Continued Intimidation of Sri Lankan Civil Society
Press Statement
Jen Psaki
Department Spokesperson
Department Spokesperson
Washington, DC
March 21, 2014
The United States is concerned by intensifying pressure on Sri Lankan civil society and human rights activists. We are especially concerned by the detention of well-known human rights defenders Ruki Fernando and Father Praveen Mahesan after they made inquiries regarding the arrest of another activist. While it is encouraging that Mr. Fernando and Father Mahesan have since been released, they continue to face harassment by security forces. We are also aware of reports that additional human rights groups are being targeted for investigation by security forces.
It is disturbing that the Government of Sri Lanka has taken punitive measures against its own brave citizens who have devoted their careers and lives to investigating alleged human rights abuses by both sides during Sri Lanka’s long and brutal civil conflict. These detentions and the continued harassment of those who support the quest for reconciliation and accountability send a chilling effect across Sri Lanka’s vibrant civil society, and undermine Sri Lanka’s proud democratic traditions.
Together with international partners, the United States continues to pursue a resolution on Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council. We are undertaking this action due to our support for the Sri Lankan people and strong concerns about the deteriorating human rights situation in Sri Lanka. We urge the Government of Sri Lanka to ensure human rights and fundamental freedoms for all Sri Lankans, including freedom of speech, freedom of peaceful assembly, and due process of law for those accused of crimes, consistent with Sri Lanka’s international human rights obligations.
Findings Of The Disappearance Commissions
Rajan Hoole
1989: The Eclipse of the JVP and the Perplexity of the Left – Part 6
Two Disappearance Commissions were appointed by President Chandrika Kumaratunge, shortly after she was elected president in November 1994. The one for the Central Zone covering the North- Western, North-Central, Central and Uva Provinces was headed by retired high court judge, Mr. T. Suntheralingam. The other for the Southern Zone covering the Western, Sabragamuva and Southern Provinces was headed by the human rights activist and lawyer Mrs. Manouri Muttetuwegama, the widow of Sarath Muttetuwegama, MP. They went into disappearances dealing mostly with the JVP insurgency of 1987-90. Their findings, based on public testimony, tell us about the different trends in the two zones as well as the criteria employed by the two commissions. The Central Zone Commission (CZC) received 15,045 complaints with 6614 from the Central Province (CP), 3683 from the NWP, 2763 from the NCP and 1985 from the UP. The Southern Zone Commission (SZC) received 8380 complaints and of 5620 complaints in which the perpetrators were identified, those in 4845 of them were from the Security Forces and the remaining 775 of them from the JVP.
There is also a significant difference in the patterns of extra-judicial killing. The killings in the Central Zone peaked about the time of the February 1989 general elections, while in the Southern Zone, the peak was reached in October 1989 – 3052 of the 4845 killings by the Security Forces in the SZ listed took place during the second half of 1989. .Read More
