Batticaloa MP raises Rights question

[TamilNet, Sunday, 03 October 1999, 15:13 GMT]
Mr. Joseph Pararajasingham, Member of Parliament for the Batticaloa district has complained to the Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission that the detention of a person at a police station for more than two months is a violation of human rights.

In a letter to Mr.O.S.M.Seneviratne, Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Mr.Pararajasingham has demanded the release of Krishnapillai Perinpam, a Hindu priest immediately or to bring him before a court of law without further delay.

Mr.Joseph Pararajasingham has further told the Human Rights Commission that Krishnapillai Perinpam of Karaveddy in Batticaloa area was arrested on 13th August this year when he was attached to Balamurugan Hindu temple in the Matale area, as a priest. Now he is being detained at the Naula Police station in the Matale area without being produced in court. The continuous detention of a Hindu priest has hurt the feelings of the Tamil people.

He has requested the Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission to take immediate steps to release the Hindu priest or to produce him in court without further delay.

Meanwhile twenty-five Tamil youth were arrested by the Sri Lanka Police at Dambulla in the boarder between Matale and Anuradhapura districts Friday night said sources.

The youths who had come from Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Vavuniya districts to take part in an exhibition. They were arrested around 9 p.m. at the exhibition hall, the sources added.

The police said the youths were arrested as they did not have valid document to stay there.