Summary
On 9 December 2011, human rights
activists Messr. Lalith Weeraraj and Kugan Muruganandan
from Jaffna disappeared after leaving Mr. Muruganandan's house on his motorcycle. The two had been
preparing a press conference for the next day,
International Human Rights Day, which aimed to publicize
a planned public protest for 13 December 2011 in Colombo.
After their disappearance, their families filed
complaints with the police and the International
Committee of the Red Cross. A parliamentarian also wrote
to the Secretary of Defense and the National Human Rights
Commission. Local human rights groups have also held
media briefings and communicated with the United Nations
Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances,
as well as the UN Special Rapporteur on the protection of
human rights defenders. Unofficial sources claim they are
being detained in an unidentified detention centre in the
district of Jaffna. Urgent intervention is needed to
ensure they are brought out and to guarantee their safety
and well-being.
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| Action
Requested Please write polite
letters to the Sri Lankan authorities to show your
concern about these enforced disappearances and urge them
to:
*guarantee the safety and wellbeing of Messrs. Lalith
Kumara Weeraraju and Kugan Muruganandan;
*order an immediate and impartial investigation to
establish the whereabouts of the two men, bring them out,
and sanction those responsible for their enforced
disappearances; and
*ensure that human rights defenders are able to carry out
their legitimate human rights work without fear of
harassment or intimidation, in accordance with the
international obligations of Sri Lanka
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- His Excellency the
President
Mahinda Rajapaksa
Presidential Secretariat
Colombo 1, Sri Lanka
(Salutation:
Your Excellency)
- Inspector General of
Police
N. K. Illangakoon
New Secretariat Colombo 1
Sri Lanka
(Salutation:
Dear Inspector General)
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Fax: +94 11
244 6657
Email: lalith@icta.lk,
secretary@presidentsoffice.lk
Fax: +94 11 244 0440
Email: igp@police.lk
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| and send
copies to: |
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- Defence Secretary
Gotabhaya Rajapaksa
Ministry Of Defence and Urban Development
15/5, Baladaksha Mawatha,
Colombo 03, Sri Lanka
(Salutation:
Dear Defence Secretary)
- Ms. Chandra Ellawala
Secretary, Human Rights Commission
118, Barnes Place, Colombo 07
- Diplomatic
Representatives of Sri Lanka in your
countries..
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Fax: +94 11
254 1529
Email: secdef@sltnet.lk
Fax: +94 2694924
Email: sechrc@slnet.lk
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Sample Letter
Please avoid typing 'cc ACPP' at any part of
your letter but send copies to us separately for
monitoring purpose.
Please note that we prefer you send the letter by post or
fax letter which, from our experience, has served to be
more forceful and effective, and not as easily dismissed
as an email.
to President:
I had been informed by
reliable sources that two human rights activists
in Jaffna, Mr. Lalith Kumar Weeraraj and Mr.
Kugan Muruganandan, have disappeared since 9
December 2011while preparing for a press
conference to be held on Human Rights Day
(December 10). It is alleged that their enforced
disappearance is at the hands of the authorities.
In that press conference, they would have
announced the protest that took place on December
13, 2011 in Colombo and which involved parents
and relatives of people missing since the end of
armed conflict 2009, and called as well for the
release of detainees held without charges since
the end of the war.
These actions, I have learned, are part of their
commitment to human rights promotion. Mr.
Weeraraj in particular has been involved in the
organisation of protest campaigns and press
conferences especially on the issue of enforced
disappearances,the release of political prisoners
and issues faced by internally displaced persons
in the north. He has been threatened several
times by the army and the police in relation to
these political activities. It is clear their
disappearance is a warning against their human
rights activities.
In defense of democracy and human rights, we urge
you now to please investigate these two men's
disappearances, and produce them immediately. We
call on you to guarantee their safety and
wellbeing, as well as punish those responsible
for their enforced disappearance. Further, we
hope that human rights defenders in Sri Lanka are
able to carry out their legitimate human rights
work without fear of harassment or intimidation.
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***Thank
You for Your Continued Support! ***
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Background
Since the civil war ended, there have been many
cases of enforced disappearances, illegal detentions and
other acts of impunity; e.g.in August of this year, an
eyewitness reported the brutal assault of the army on
civilians in Navanthurai village. On 10 December, a group
of 42 Human Rights Defenders (HRDs)from the South of Sri
Lanka were detained by police in Jaffna and prevented
from attending a protest to mark international human
rights day in Jaffna. The disappearance of Weeraraj and
Muruganandan, both human rights defenders, adds to this
picture of impunity and needs urgent intervention to
ensure their safety and wellbing.
Human Rights Activities
Shortly before their disappearance Mr. Weeraraj and Mr.
Muruganandan had been organizing a press conference to be
held in Jaffna on international human rights day. The
press conference was being called to announce a protest
that was planned for December 13, 2011 in Colombo. The
protest (which pushed through as planned) included
parents and relatives of people missing since the end of
armed conflict in 2009, and denounced human rights
violations against Tamil civilians by the Sri Lankan
military and as well as called for the release of
detainees held without charges since the end of the war.
Mr. Lalith Kumar Weeraraj has worked
extensively in the North and East of Sri Lanka. He is the
Jaffna Coordinator of the Movement for People's Struggle (MPS) (Jana Aragala Wiyapaaraya)
launched by a dissident faction of the Peoples Liberation
Front (JVP), a mainstream opposition party in Sri Lanka.
The movement mobilizes people against state repression,
human rights violations against the Tamil minority and
the problems faced by Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)
in the North. MPS launched their campaign at a meeting in
Colombo on 13th December 2011, where they also called for
the immediate release of the missing activists.
Mr. Weeraraj is also an Executive Committee member of 'We Are Sri Lankans'
(WESL), a university student based organization which
promotes and protects the rights of the Tamil people in
order to build national harmony and reconciliation in Sri
Lanka. Mr. Weeraraj has campaigned for the release of
Tamil political detainees and against human rights
violations of HRDs and civilians in the North. He also
worked closely with IDPs calling for better
infrastructure and livelihood opportunities for resettled
or relocated IDPs in the North.
Working on the issue of disappearences in the North and
East, Mr. Weeraraj helped set up committees of Families
of the Disappeared in the Trincomalee, Mannar, Vavuniya,
Killinochchi and Jaffna Districts, and the main organizer
of protest campaigns with families of the disappeared. He
also has recently visited several places of detention in
search of disappeared persons. Through his efforts he was
able to locate two persons who were being held at the
Boossa Detention Center and the TID Head Quarters.
Mr. Muruganandan is a close associate of
Mr. Weeraraj and has been involved in organizing several
protests and campaigns against human rights violations.
Previous Threats and Attacks
Mr. Weeraraj has faced repeated threats, intimidation and
attacks by the military and police in the North due to
his human rights work. He has been warned on several
occasions to stop doing human rights work in the North,
particularly work on enforced disappearances and
arbitrary detention, which the military considered to be
anti-government or political activities.
Actions Taken
Mr. Lalith's father lodged a
complaint with the Kosgama police station regarding the
disappearance on 11th December 2011(Complaint no: CIB
94/133). The family of Mr. Kugan likewise lodged a
complaint with the Achchiweli Police Station on 10th
December 2011 but they have not been given the complaint
number by the police station. Mr. Lalith's father also lodged a complaint with the
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) regarding
the disappearance on 13th December 2011 (Complaint no:
LKC/432333).
Parliamentarian Mr Ajith Kumara sent a written complaint
regarding the disappearance addressed to the Secretary of
Defence Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa on 10th December 2011. He
has also lodged a complaint about the disappearance with
the Jaffna police station on that same day (Complaint no:
CIB 232/79) and with the National Human Rights Commission
on 13th December 2011 (Complaint no: HRC/33852/2011).
Appeal
The Jaffna police told Mr. Ajith Kumara MP, on 10th
December 2011, that the two individuals were not in their
custody. However, no action appears to have been taken to
date to investigate their disappearance.
The families of both Mr. Weeraraj and Mr. Muruganandan,
the WESL and PSM, believe that the Sri Lanka Army is
responsible for the disappearances. The Government has so
far failed to provide any clear information regarding the
two missing men and their whereabouts. The family has
heard through unofficial sources that Mr. Weeraraj and
Mr. Muruganandan are being held at an unidentified
detention center in the Jaffna district but there has
been no official confirmation of this.
Following the statement by Minister Keheliya Rambukwella
to the media, that the two activists 'have not been disappeared, they are there', their family and colleagues believe that
the two activists are currently in Government custody and
hope that they will be produced before a Magistrate. They
call on the Government to provide credible information
regarding the whereabouts of Mr. Weeraraj and Mr. Murugan
and to treat them according to the law.
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