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UPDATE (Sri Lanka): Killing and disappearance of 57 humanitarian workers reported

September 5, 2007

UPDATE ON URGENT APPEAL UPDATE ON URGETN APPEAL UPDATE ON URGENT APPEAL

ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION – URGENT APPEALS PROGRAMME

Update on Urgent Appeal 

6 September 2007

[RE: UP-061-2007: SRI LANKA: List of another 22 disappeared persons; UA-113-2007: SRI LANKA: List of 81 disappeared documented for the last 8 months]
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UP-117-2007: SRI LANKA: Killing and disappearance of 57 humanitarian workers reported

SRI LANKA: Extrajudicial killing; disappearance; collapse of rule of law
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Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) regrets to inform you that 57 humanitarian workers have either been killed or subjected to forced disappearance since last year in Sri Lanka. The AHRC has earlier reported the list of 81 and 22 disappeared persons respectively (See further: UP-061-2007). This detailed information, recently received from a reliable source (the name of which is withheld for security reason), reveals that 14 humanitarian workers have disappeared and 43 out of that number have been killed.

This alarming escalation of human rights abuses over the past years clearly shows that existing domestic mechanisms for the protection of civilians and delivering justice have totally failed to deter perpetrators. Even though extrajudicial killings and the disappearance of civilians, including humanitarian workers have been ongoing, the government has acted as a bystander rather than as the organisation responsible for the protection of its citizens.

The AHRC was also informed that this report has already been addressed to the relevant government authorities. However, no serious investigation has been initiated so far.

UPDATED LIST OF KILLED AND DISAPPEARED PERSONS:

1. Full name & Organisation: Mr. T. Tharmasiri (28), Danish Demining Group (DDG), Date & Place of disappearance: 11 January 2006, Point Pedro, Jaffna

2. Full name & Organisation: Mr. N. Kandeepan (30), Danish Demining Group, Date & Place of disappearance: 11 January 2006, Point Pedro, Jaffna

3. Full name & Organisation: Mr. Kasinathar Ganeshalingam, Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO), Date & Place of disappearance: 29 January 2006, Batticaloa

4. Full name & Organisation: Mr. Kathirkamar Thangarasa, Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO), Date & Place of disappearance: 29 January 2006, Batticaloa

5. Full name & Organisation: Ms. Thanushkodi Premini, Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO), Date & Place of disappearance: 30 January 2006, Batticaloa

6. Full name & Organisation: Mr. Shanmuganathan Sujendran, Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO), Date & Place of disappearance: 30 January 2006, Batticaloa

7. Full name & Organisation: Mr. Thambiraja Vasantharajan, Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO), Date & Place of disappearance: 30 January 2006, Batticaloa

8. Full name & Organisation: Mr. Kailasapillai Ravindran, Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO), Date & Place of disappearance: 30 January 2006, Batticaloa

9. Full name & Organisation: Mr. Arulthavarasa Satheesharan, Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO), Date & Place of disappearance: 30 January 2006, Batticaloa

10. Full name & Organisation: Mr. Gunaratnam Logithas (23), HALO Trust, Date & Place of disappearance: 4 February 2006, Jaffna

11. Full name & Organisation: Mr. Parameswaran, Mines Advisory Group (MAG), Date & Place of disappearance: 17 February 2006, Batticaloa

12. Full name & Organisation: Mr. Shanmugaratnam Pathmanathan (55), HUDEC – Caritas Jaffna, Date & Place of killing: 9 April 2006, Jaffna

13. Full name & Organisation: Mr. Chelvendra Pradeepkumar (29), HUDEC – Caritas Jaffna, Date & Place of killing: 9 April 2006, Jaffna

14. Full name & Organisation: Mr. Jeyaruban Gnanapragasam, Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Date & Place of killing: 16 May 2006, Vavuniya

15. Full name & Organisation: Mr. Ratnam Ratnaraja (48), North East Irrigated Agriculture Project (NEIAP), Date & Place of killing: 26 May 2006, Kalviyankadu, Batticaloa

16. Full name & Organisation: Mr. Krishnapillai Kamalanathan (26), Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO), Date & Place of disappearance: 2 July 2006, Valachenai, Batticaloa

17. Full name & Organisation: Mr. Rasiah Muraleeswaran (42), Mason in a Tsunami Housing Scheme funded by FORUT, Date & Place of killing: 8 July 2006, Polikandy, Vadamarachchy,
Jaffna

18. Full name & Organisation: Ms. Kokilavathani (29), Action Contre la Faim, Date & Place of killing: 5 August 2006, Mutur, Trincomalee

19. Full name & Organisation: Ms. Romila (25), Action Contre la Faim, Date & Place of killing:
5 August 2006, Mutur, Trincomalee

20. Full name & Organisation: Ms. Kavitha (27), Action Contre la Faim, Date & Place of killing:
5 August 2006, Mutur, Trincomalee

21. Full name & Organisation: Mr. Kovarthani (28), Action Contre la Faim, Date & Place of killing: 5 August 2006, Mutur, Trincomalee

22. Full name & Organisation: Mr. A.L. Mohammed Jawffar (31), Action Contre la Faim, Date & Place of killing: 5 August 2006, Mutur, Trincomalee

23. Full name & Organisation: Mr. Sritharan (36), Action Contre la Faim, Date & Place of killing: 5 August 2006, Mutur, Trincomalee

24. Full name & Organisation: Mr. Kodeeswaran (31), Action Contre la Faim, Date & Place of killing: 5 August 2006, Mutur, Trincomalee

25. Full name & Organisation: Mr. Jaseelan (27), Action Contre la Faim, Date & Place of killing: 5 August 2006, Mutur, Trincomalee

26. Full name & Organisation: Mr. Ganesh (54), Action Contre la Faim, Date & Place of killing: 5 August 2006, Mutur, Trincomalee

27. Full name & Organisation: Mr. Narmathan (24), Action Contre la Faim, Date & Place of killing: 5 August 2006, Mutur, Trincomalee

28. Full name & Organisation: Mr. Ketheswaran (36), Action Contre la Faim, Date & Place of killing: 5 August 2006, Mutur, Trincomalee

29. Full name & Organisation: Mr. Rishikesan (27), Action Contre la Faim, Date & Place of killing: 5 August 2006, Mutur, Trincomalee

30. Full name & Organisation: Mr. Muralitharan (34), Action Contre la Faim, Date & Place of killing: 5 August 2006, Mutur, Trincomalee

31. Full name & Organisation: Mr. Arulrajah (24), Action Contre la Faim, Date & Place of killing: 5 August 2006, Mutur, Trincomalee

32. Full name & Organisation: Mr. Pratheepan (24), Action Contre la Faim, Date & Place of killing: 5 August 2007, Mutur, Trincomalee

33. Full name & Organisation: Mr. Koneswaran (24), Action Contre la Faim, Date & Place of killing: 5 August 2006, Mutur, Trincomalee

34. Full name & Organisation: Mr. Anantharajah (32), Action Contre la Faim, Date & Place of killing: 5 August 2006, Mutur, Trincomalee

35. Full name & Organisation: Mr. Nagarasa Thavaranjitham (23), Sri Lanka Red Cross Society, Date & Place of killing: 20 August 2006, Cheddikulam, Vavuniya

36. Full name & Organisation: Mr. P. Jestly Julian, UNOPS, Date & Place of killing: 24 August 2006, Thirukkovil, Ampara

37. Full name & Organisation: Mr. Sathiyamoorthey (25), Sewalanka, Date & Place of killing: 1 September 2006, Karavedyy, Jaffna

38. Full name & Organisation: Mr. Ragunathan Ramalingam (31), World Concern, Date & Place of killing: 12 September 2006, Nilaveli Road, Trincomalee

39. Full name & Organisation: Mr. Charles Huston Ravindran (30), HALO Trust, Date & Place of disappearance: 17 November 2006, Jaffna

40. Full name & Organisation: Mr. Sabaratnam Rubesh (31), Terre des Hommes, Date & Place of killing: 23 November 2006, Kalmunai, Ampara

------ Abductions and Killings of humanitarian workers in 2007 ------

41. Full name & Organisation: Mr. Subramaniam Parameswaran, HALO Trust, Date & Place of disappearance: 4 January 2007, Jaffna

42. Full name & Organisation: Mr. Nagarasa Narenthiran (27), HALO Trust, Date & Place of disappearance: 9 February 2007, Jaffna

43. Full name & Organisation: Mr. C. Rajendran (35), HALO Trust, Date & Place of disappearance: 9 February 2007, Jaffna

44. Full name & Organisation: Mr. Muthuraja Aruleswaran, Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO), Date & Place of killing: 24 March 2007, Mannar

45. Full name & Organisation: Mr. W. Chandrasiri, Village of Hope, Date & Place of killing: 1 April 2007, Maliampaaveli, Batticaloa

46. Full name & Organisation: Mr. T. M. Dhanapala, Village of Hope, Date & Place of killing: 1 April 2007, Mailampassveli, Batticaloa

47. Full name & Organisation: Mr. W. Dhanapala (18), Village of Hope, Date & Place of killing: 1 April 2007, Mailampassveli, Batticaloa

48. Full name & Organisation: Mr. T. Wijekoon, Village of Hope, Date & Place of killing: 1 April 2007, Mailampassveli, Batticaloa

49. Full name & Organisation: Mr. L. M. Dayananda Kapporal, Village of Hope, Date & Place of killing: 1 April 2007, Mailampassveli, Batticaloa

50. Full name & Organisation: Mr. Maduranga Kapporal, Village of Hope, Date & Place of killing: 1 April 2007, Mailampassveli, Batticaloa

51. Full name & Organisation: Mr. S. Shanmugalingam, Sri Lanka Red Cross Society, Date & Place of abducted and killed: 2 June 2007, Colombo/Ratnapura

52. Full name & Organisation: Mr. Karthakesu Chandramohan, Sri Lanka Red Cross Society, Date & Place of abducted and killed: 2 June 2007, Colombo/Ratnapura

53. Full name & Organisation: Mr. Sivarasa Vimalarasa (20), Sri Lanka Red Cross Society, Date & Place of disappearance: 19 June 2007, Jaffna

54. Full name & Organisation: Mr. Sivalingam Prabakaran (34), Danish Demining Group (DDG), Date & Place of disappearance: 18 July 2007, Jaffna

55. Full name & Organisation: Mr. Arumainayagam Alloysius (26), Danish Refugee Council, Date & Place of killing: 23 July 2007, Jaffna

56. Full name & Organisation: Mr. Mohamed Zavahir Mohamed, Methodist Community Organisation for Refugees (UMCOR), Date & Place of disappearance: 6 August 2007, Trincomalee

57. Full name & Organisation: Mr. Sivasamy Sritharan (31), Danish Demining Group (DDG), Date & Place of killing: 20 August 2007, Kasthooriar road, Jaffna
 
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write letters to government authorities listed below and express your deep concern ongoing extrajudicial killings and disappearances of humanitarian workers.

To support this appeal, please click here:

Suggested letter:

Dear __________,

SRI LANKA: Please start investigation

I am writing to voice my deep concern regarding killings and disappearances of 57 humanitarian workers from last year in Sri Lanka.

According to the information recently received, 14 humanitarian workers have disappeared and 43 humanitarian workers have been killed from last year so far. Besides this report, I have also been informed by the Asian Human Rights Commission earlier this year of the list of 81 and 22 disappeared persons in 5 April 2007 and 30 April 2007 respectively.

This alarming escalation of human rights abuses over the past years clearly shows that existing domestic mechanisms for the protection of civilians and delivering justice have totally collapsed to deter perpetrators. Even though extrajudicial killings and disappearance of civilians without exception of humanitarian workers have been ongoing, along with gross and systematic human rights abuses throughout the island, the government has acted as a bystander rather than as a main responsible organisation to stop.

I have no doubt you agree with my opinion that the citizens of the island has been once again indulged into the same 'reign of terror' as the country was in late of 1980s and in early in 1970s when killings and disappearances were endemic over the island. Those affected families have still lived with deep frustrations by the government's inaction to bring the justice to the family and prosecute those responsible despite of the results by the presidential commissions on disappearances. These gross human rights abuses will never be eliminated if you do not take any serious action to prosecute the responsible of those crimes. The collapse of this system now leaves the whole citizens of the island behind in a same situation of the unresolved past.

I am also informed that this report has already been addressed to the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka but no serious actions have been initiated so far. Therefore, I urge you to take genuine steps to investigate these cases without delay and bring the justice to the family of the victims by punishing those responsible. I further urge you to take all efforts to stop this ongoing killings and disappearances in the country with recovery of the domestic systems.

I look forward to your prompt action into this case.

Yours sincerely,


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PLEASE SEND LETTERS TO:

1. Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse
President
Socialist Democratic Republic of Sri Lanka
C/- Office of the President
Temple Trees
150, Galle Road
Colombo 3
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2472100 / +94 11 2446657
Email: secretary@presidentsoffice.lk

2. Mr. Ratnasiri Wickremanayake
Prime Minister
Temple Trees
Galle Road, Colombo 03
SRI LANKA
Tel: +94 11 2 575317-8 or 370 737-8
Fax: +94 11 2 575454

3. Hon. Amarasiri Dodangoda, MP
Minister of Justice
Ministry of Justice and Law Reforms
Superior Courts Complex,
Colombo 12
Tel: 94 11 2384837, 2324681, 2392932
Fax: 94 11 2325354 / 2445446

4. Hon. Rohitha Bogollagama, MP
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mnistry of Foreign Affairs
Republic Building, Colombo 01,
Sri Lanka
Tel: +94-11-2325371 / 5
Fax: +94-11-2446091
Email: publicity@formin.gov.lk

5. Secretary
Ministry of Defence, Public Security, Law and Order
15/5, Baladaksha Mawatha,
Colombo 03,
SRI LANKA
Tel: 94-11 2 430860-9, 430878-9 or 435879 (for the secretary)
Fax: 94 11 2 446300 or 421529
E-mail: secdef@sltnet.lk

6. Mr. Victor Perera
Inspector General of Police
New Secretariat
Colombo 1
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 440440/327877
E-mail: igp@police.lk

7. Mr. Neville Piyadigama
Chairperson
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 

8. Mr. C.R. De Silva
Attorney General
Attorney General's Department
Colombo 12
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 436421
Email: attorney@sri.lanka.net

9. Secretary
Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka
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@ahrchk.org)

Document Type :
Urgent Appeal Update
Document ID :
UP-117-2007
Countries :
Issues :
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Extended Introduction: Urgent Appeals, theory and practice

A need for dialogue

Many people across Asia are frustrated by the widespread lack of respect for human rights in their countries.  Some may be unhappy about the limitations on the freedom of expression or restrictions on privacy, while some are affected by police brutality and military killings.  Many others are frustrated with the absence of rights on labour issues, the environment, gender and the like. 

Yet the expression of this frustration tends to stay firmly in the private sphere.  People complain among friends and family and within their social circles, but often on a low profile basis. This kind of public discourse is not usually an effective measure of the situation in a country because it is so hard to monitor. 

Though the media may cover the issues in a broad manner they rarely broadcast the private fears and anxieties of the average person.  And along with censorship – a common blight in Asia – there is also often a conscious attempt in the media to reflect a positive or at least sober mood at home, where expressions of domestic malcontent are discouraged as unfashionably unpatriotic. Talking about issues like torture is rarely encouraged in the public realm.

There may also be unwritten, possibly unconscious social taboos that stop the public reflection of private grievances.  Where authoritarian control is tight, sophisticated strategies are put into play by equally sophisticated media practices to keep complaints out of the public space, sometimes very subtly.  In other places an inner consensus is influenced by the privileged section of a society, which can control social expression of those less fortunate.  Moral and ethical qualms can also be an obstacle.

In this way, causes for complaint go unaddressed, un-discussed and unresolved and oppression in its many forms, self perpetuates.  For any action to arise out of private frustration, people need ways to get these issues into the public sphere.

Changing society

In the past bridging this gap was a formidable task; it relied on channels of public expression that required money and were therefore controlled by investors.  Printing presses were expensive, which blocked the gate to expression to anyone without money.  Except in times of revolution the media in Asia has tended to serve the well-off and sideline or misrepresent the poor.

Still, thanks to the IT revolution it is now possible to communicate with large audiences at little cost.  In this situation there is a real avenue for taking issues from private to public, regardless of the class or caste of the individual.

Practical action

The AHRC Urgent Appeals system was created to give a voice to those affected by human rights violations, and by doing so, to create a network of support and open avenues for action.  If X’s freedom of expression is denied, if Y is tortured by someone in power or if Z finds his or her labour rights abused, the incident can be swiftly and effectively broadcast and dealt with. The resulting solidarity can lead to action, resolution and change. And as more people understand their rights and follow suit, as the human rights consciousness grows, change happens faster. The Internet has become one of the human rights community’s most powerful tools.   

At the core of the Urgent Appeals Program is the recording of human rights violations at a grass roots level with objectivity, sympathy and competence. Our information is firstly gathered on the ground, close to the victim of the violation, and is then broadcast by a team of advocates, who can apply decades of experience in the field and a working knowledge of the international human rights arena. The flow of information – due to domestic restrictions – often goes from the source and out to the international community via our program, which then builds a pressure for action that steadily makes its way back to the source through his or her own government.   However these cases in bulk create a narrative – and this is most important aspect of our program. As noted by Sri Lankan human rights lawyer and director of the Asian Human Rights Commission, Basil Fernando:

"The urgent appeal introduces narrative as the driving force for social change. This idea was well expressed in the film Amistad, regarding the issue of slavery. The old man in the film, former president and lawyer, states that to resolve this historical problem it is very essential to know the narrative of the people. It was on this basis that a court case is conducted later. The AHRC establishes the narrative of human rights violations through the urgent appeals. If the narrative is right, the organisation will be doing all right."

Patterns start to emerge as violations are documented across the continent, allowing us to take a more authoritative, systemic response, and to pinpoint the systems within each country that are breaking down. This way we are able to discover and explain why and how violations take place, and how they can most effectively be addressed. On this path, larger audiences have opened up to us and become involved: international NGOs and think tanks, national human rights commissions and United Nations bodies.  The program and its coordinators have become a well-used tool for the international media and for human rights education programs. All this helps pave the way for radical reforms to improve, protect and to promote human rights in the region.