Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that Wellawatte police have taken no action during the two-year period since a young student was allegedly arrested by the Criminal Investigation Division (CID). No information has been given to his family and his whereabouts are entirely unknown. The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka has also been aware of the case since 2008.
CASE DETAILS:
Tharmakulasingam Mauran, 25, went missing on his way home from an industrial training programme at Lanka Bell in Kolupitiya, sometime after 4pm on 4 March 2008.
According to the security guard at his compound and the apartment’s owner Mrs. K Poomani, three men arrived at the compound at 5.30 that evening and searched his home. One wore a police uniform and carried a firearm and the others were in civil gear; they arrived together in a blue jeep. The men reportedly showed Maurans national identity card to the security guard and told him that the young man had been arrested and was in their custody for questioning about a credit card issue. They also showed the ID card to Ms. Poomani and identified themselves as from the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) before confiscating a computer CPU, a cloth bag, some wrestling CDs a DVD player and a mobile phone from Mauran’s flat. The event was recorded in the security guard’s entry book.
Mauran’s parents, Mr. Uruththrasingam and Mrs. Tharmakulasigam were not able to raise the interest of any official body, though they registered various complaints and reports, including one at Wellawatte police station in March 2008 with police entry No. 323/74, and others with the Human Rights Commission (HRC/1300/08), the Fort Police, the International Committee of the Red Cross (LKC 427225), the man’s former university and local ministers. No investigation has been started and no contact has been made with witnesses in the two years since he went missing.
This long-term neglect to investigate a disappearance is a clear breach of domestic and international law and questions the accountability and professionalism of CID officers in Sri the country. A wider investigation is clearly needed into the abuse of power by police, and the ways in which officers are circumventing the legal process by using abduction and disappearance tactics, without regard for the rule of law or the protection of basic human rights.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write to the authorities listed below to call their attention to the disappearance of Tharmakulasingam Mauran and to the larger problems of police crime in Sri Lanka. Please call for those involved to be held accountable for their actions before a court.
The AHRC will write to the Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances requesting their intervention in this case.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear __________,
SRI LANKA: No investigation into the two year disappearance of a student after his arrest
Name of victim: Tharmakulasingam Mauran, 25, a third year NDT student at the University of Moratuwa, also undergoing a Industrial training programme at Lanka Bell, Kollupitiya. He was boarding at 19/1, 2/1, Fredrica Road, Colombo 06.
Alleged perpetrators: CID officers
Date of incident: 4 March 2008
Place of incident: Kolupitiya
I am writing to voice my deep concern as to the whereabouts and safety of student Tharmakulasingam Mauran. He went missing on his way home from an industrial training porgramme at Lanka Bel in Kolupitiya on 4 March 2008 over two years ago.
According to the security guard at his compound and the apartments owner Mrs. K Poomani, three men arrived at the compound at 5:30 that evening and searched his home. One wore a police uniform and carried a firearm and the others were in civil gear; they arrived together in a blue jeep. The men reportedly showed Mr. Maurans national identity card to the security guard and matter concerning a credit card. They showed the ID card to Ms. Poomani and identified themselves as from the Criminal Investigation Unit (CID) before confiscating a computer, a cloth bag, some wrestling CDs, a DVD player and, a mobile phone from his flat. The event was recorded in the security guards entry book.
Maurans parents, Mr. Uruththrasingam and Mrs. Tharmakulasigam registered numerous complaints and reports, including one at Wellawatte police station in March 2008 (police entry No. 323/74) and others with the Human Rights Commission (HRC/1300/08), the For Police DIU, the International Committee of the Red Cross (LKC 427225), and the mans former university and local ministers. These complains have not yielded significant action. There has since been no investigation and no contact made with witnesses in the two years since he went missing.
This long-term neglect to investigate a disappearance is a clear breach of domestic and international law and questions the accountability and professionalism of CID officers in the country. Please immediately intervene to see that an investigation is launched to locate Mr. Mauran, after which he must be safely released. Those involved in his abduction must be held legally accountable.
A wider investigation is clearly needed into the abuse of power by police and the ways in which officers are circumventing the legal process by using abduction and disappearance tactics. This is the only way in which regard for the rule of law or the protection of basic human rights can be encouraged in Sri Lanka.
Yours sincerely,
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PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
Mr. Mahinda Balasuriya
Inspector General of Police (IGP),
New Secretariat,
Colombo 1,
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 440440
Mr. Mohan Peiris
Attorney General
Attorney General’s Department
Colombo 12
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 436421
Secretary, National Police Commission,
3rd Floor Rotunda Towers,
109 Galle Road
Colombo 03,
SRI LANKA
Tel/Fax: +94 11 2 395960
E-mail: npcgen@sltnet.lk or polcom@sltnet.lk
Secretary, Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka,
No 108 Barnes Place
Colombo 07
SRI LANKA
Tel: +94 11 2 694 925 / 673 806
Fax: +94 11 2 694 924 / 696 470
E-mail: sechrc@sltnet.lk
Chief Justice,
Office of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka
Superior Courts Complex,
Colombo-12,
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94-11-2437534
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Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrchk.org)
