Torture

The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka decided on May 29, 2001, that the fundamental rights of H. B. Sriyawathie have been violated by the Mirihana police. She had been illegally arrested, wrongfully detained and tortured while she was in police custody. She was pregnant at the time of her arrest. The court upheld her application and ordered that 150,000 rupees (about US$2,000) be paid to her as compensation.

A Sri Lankan judge has recently ordered the arrest of four members of the security forces (three policemen and one naval officer) for the following gang rape/torture case. The two women victims are currently taking refuge at the Bishop’s residence and there are also fears for the safety of the main witness in the case. This is now the time to act to ensure that the investigation is independent and transparent, that all of the perpetrators are arrested quickly and followed through to prosecutions using the full force of the law. Many members of security forces in Sri Lanka are allowed to go free for horrendous crimes such as this because pressure eases once arrests are made. Please apply pressure now by reading the following information and sending letters as suggested below.

UCHITHA THUSSARA KUMAEA, 33 years old, married and the father of two children, was tortured to death by Police at Ja-ela Police station, Sri Lanka on 24th March, 2001. Mr. Kumaea was arrested by the officers from Ja-ela police station on the morning of 24th March, using a warrant for a minor offence. Mr. Kumaea was sent to the remand prison in Negambo on the evening of the same day.

We have received information about two further cases of torture in Sri Lanka, details of which are following. The Sri Lankan government was praised by the international community for ratifying the UN Convention Against Torture, and for enacting a Law in 1994 making torture punishable by a minimum of 7 years imprisonment. Six years later, there has still not been a single conviction under this law, despite many credible cases of severe torture, such as those described in this appeal. While impunity continues, torture continues. Please read the following cases and take the small action suggested below to push the Sri Lankan government to address this crisis.

URGENT ACTION URGENT ACTION URGENT ACTION URGENT ACTION URGENT URGENT ACTION  ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION – URGENT APPEALS PROGRAM  AHRC UA Index: 001206 06 December 2000  ———————————————————————  UA 41/00: A extreme abuse – need to call for inquiry  SRI LANKA – Kidnapping, Torture and Illegal Detention by Police  ———————————————————————  A group of people arrived at […]

We have received very reliable information describing the torture, molestation and illegal detention of at least 12 women, and 2 minors, in connection with the torture, illegal detention and murder of a man in Chennai, Tamil Nadu State in the South of India. The man murdered is one Nathan, s/o Nagappan of Chennai, who died on Febraury 17, 2000. All of these serious human rights violations were at the hands of the police at the F-1 Chintadripet Police Station, Chennai between the 10th and 17th of February 2000. The events are summarized below. 

AHRC has received a testimony of severe torture from a prisoner, Mr. Michael Edward (Prison No. 2143) of Kandy, who is currently being held at Bogambara Prison and previously at Kalutara Prison. He was taken as a  terrorist suspect by Talathu-oya Police on 21st May 1998. He was kept in police custody until he was […]

AHRC UA990204 Sri Lanka 04 February 1999 ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION URGENT APPEAL BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Name of the Victim : K. R. ANURA SAMPPATH of Veera Puranappu Mawatha, Lakshapathiya, Moratuwa Age : 24 Date of Death : 30 December 1998 Place Of Death : Police Station, Moratuwa, Sri Lanka Anura Sampath was taken to the […]

The ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION urge you to take immediate action on the current Malaysian detentions under Internal Security Law. Further updates on AHRC Urgent Appeal on Malaysia 980922, updates 980923 and 980925. 2 September 1998: Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohammed removed Anwar Ibrahim as deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia 20 September 1998: Anwar Ibrahim […]

Mr.Weerasinghe Arrachige Janaka Chaminda was released on Sunday 9 August 1998. Thanks to the immediate response of Human Rights Organisations. Chaminda was detained at Ja-ela police station on on 6 August 1998 where was severely beaten up by Inspector Weerasinghe. Chaminda was brought before a Magistrate and District Medical Officer (DMO) report was produce by […]

On 6 August 1998 at 3.15 pm, a man named Weerasinghe Arrachige Janaka Chaminda was taken to Ja-ela police station. He was severely beaten up by Inspector Weerasinghe. He was beaten several times during the day and night. A person who went to see him one Milroy was also pulled inside the police station and […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is forwarding an appeal that was posted on Thailand news site Prachatai, asking the government of China to use its leverage to bring reconciliation and peace in Burma. If the email bounces back, please check here: http://en.beijing2008.cn/bocog/contactus/. Please use a different subject line so your email does not […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is forwarding an appeal concerning the torture of a 17-year-old boy, who was falsely accused by soldiers and policemen of being a member of a kidnap-for-ransom group, in Basilan, Mindanao. He is presently detained together with adult offenders in a jail where he was remanded. Asraf Jamiri […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward an appeal update from SUARA RAKYAT MALAYSIA (SUARAM) regarding the assault and medical neglect of detainees by prison wardens in the Sungai Buloh prison. The AHRC joins the call for the prisons department to provide immediate and comprehensive medical treatment to the prisoners, and […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is forwarding to you information from the Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP) regarding the serious case of illegal arrest and detention, torture, maltreatment, and sexual assault on Angelina Bisuña (60), a human rights activists, in Aloran, Misamis Occidental on 8 March 2005. Bisuña, who is […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward an appeal from Front Line regarding the deadly attack on human rights defender FMA Razzak and gouging his eyes and seriously fracturing his hand and leg by the family of an army major of Bangladesh. The appeal is available at: http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/node/15038 . For more information, please […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward an appeal from People’s Watch Tamil Nadu (PWTN) concerning the arrest, detention and subsequent release of a human rights defender, Mr. Kirity Roy, in West Bengal. Roy is associated with MASUM a partner organisation of the PWTN that has jointly undertaken to document of […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission is forwarding to you an appeal from the Reporters Without Borders/Reporters Sans Frontiers regarding the arrests and harassment of Tamil journalists by members of the security forces. It is reported that on December 17 B. Parathipan, a journalist working for the Tamil language daily Thinakkural and his two […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward an appeal from People’s Watch Tamil Nadu concerning the torture, arrest and detention of a lawyer in Madurai. The victim was hospitalised after the incident, though no appropriate actions were taken against the police officers. For more information, please contact: Ms. S. Sabitha National […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward an appeal from World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) regarding the torture and custodial death of a Kyrgyzstani journalist. For more information, please contact: OMCT urgent appeals appeals@list.omct.org Thank you. Urgent Appeals Desk Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) ———————————————————————– The International Secretariat of the World Organisation […]