Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that on 5 July 2016, Mr. Kethesawaran and his wife Savithri, residents of Sivanagar in Oddusuddan, Mulativu have been arbitrarily arrested by police officers attached to the Terrorist Investigation Department (TID) and their whereabouts are unknown. The police deny any such arrest, and their relatives fear for their lives.
CASE NARRATIVE:
Mr. Kethesawaran and his wife Savithri, residents of Sivanagar, Oddusuddan in the Mulativu District were illegally arrested by police officers attached to the Terrorist Investigation Department (TID) of the Sri Lanka Police on 5 July 2016.
Mr. Kethesawaran, Savithri and their families have resided in Oddusudan for generations. When the area was under the control of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE), all the residents were forced to undergo military training by the LTTE. Following the cessation of war in 2009, all those so trained by the LTTE were arrested and sent for rehabilitation, including Kethesawaran and Savithri. After their rehabilitation and release by the government, the two got married and led their lives in Oddusudan. Relatives state that neither have ever been accused of any crime or illegal activity.
To their shock, relatives learnt that on the night of July 5, at around 7.30 p.m., while Kethesawaran was in Oddusudan Town, he was arrested by several police officers attached to the TID. He was not given any reason for his arrest, nor was he shown any arrest warrant. He was arrested in full view of the public; the town residents identified the officers as those belonging to the TID in Oddusundan.
On the same night, his wife Savithri was also arrested at their home at Sivanagar, in Oddusuddan. She was also not given any reason for her arrest by the TID officers. Their relatives state that to this date their whereabouts remain unknown.
Family members of both victims have complained several times to the Oddusudan Police Station and to the Vavuniya Headquarters Police Station, where officers have denied any knowledge of such arrests, and have not begun any investigation into the arrest and disappearance of the couple.
Relatives of the couple are worried about their fate, as well as in constant fear for their lives, especially since several ‘white van’ abductions have occurred in the area recently. On 21 June 2016 a businessman of Vavuniya was abducted by an unknown group of men, and in another incident a man who was in refuge at a Church in Mannar was allegedly arrested by the officers said to be attached to the Military Intelligence Operatives; he was later released with severe torture injuries.
The family members of the victims demand justice and the immediate release of Kethesawaran and Savithri.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write to the authorities listed below expressing your concern about this case and requesting an immediate investigation into the allegations of illegal arrest and detention by the TID officers of Sri Lanka Police Department, and the prosecution of those proven to be responsible under the criminal law of the country.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ________,
SRI LANKA: An innocent couple arrested by the TID in Oddusudan
Name of Victims: Mr. Kethesawaran and Savithri of Sivanagar, Oddusuddan in Mulativu District
Alleged perpetrators: Officers attached to the TID
Date of incident: 5 July 2016
Place of incident: Oddusudan Police Division
According to the information I have received, Mr. Mr. Kethesawaran and his wife Savithri, residents of Sivanagar, Oddusuddan in the Mulativu District were illegally arrested by police officers attached to the Terrorist Investigation Department (TID) of the Sri Lanka Police on 5 July 2016.
Mr. Kethesawaran, Savithri and their families have resided in Oddusudan for generations. When the area was under the control of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE), all the residents were forced to undergo military training by the LTTE. Following the cessation of war in 2009, all those so trained by the LTTE were arrested and sent for rehabilitation, including Kethesawaran and Savithri. After their rehabilitation and release by the government, the two got married and led their lives in Oddusudan. Relatives state that neither have ever been accused of any crime or illegal activity.
To their shock, relatives learnt that on the night of July 5, at around 7.30 p.m., while Kethesawaran was in Oddusudan Town, he was arrested by several police officers attached to the TID. He was not given any reason for his arrest, nor was he shown any arrest warrant. He was arrested in full view of the public; the town residents identified the officers as those belonging to the TID in Oddusundan.
On the same night, his wife Savithri was also arrested at their home at Sivanagar, in Oddusuddan. She was also not given any reason for her arrest by the TID officers. Their relatives state that to this date their whereabouts remain unknown.
Family members of both victims have complained several times to the Oddusudan Police Station and to the Vavuniya Headquarters Police Station, where officers have denied any knowledge of such arrests, and have not begun any investigation into the arrest and disappearance of the couple.
Relatives of the couple are worried about their fate, as well as in constant fear for their lives, especially since several ‘white van’ abductions have occurred in the area recently. On 21 June 2016 a businessman of Vavuniya was abducted by an unknown group of men, and in another incident a man who was in refuge at a Church in Mannar was allegedly arrested by the officers said to be attached to the Military Intelligence Operatives; he was later released with severe torture injuries.
The family members of the victims demand justice and the immediate release of Kethesawaran and Savithri.
I request the intervention of your good offices to ensure that the authorities listed below instigate an immediate investigation into the allegations of illegal arrest and detention by the TID officers of Sri Lanka Police Department. The officers involved must also be subjected to internal investigations for the breach of the orders of the Police Department.
Yours sincerely,
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PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. Mr. Pujith Jayasundara
Inspector General of Police
New Secretariat
Colombo 1
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 440440 / 327877
E-mail: igp@police.lk
2. Mr. Jayantha Jayasooriya PC
Attorney General
Attorney General’s Department
Colombo 12
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 436421
E-mail: ag@attorneygeneral.gov.lk
3. 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: npcgen@sltnet.lk or polcom@sltnet.lk
4. Secretary
Human Rights Commission
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
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)
