WORLD/SRI LANKA: A human rights defender illegally detained and held without charge
A VERY SPECIAL APPEAL-March 20, 2014
Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Ms. Balendran Jayakumari and her daughter Vithushaini (13) both were arrested on 13 March 2014, by officers attached to the Kilinochchi Police Station. Jayakumari has been active in the search of disappeared persons, including members of her own family for several years. She has incontrovertible proof that her son was in the detention of the army but all attempts to learn of his whereabouts or obtain his release have been ignored by the government. It is believed that her arrest is due to the evidence that she holds over the government.
Although it is reported that Vithushaini has been released Jayakumari remains in detention.
This is yet another example of the exceptional collapse of the rule of law in the country.
CASE NARRATIVE:
According to the information received by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) Ms. Balendran Jayakumari and her daughter Vithushaini (13) both were arrested on 13 March 2014, by officers attached to the Kilinochchi Police Station. Although it is reported that Vithushaini has been released Jayakumari remains in detention.
Balendran Jayakumari of No: 5 Musalumpitty, Pullium Pokkanai, Tharmapurum, Killinochchi District was living in the Indian Housing Scheme of Tharmapurum with her daughter Vithushaini who is 13 years of age. Her husband disappeared during the armed conflict in Sri Lanka between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the government.
