Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the detention and abduction of Sinnavan Stephen Sunthararaj, a human rights defender based in Jaffna, in Sri Lanka’s north, and is gravely concerned for his safety. Sunthararaj was abducted at gunpoint in front of his family by uniformed men less than three hours after being released by the courts. It is the second abduction attempt made on the defender. His colleagues fear that government actors have arranged for him to be killed.
UPDATED INFORMATION: (Based on details given by the victim’s wife, Arulwadana, and his lawyer, Mr. Ratnawail)
As earlier reported, in the first week of March 2009 an attempt was made to abduct Sunthararaj by a group of Special Task Force (STF) officers in a white van. Because a nearby policemen and a colleague intervened, Mr. Stephen was taken instead to the Kollupitiya police station (To see further: AHRC-UAC-031-2009), where a two-month detention order was issued.
On the day of his abduction (on May 7) Mr. Stephen had been released by the Magistrate Court and left at around 2:30pm with his lawyer, to meet his wife and three children at his workplace. A colleague offered to host them that evening and at around 5pm on the way home, they swung by the police station to pick up Mr. Stephen’s passport and national identity card. The lawyer then left the group and the family continued on.
The victim’s car was then stopped by a masked motorbike rider (by the Buddhist Ladies’ College near Turret road junction). One uniformed man aimed a gun at the driver while another dragged Mr. Stephen out of the side door and into a white van. Arulwadana reports that there were plenty of bystanders; and that the men ignored pleas from her family–including her eight-year-old son–not to hurt her husband. He has not been heard from since and the family has received no help or information on his whereabouts from the authorities.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write to the relevant authorities requesting the safe and immediate return of Sinnavan Stephen Sunthararaj. The legitimacy of his second, violent abduction is strongly in question. Please ask that protection and redress be offered to Mr. Stephen and his family on his return.
Please be informed that the AHRC has written a separate letter to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights Defenders and the Question of Torture as well as the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention calling for intervention in this case.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
SRI LANKA: Please immediately intervene to save the life of Mr. Stephen Sunthararaj
Dear _________,
Name of victim: Mr. Sinnavan Stephen Sunthararaj (40) married with three children; resident of 28/4 Hotel Road, Mount Lavenia; programme manager at the Center for Human Rights Development at Aloe Avenue Colombo 3
Name of alleged perpetrators: Officers from Special Task Force soldiers and Criminal Investigation Division attached to Kollupitiya Police Station, Colombo South Dist. II, Colombo South Division, Colombo Range
Date of incident: 7 May 2009
Place of incident: close to the Buddhist Ladies’ College near Turret road junction Kollupitiya, Colombo
I am writing to voice my deep concern regarding the armed abduction of a man by officers of the Special Task Force and Criminal Investigation Division on 7 May 2009 from Kollupitiya. The whereabouts of Sinnavan Stephen Sunthararaj are unknown to his family and lawyer.
According to information received, Special Task Force soldiers tried and failed to abduct the victim back in February. A police officer intervened, and Suntharaj was instead taken to Kollupitiya Police Station, where he was detained for two months. As in other cases regarding human rights defenders, no reason was given for the detention.
On the day of his release by the Magistrate Court (7 May) Mr. Stephen left with his lawyer and went to his workplace to meet his wife and three children. A colleague drove them to the police station to pick up Mr. Stephen’s passport and national identity card and the lawyer then left.
A few minutes later the car carrying the family was stopped by a masked motorbike rider. It was by the Buddhist Ladies’ College near Turret road junction. While one uniformed man aimed a gun at the driver, another dragged Mr. Stephen out of the side door and into a white van. His wife has noted that there were plenty of bystanders, and the men ignored pleas from her family–including her eight-year-old son.
Mr. Stephen has not been heard from since and the family has received no help or information on his whereabouts from the authorities. They are desperately worried for his welfare and long for his safe return.
I am aware that Mr. Stephen has worked in the human rights field for many years and has received numerous threats for his work defending children from abuse. His arrest indicates the seriousness of the attacks made on human rights defenders in Sri Lanka. It also highlights the failure of the authorities to use due process in arresting and detaining persons, and to exercise control over the unprofessional, often brutal operation of the Special Task Forces. Mr. Stephen’s detention and disappearance has caused untold pain and stress to him, his family and friends. It is the duty of the Ministry of Defence and the Sri Lankan government to take immediate steps to find Mr. Stephen, inquire into his abduction and secure his safe release.
Noting that the victim is currently in the custody of Special Task Force Operatives, I also urge protection for him from ill treatment or torture. Finally, I request that those officers responsible for such legal breaches are prosecuted and punished in accordance with the law.
The entire responsibility for this abduction lies with the Sri Lankan government. Abductions, killings and disappearances have long been a part of life in Sri Lanka and the government has done nothing to change this. I urge you to intervene strongly to save the life of Stephen.
Yours sincerely,
—————-
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse
President
C/- Office of the President
Temple Trees 150, Galle Road
Colombo 3
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2472100 / 2446657
E-mail: secretary@presidentsoffice.lk
2. Secretary
Ministry of Defence, Public Security, Law and Order
15/5, Baladaksha Mawatha,
Colombo 3,
SRI LANKA
Fax: 94 11 2 446300 or 421529
Tel: +94 11 2 430860-9, 430878-9 or 435879 (for the secretary)
E-mail: secdef@sltnet.lk
3. Mr. Jayantha Wickramaratne
Inspector General of Police
New Secretariat
Colombo 1
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 440440/327877
E-mail: igp@police.lk
4. Mr. Priyasath Dep
Attorney General
Attorney General’s Department
Colombo 12
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 436421
E-mail: ag@attorneygeneral.gov.lk
5. 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
6. 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
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)
