Ian Martin meets Thamil Eelam Police Chief

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 March 2003, 13:15 GMT]
Ian Martin, the former Secretary General of Amnesty International, and special envoy to monitor Human rights dimension in Sri Lanka, met with the members of the Thamil eelam police force, Thursday, for discussions on human rights issues, sources in Vanni said.

Head of Thamil eelam police force, P. Nadesan and Legal advisor to the Thamil eelam judiciary, Professor Somaskandan met with the special envoy. The discussions centered on maintaining the rights of individuals in custody, police officers respecting human rightsduring crime investigations and the corresponding practices in other countries known for their exemplary human rights record, sources close to the meeting said.

Police Inspector of Kilinochchi Police, Ranjith Kumar, welcomed Ian Martin at the Police station and took him around the office premises. Ranjith Kumar also briefed the special envoy on the operational procedures at the Kilinochchi police station.

Ian Martin also was shown the skeletons and other human remains recovered from areas of Vanni of individuals killed by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) during their occupation. Police officers responsible for preserving the human remains provided details of discovery and possible identification of the human remains to the special envoy, police sources said.

Chief of the Corrections Office, Naren, took the special envoy to the areas where the arrested are held in custody and the procedures followed during inquiry.

Ian Martin then met with a few inmates privately and learned from them the situation that prevails in the Corrections department and how they are being treated, sources said.