Sri Lanka: The government's abduction industry exposed

Asian Human Rights Commission
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In one of the most shameful episodes ever to be revealed the Sri Lankan government's involvement in the 'abduction industry' was exposed last night (April 9) when the government took action to deport Premakumar Gunarathnam alias Ratnayake Mudiyanselage Dayalal who was abducted on April 6, 2012. This abduction brought immediately reactions from the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP), human rights organisations and the Australian government. The Secretary of the Ministry of Defense, Gotabaya Rajapakse initially declared that he was unaware of any such abduction. The Director General of the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS), Lakshman Hulugalle, previous stated to the BBC that there was no reason for the government to arrest Mr. Gunarathnam and Ms. Dimuthu Attigala. Then, even shortly before the deportation Gotabaya Rajapakse told the media that Mr. Gunarathnam would be charged in many cases.

The Police Spokesman, SP Ajith Rohana, now claims that Mr. Gunarathnam was abducted by some unknown persons and brought to Dematagoda and later to the Colombo Crime Division.

This episode clearly exposes the government involvement in abductions. Earlier two officers of the rank of captain from the Sri Lankan military and two other officers were arrested after an attempt to abduct the Mayor of Kolonowara. The photographs of these officers were taken by their captors and published leading to their identification. The government later claimed that they were mistakenly arrested while they were on their way to arrest some army deserters.

The latest incident relating to Mr. Gunarathnam and Ms. Attigala has vividly exposed the government's abduction industry. The number of abductions in recent months has risen to around 60.

As long as Gotabaya Rajapakse remains the Secretary to the Ministry of Defense there is no likelihood of any credible inquiry into the allegations of the government's involvement in these abductions.

The Asian Human Rights Commission calls upon the government to appoint a high level inquiry into the abduction of Mr. Gunarathnam and Ms. Attigala and also all other recent abductions. Unfortunately, we are compelled to state such an inquiry is most unlikely due to the high level position held by Gotabaya Rajapakse who is also President Mahinda Rajapakse's brother.

The Sri Lankan opposition have an obligation to the people to demand such a high level inquiry into this particular incident and all other abductions. The newly formed Frontline Socialist Party and all other political parties need to make it a high priority to take all possible action to stop abductions taking place in Sri Lanka. It is also the duty of all civil society organisations to intervene effectively to ensure that the government takes effective action to remove all those in high positions who are suspected of having links to such abductions.

We also call upon the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navanethem Pillay, to request the Sri Lankan government to initiate a high level inquiry into this particular abduction as well as all reported abduction in recent months.

© AHRC

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Sri Lanka says activist leaving for Australia

AFP | Yahoo! News
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A radical Sri Lankan activist reported by his party to have been abducted has been found safe and is to return to his home in Australia on Tuesday, a police spokesman in Colombo told AFP.

Joint Sri Lankan-Australian citizen Premakumar Gunaratnam, 46, went missing on Friday from Kiribathgoda, north of Colombo, where he was preparing to launch a new political party, according to his family and fellow activists.

"He has told us that he wants to return to Australia," spokesman Ajith Rohana said. "We have given him a security escort to go to the airport."

Rohana said Gunaratnam had already checked in for his flight to Australia. He added that the activist had used a different name while in Sri Lanka.

Officials in Colombo had earlier insisted that no Australian national named Premakumar Gunaratnam had recently entered the country.

There was no immediate comment from his party or his family in Australia.

Gunaratnam is the leader of a breakaway faction of the JVP, or People's Liberation Front. The JVP led two failed bids to violently overthrow governments in 1971 and 1987 in campaigns that left up to 100,000 people dead.

Australia pressed Sri Lanka for urgent clarification on his whereabouts and a foreign office spokeswoman said Tuesday that he had been accounted for.

Gunaratnam's family said that he had been abducted by an armed group, with his Frontline Socialist Party splinter group blaming the "state and government".

Colombo denied any involvement in Gunaratnam's disappearance.

Rights groups have reported dozens of abductions since the end of the island's civil war in 2009, but at least some of the incidents appear to have been private disputes or underworld activities.

© AFP

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