More than 1,200 HR violations in Jaffna peninsula in 2008 – HRC report

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 March 2009, 16:04 GMT]
More than 1,200 human rights violations including extra judiciary killings, abductions, forced disappearances, death threats, torture and harassment by Sri Lanka armed forces and paramilitary men have been registered with Jaffna Human Rights Commission (HRC) office in the year 2008 alone, according to the HRC report to Colombo HRC Head Office. SLA soldiers and policemen have been directly accused in around 65 complaints made to HRC Jaffna. The above complaints have been made despite threats not to report these instances to HRC. Meanwhile, a four-member team of key HRC officials is presently in Jaffna to instruct SLA officials on matters related to human rights.

The following categories of human rights violations have been reported with Jaffna HRC in 2008:

• Around 130 persons had been reported missing by their family members.

• More than 90 who had sought protection to their lives due to threat by SLA soldiers and SLA-backed paramilitary men with HRC Jaffna are placed in protective custody in Jaffna prison.

• Nearly 200 of the complaints are on torture while SLA soldiers and policemen have been directly accused in more than 65 of these cases.

• More than 120 had been intimidated by unidentified armed men.

• Nearly 38 extra judicial killings had taken place in shootings and grenade attacks in Jaffna peninsula.

Meanwhile, a four-member team of key officials of Colombo HRC Head Office consisting of 3 Sinhalese and one Tamil are in Jaffna in an assignment to instruct SLA officials in Jaffna on matters related to human rights. Two of the Sinhalese officials are lawyers.

This team was engaged in instructing the SLA officials at Palaali SLA Head Quarters the last two days.