FR petition in SL Supreme Court against detaining Vanni IDPs

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 June 2009, 22:48 GMT]
The Centre for Police Alternatives (CPA) Friday filed a Fundamental Rights Petition in the Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court challenging the detention of hundreds of thousands of Vanni displaced Tamil families in the camps located in Cheddiku'lam and Vavuniyaa under the Emergency Regulations thus violating the fundamental rights of them such as freedom of movement and depriving employment opportunities without restriction, enshrined in the constitution, legal sources said.

The camps where these Vanni IDPs are held behind barbed wire fence are described by the human rights activists as “internment camps”.

Executive Director of the CPA Dr. Pakkiasothy Saravanamuththu has filed the FR petition citing several respondents including Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka Army Jaffna District Commander, Minister of Human Rights and Human Resources and Minister of Rehabilitation and Resettlement, legal sources said.

Meanwhile, two member bench of the Supreme Court last week listed a FR petition for support on June 17 which has been filed on behalf of five IDPs held in camps in Cheddikulam and Vavuniyaa seeking the court to order the respondents to release the petitioners and hand over them to the custody of their relatives.

The petition was filed by Senior Attorney-at-Law Ms Gowrishankary Thavarasa on behalf of five IDPs, legal sources said. The petition was supported before the two-member bench comprised Justice Jagath Balapatebendi and Justice Chandra Ekanayake. Vavuniyaa Government Agent, Vavuniyaa Divisional Secretary, Vanni Army Commander, Jaffna Government Agent, Jaffna Army Commander, Inspector General of Police and the Attorney General have been cited as respondents.

The five petitioners are held at IDP camps at Kodikaamam and Vavuniyaa, legal sources said.

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