binging disrepute the State, the government has ordered the HRC to stop issuing these complaint forms by late August, revealed M. Remedious, attorney-at-law and Legal Coordinator, CHRD while addressing a seminar titled ‘Global approaches on internal human rights’ organized by the Women’s Development Centre, Jaffna.
DISAPPEARANCES, ABDUCTIONS, KILLINGS, ARRESTS & PRISON SITUATION
In the Jaffna didtrict
M. Remedious
CHRD, Jaffna
OCTOBER
Abduction
Sriskantharajah Keethan (20), a technical college student of Kaneshvaram, Alaveddy, was abducted by a group of unknown gunmen on October 27, 2008. The men arrived in a white van and motorbikes around 5.30 pm and was abducted from a lawyer's house. It is apt to mention that Keethan's brother, Sriskantharajah Kajan is in hiding, since some unknown persons made inquires regarding his whereabouts, three months ago.
Explosives found
1. It is alleged that some army uniform and explosives were found in two Hindu temples in the Valikamam area on 30.09.2008. Thereafter most of the Hindu temples are being checked by the security forces.
Cordon & Search Operation
1. Security forces conducted a cordon search operation at the Vadamarachchi Zonal Educational Department on 03.10.2008, the office was thoroughly checked and security forces got details of the all staff members working at the office.
2. Presently police and army are collecting details of government staff members from their respective departments and office
3. Security forces conducted a search operation in the Point Pedro Ceylon Transport Board Office on 03.10.2008, from 11 am to 2 pm.
Killings
1. Markandu Suthanrajah (28) of Sivakulala Road, Udumpirai West, Udumpirai, was shot dead at Udumpirai junction on 15.10.2008 in the morning. He was in the prison for 10 years and released before one month. He came to Jaffna before 20 days only.
2. Santhiyappillai Stanislous ( 42) of Kaddapirai Kalviyankadu Jaffna, father of 7 children, was shot dead at Amman Road Thirunelvely on 16.10.2008 around 12 noon.
3. A youth was shot dead at Kokuvil on 03.10.2008 around 7pm.
4. Tharmaraja Kobinath (22) of Illavalai Jaffna was shot dead at Dutch Road, Allaveddy on 12 10.2008 around 6.15 pm when he was returning from his work place at Iruppalai.
5. One person was shot dead at Urumpirai Today on 15.10.2008.Arrests
1. Thiyagaraja Suthagaran of Ward No 04, Vellanai, Jaffna was arrested by the Police in connection with a suicide attack on a convoy of the Minister Mithiripala Srisena, at Vellanai on 18.10.2008. He was produced before the Magistrate's Court of Jaffna and obtained order to detain at the Police station until 03.11.2008. He was arrested on the instruction of the Terrorist Investigation Division.
2. After a firing incident at Mahiyapidy, Allaveddy on 30.09.2008, 11 persons including three Hindu priests were arrested and they being detained at the Manipay Police details are
Amirthalinga Sharma Pathmaropa Sharma (24) Hindu PriestKugananthasharma Shomaskantha Sharma (22)Hindu Priest
Nithiyananthasarma Jothysarma ( 26) Hindu Priest
Nagarajah Vijayarajah (61)
Kanthar Sellaiya (67)
Renuka Sriskantharaja (57)
Kanthaiya Satkunarajah ( 61)
Kunarajah Puvanan (22)
Perinpanathan Paramanathan (24)
Nagarajah Nadarajah
Thambaiya Paramasothi
Click here for details of detainees
3. Three persons were arrested by the Nelliady Police on suspicion of many robberies in the Vadamarachchi area.
4. After a hand bomb attack on electricity transformer at Pirampady in Kokuvil area, three persons including a university student were arrested by the Army on 03.10.2008 and all of them were produced before the Magistrates' Court. Jaffna and were remanded. Later on 06.10.2008 they were released on bail. Details are,
1. Balasubramanium Piragalathan is a final year student of the Faculty of Agriculture.
2. N. Rajeswaran
3. M. Uthayakumar
Injured
1. Murukaiya Uthayakumar (42) and his Wife U.Vasanthanayaki were injured during an artillery attack in Mallakam on 22.10.2008 in the early morning hours.
2. Army fired towards the person namely Selvarajah Vijayaratnam who was riding on bicycle during night time. He was injured.
Protective Custody
1. The following persons surrendered to the HRC on 20.10.2008 and requested protect custody as unknown persons were tracing them. They were handed over to the Jaffna Police and later produced before the Magistrate's Court, Jaffna under Case No AR 275/ 08. Now they are under protective custody in the Jaffna Prison, except for Rajendram Karunakala, who is at the Kurunagar Rehabilitation Centre.
1. Nadarajah Suresh (26) of Iyanar Kovilady, Koddikamam is a farmer
2. Ponnu Thayanachandran(38) Of Sooddiyapulam, Vasavilan is a farmer
3. Rajendram Karunakala (27) of Viyavil East, Meesalai, Is a Student
4. Fracis Michel of Inniyady (35) Chankaththanai, Chavakachcheri is tailor
5. Thevarajah Balakrishnan (24) Kerudavil North, Chavakachcheri is carpenter
2. Five persons including one school girl surrendered to HRC on 20.10.2008 and requested protect custody. Presently they are in the Jaffna prison under the protective custody. Details will be sent later
3.Muthukumarasami Baskaran (35) Konavallai Lane, Kokkuvil East, Kokuvil, father of three aged 12, 10 and 1 respectively, a business man and sole bread winner of the family, surrendered to HRC on 6.10.2008 and HRC handed him over to the Jaffna police. The police produced him before the Magistrate's Court, Jaffna and he is under protective custody. According to him he has been harassed by the Army as his brother-in-law is a LTTE sympathizer and he is in Vanni. He applied for security clearance at the Urulu army camp before one year time and it was refused and he was asked to report to the camp once in a week. Accordingly he had been reporting to the camp regularly. During the past three weeks some, unknown person were surrounding his house. He fears for his life.
4. Following persons surrender to HRC on 15.10.2008 and requested to protect custody as some unknown persons were tracing them. They were handed over to Jaffna police and police produced them before the Magistrate's Court, Jaffna under the case No AR/265/08. Presently they are in Jaffna prison under the protective custody. Details are
1. Kathiravel Nadarajah
2. Sinnarajah Mery Kirija
Both of them are of Katpunai, Kantharoodai, Chunnakam
5. Following persons surrendered to HRC on 16.10.2008 and requested to protect custody as some unknown persons were tracing them. They were handed over to Jaffna police and police produced before the Magistrate Court of Jaffna under Case No AR/268/08. Presently they are in Jaffna prison under the protective custody. Details are,
1. Kanagalingam Suresh of Alvai NorthWest, Alvai, Point Pedro
2. Thuraiyan Uthayatheepan of Sarasalai North , Chavakachcheri
3. Velayutham Mugunthan of Valarmathy Community Center, Karaveddy East, Karaveddy, Point Pedro
Missing
1. Balasubramanium Pasam (25) father of one, fisherman and Jayachandran Sayanthan (26) fisherman of Vathirayan, Manatkadu , Vadamarachi East are reported missing since 01.10.2008. They were last seen fishing. It is alleged that while fishing in the LTTE controlled area a Navy boat suddenly fired at them.
Other
1. After the suicide attack on merchant ships, the workers for unloading the goods from ship were not allowed to enter into the high security zone for their work on 22.10.2008.
2. There was heavy firing sound in Karaveddy area on 20.10.2008 in the early morning. It was continued for ten minutes There after Karaveddy area was round up and searched by security forces.
3. The normalcy of Jaffna collapsed due to the strike called by EPDP. All the shops were closed; schools, transport service and other Government office except court were defunct. In many places it was forcibly defunct. In the Jaffna town Kurunagar Market was supposed to be functioning and people also gathered. At that time some EPDP members came on a motorbike and dispersed the crowd. In Court, the officers who are regularly going to the Courts on motorbike, reported to work and others could not report to the work due to non availability of transport.
Tissanayagam's detention beyond 90 days at the TID
Senior journalist J. S. Tissainayagam's detention beyond 90 days at the TID (Terrorist Investigation Division) was questioned when the rights violation petition filed by him was taken up at the Supreme Court on Wednesday, September 10. The bench comprising Justices Asoka de Silva, Jegath Balapatabendi and K. Sripavan noted that the question has to be considered whether a person could be held beyond 90 days at the TID. Both counsel agreed to file written submissions on this question and they will be filed on October 10. The fundamental rights violation petition against the TID officers for alleged arbitrary arrest and detention was filed by the Tissanayagam.
Tissainayagam who was in TID custody was ordered to be transferred to the remand prison, by the Colombo Magistrate, on August 20. The court made this order when the TID informed court that Tissainayagam and two other suspects V. Jesiharan and Valarmathy Vadiwel were arrested under emergency regulation and indicted in the Colombo High Court.
The TID arrested Tissainayagam, the editor of news Web site OutreachSL, and five of his colleagues within a few days in March 2008. He was arrested at the TID premises when he went to see his colleague N. Jesiharan and Valarmathy who were detained there. Three of the group were released later that month, according to the Sri Lankan Free Media Movement. Tissainayagam and two others, OutreachSL manager N. Jasiharan and his wife, remain in custody without charge. It is not clear if Jasiharan and his wife have also been indicted.
Charges against Tissainayagam cite a magazine, North Eastern Monthly, which the journalist edited in 2006, according to his lawyer, M.A. Sumanthiran. CPJ states that two charges relate to articles Tissainayagam wrote for the magazine. The lawyer further stated that the government said the articles incited communal disharmony, an offence under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. A third charge says he furthered an act of terrorism by collecting money from NGOs to publish the magazine, he added.
Fundamental Rights Application was taken up in the Supreme Court on August 20 but the Supreme Court conveniently put it off for another day. Currently Mr. Tissanayagam is at the Welikada Prison Hospital.
The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the Colombo high court’s indictment of journalist J.S. Tissainayagam today on terrorism charges for articles he published in 2006. “We condemn J.S. Tissainayagam’s long detention and harsh charges for publishing a magazine, which should not constitute an offence,” said Bob Dietz , CPJ Asia Program Coordinator.
New Tactics in Human Rights
Tamil handbook ‘New Tactics in Human Rights’ consists of 25 new tactics in human rights and is ideal CBOs and NGOs working in North-East and up country plantation sector. The handbook is available at the CHRD office in Colombo.
CHRD’s annual publication Sentinel focuses, though not exclusively, on civil and political rights as well as the economic, social and cultural rights of the people of Sri Lanka. It also recounts the performance of the institution as well as period reviewed. We welcome comments and contributions from readers in order to develop Sentinel further. Articles of relevance and or suggestions to enhance activities of CHRD are equally valued. Click here to learn more
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Coalition of Civil Society - Nuwaraeliya
Five youths killed in Vavuniya
Loiuse Arbour's Visit to Sri Lanka
Coalition of Civil Society - Kalmunai
Seminars held in the Jaffna District
Muslims in the East - Discussion
Coalition of Civil Society - Batticaloa
Coalition of Civil Society - Vavuniya
UN Human Rights Day Celebrations -
Trincomalee
Coalition of Civil Society
- Bandarawela
Click here to learn more of CHRD activities
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