Red Cross worker's detention continues

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 September 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Details about the arrest and detention of the Ceylon Red-Cross society's driver, Mr. Thuraisamy Pathmanathan and his prospective wife Ms. P. Mohana, have been published on "Sarinikar", a Tamil newspaper in Sri Lanka.

Mr. Pathmanathan is being held as he allegedly concealed information about the activities of the Liberation Tigers, obtained during his many visits for humanitarian work into LTTE held areas.

However, the paper says that people regularly travel via the Uilamkulam area into and out of the LTTE held Vanni, and as yet no one else has been arrested for the same offense.

On May 29. a UNP parliamentarian, Dr. Jalath Jayawardhane, a devout Christian and Reverend Alexander traveled with proper permissions from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) into the Vanni to attend annual religious ceremonies at Madumatha church.

Mr. Jayawardhane, who is a permanent member of the Red-Cross, arranged the society's vehicle for the travel, and the pair were accompanied by Mr. Sivanathan Kishor, the Ceylon Red-Cross society's Vavuniya branch secretary and the coordinating official for north and east, who was also on an official visit to the area.

The vehicle was driven by Mr. Pathmanathan.

Before their departure from Vavuniya, they had a brief chat with the Sri Lankan military's coordinating officer, Brigadier Vanikasekare at his office. The group later returned on June 1, in keeping with the MoD's conditions. Hence, their travel was well in compliance with Sri Lanka's laws and the recently introduced emergency regulations.

However, five days later, on June 6, Mr. Kishor was interrogated for several hours by a police intelligence official, Mr. Nanthane Munasinghe, at his office in Vavuniya.

Mr. Pathmanathan, who was not available on that day was questioned on June 7, from 8:30am to 11:30am and released.

He was re-arrested at 4pm and questioned through the night, while being held at Vavuniya police station, until 10am next morning.

Mr. Kishor was told by a police official, Mr. Lesly Sarath Ethirisoorye, that his driver has been sent to Colombo for further interrogation.

Mr. Pathmanathan was held on the 4. floor at the police headquarters for a while and produced before a magistrate at the latter's residence on June 10. Mr. Pathmanathan was then held at Makara prison for 10 days and then transferred to Kaluthura prison, where he is believed to be held to this day.

A deformation and basic breach of human rights case was filed at the supreme court, and at a hearing on June 29, the police were granted until October 2 to submit evidence against Mr. Pathmanathan.

Meanwhile, the police in Kurunagale has raided the residence of Mr. Pathmanathan's would be wife, and confiscated various items, including his brother's motor-cycle, his own birth certificate, bank-books, a letter of appointment from the Red-Cross and passport. Ms. Mohana was arrested and detained after her family was questioned at the police station.

Mr. Pathmanathan has been working for the Red-Cross for the past five years under hazardous conditions, transporting the dead bodies of local civilians and combatants from both sides, and many here believe that his and his wife's arrest is based on nothing other than the fact they are Tamils.