8/12/2019 Activists in Northern Sri Lanka at Risk
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UA: 70/14 Index: ASA 37/006/2014 Sri Lanka Date: 21 March
2014
URGENT ACTIONACTIVISTS I !"T#$" S"I LA%A AT "IS%Human rights
defenders in Northern Sri Lanka have been arrested detained and
threatened! This has "oin"ided #ith the UN Human Rights Coun"i$
in Geneva "onsideringa reso$ution "a$$ing for an internationa$
investigation into a$$eged #ar "rimes in Sri Lanka!
&r'(inent Sri Lankan h)(an ri*ht+ acti,i+t %a$endran
&e'akumari- .a+ arre+ted a'n* .ith her teena*ed
da)*hter in %iin'chchi- 'rthern Sri Lanka 'n 13 March !icia+
c'nir(ed that +he ha+ een detained the
Terr'ri+t In,e+ti*ati'n Deart(ent 5TID at the ''+a Detenti'n
Centre #er da)*hter .a+ ater t)rned ',er t' the
Deart(ent ' &r'ati'n and Chid Care Ser,ice+
A(ne+t Internati'na ha+ d'c)(ented exten+i,e )+e ' t'rt)re and
'ther i8treat(ent TID 'icer+ in 'th
C''(' and ''+a Detenti'n Centre- and i+ c'ncerned 'r the .eare '
aendran 9eak)(ari The Sri Lankan
a)th'ritie+ cai( +he.a+ arre+ted 'r har')rin* a +)+ect in a
+h''tin*- .hich +he re'rted denied in c')rt
Se,era e'e- inc)din* a r'(inent 'ca Me(er ' &aria(ent- ha,e
acc)+ed the Sri Lankan a)th'ritie+ '
+ta*in* the incident t' ra(e her 9eak)(ari had in'r(ed 'ca ci,i
+'ciet and internati'na (edia in er)arthat +he .a+ ein* ''.ed a
*r') ' )nidentiied indi,id)a+- +ain* +he .a+ terriied
T.' 'ther r'(inent h)(an ri*ht+ deender+- (! )! Rukshan *Ruki+
,ernandoand ,ather -raveen )ahesan
.ere arre+ted )nder the &re,enti'n ' Terr'ri+( Act 5&TA
TID 'n 16 March in %iin'chchi- ater the had
+')*ht t' in,e+ti*ate aendran 9eak)(ari;+ arre+t and en+)re her
da)*hter;+ .eare The .ere reea+ed
.ith')t char*e 'n 1< March- )t are +ti at ri+k ' hara++(ent
and re8arre+t- and ace 'ther re+tricti'n+ 'n their
ri*ht+
-$ease #rite immediate$' in Eng$ish or 'our o#n $anguage. Cain*
'n the Sri Lankan a)th'ritie+ t' reea+e aendran 9eak)(ari- 'r
char*e her .ith a rec'*ni=acri(ina 'ence and tr her r'(t in
acc'rdance .ith internati'na air tria +tandard+> Ur*in* the( t'
en+)re that aendran 9eak)(ari i+ r'tected r'( t'rt)re and 'ther
i8treat(ent- and i+ *i,en) acce++ t' her a.er- a(i and an (edica
attenti'n +he (a re?)ire> Cain* 'n the( t' en+)re the +aet '
")ki ernand' and ather &ra,een Mahe+an- and re(',e
re+tricti'n+aced 'n their ri*ht+ t' iert ' (',e(ent and reed'( '
exre++i'n- a++'ciati'n and eace) a++e(
-LEASE SEN/ A--EALS %E,ORE 0 )A1 0234 TO.
&re+ident
Mahinda "a@aak+a
&re+identia Secretariat-C''(' 1
Sri Lanka
ax: B4 11 244 667 5kee trin*
$(ai: r+ecre+ident+'icek /
aithictak
Sa$utation. 1our E5"e$$en"'
In+ect'r Eenera ' &'ice
% Ian*ak''n
e. Secretariat-
C''(' 1-
Sri Lanka
ax: B4 11 244 0440 5kee trin*
$(ai: i*'icek
Sa$utation. /ear Ins6e"tor Genera$
And "o6ies to:
Att'rne Eenera
#'n Sarath &aitha ernand'
& ! !F 02- #)t+d'r-
C''(' 12-
Sri Lanka
ax: B4 511 243 6421
$(ai:ad(ini+trati'natt'rne*enera*
',k
A$so send "o6ies to di6$omati" re6resentatives a""redited to
'our "ountr'! -$ease insert $o"a$ di6$omati" addresses be$o#.
a(e Addre++ 1 Addre++ 2 Addre++ 3 ax ax n)(er $(ai $(ai addre++
Sa)tati'n Sa)tati'n
&ea+e check .ith ')r +ecti'n 'ice i +endin* aea+ ater the
a',e date
8/12/2019 Activists in Northern Sri Lanka at Risk
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URGENT ACTIONACTIVISTS I !"T#$" S"I LA%A AT "IS%
A//ITIONAL IN,OR)ATION
aendran 9eak)(ari and her da)*hter ha,e aeared r'(inent at
de('n+trati'n+ a*ain+t en'rced di+aearance+-
de(andin* in'r(ati'n a')t aendran 9eak)(ari;+ +'n Mahindan- .h'
+he ha+ +aid .a+ 'rci recr)ited the Lierati'n
Ti*er+ ' Ta(i $ea( 5LTT$ and di+aeared ater +)rrenderin* t'
*',ern(ent 'rce+ in 200B aendran 9eak)(ari and her
da)*hter ha,e a+' acti,e enc')ra*ed 'ther .'(en t' c'(e 'r.ard
.ith c'(aint+ a')t their di+aeared ',ed 'ne+
''.in* aendran 9eak)(ari;+ arre+t- 'ther .'(en de(andin*
acc')ntaiit 'r ae*ed en'rced di+aearance+ t'd Sri
Lankan h)(an ri*ht+ deender+ that the had recei,ed threatenin*
h'ne ca+ r'( the 'ice and .ere a+' .'rried a')t their
+aet
!n 16 March- ''.in* the arre+t ' aendran 9eak)(ari- +ec)rit
'rce+ in %iin'chchi and M)aiti,) a)nched a (a++i,e
+earch 'erati'n in n'rthern di+trict+ 'r a (an the ae*ed .a+ a
'r(er (e(er ' the LTT$ .h' .a+ atte(tin* t' he the
LTT$ Gre*r')H and had ired at 'ice .hen the atte(ted t' arre+t
hi( The +)+ect .a+ n't ')nd- )t +e,era e'e arre+ted'r interr'*ati'n
d)rin* thi+ +.ee .ere re'rted t' ha,e een h+ica a++a)ted- inc)din*
'ne (an .h' atte(ted t' i( the
arre+t ' hi+ r'ther 'th r'ther+ .ere ater reea+ed .ith')t char*e
Search 'erati'n+ c'ntin)ed 'n 20 March in ,ia*e+
et.een M)aiti,) and Va,)nia- .here ('re arre+t+ .ere re'rted
")ki ernand' c)rrent +er,e+ a+ #)(an "i*ht+ ad,i+er t' the I!"M
#)(an "i*ht+ D'c)(entati'n Centre in C''('
ather &ra,een Mahe+an- a Cath'ic rie+t- 'r(er +er,ed a+
Direct'r ' 9ana8a+ed Centre 'r &eace and "ec'nciiati'n
5C&" and i+ a ari+h rie+t in %iin'chchi 'th (en are .e kn'.n
'r their .'rk +)'rtin* ,icti(+ ' h)(an ri*ht+ ,i'ati'n+
and their a(iie+ &'ice in %iin'chchi t'd a c'ncerned c'ea*)e
that ather &ra,een and ")ki ernand' .ere arre+ted 'r
+)in* Ga+e in'r(ati'nH a')t the h)(an ri*ht+ +it)ati'n in the
'rth ' Sri Lanka t' da(a*e Sri Lanka;+ re)tati'n at the U
#)(an "i*ht+ C')nci in Eene,a The !icer8in Char*e ' the
%iin'chchi 'ice t'd a C''('8a+ed a.er that ernand' and
&ra,een .ere )nder +)+ici'n eca)+e the had ,i+ited a(iie+
.h' had '+t a(i (e(er+ in the .ar !icia+ in C''('
ater cai(ed the (en .ere ein* ?)e+ti'ned a')t e'rt+ ' the LTT$
t' Gre*r')H r'( ar'ad 'r that the .ere Gincitin* ,i'encea('n*
c'(()nitie+H
a(e: aendran 9eak)(ari 5 % M ")k+han 5")ki ernand' 5( and ather
&ra,een Mahe+an 5(
Eender:
UA: 70/14 Index: ASA 37/006/2014 I++)e Date: 21 March 2014
