Right of Reply by Sri Lanka 25th Session of the Human Rights Council Agenda Item 4
Posted on March 18th, 2014
Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the UN, Geneva
Mr. President,
Sri Lanka wishes to exercise its right of reply on statements made regarding the arrest and detention of Ms. Balendran Jeyakumari, and the detention of Mr. Ruki Fernando and Father Praveen.
- Investigations revealed that K.P. Selvanayagam a.k.a. Gobi who had been overseas and returned to Sri Lanka was actively involved in reviving the LTTE through regrouping LTTE cadres and recruiting unemployed local youth with the intention of using them for acts of terrorism.
- The intention of these LTTE operatives headed by Gobi had been to recover arms cach©s hidden by the LTTE prior to their defeat.
- The key operative directing the operations, Gobi, had been evading arrest. Following further investigations, the Terrorist Investigations Division (TID) had recovered an arms cach© including mortar and RPG type live ammunition, 3 hand grenades, 2.5 kg claymore bomb and ammunition for T-56 weapons.
- Pursuant to this recovery, and a lead obtained on the whereabouts of Gobi, a team of Police Officers proceeded to the residence of Balendran Jeyakumari in Killinochchi. During the search operation Gobi had fired at the Police, injuring a sub-Inspector and escaped.
- At this residence, the landlady Balendran Jeyakumari and her 13 year old daughter Vibooshika were present. Since suspect Gobi while being armed escaped, a search was carried out on the said residence. A Menelab F-3 type mine detector was recovered. Therefore, Ms. Jeyakumari was placed under arrest on suspicion of aiding and abetting Gobi in his activities.
- As Balendran Jeyakumari had been unable to provide an appropriate caregiver/relative to keep her 13 year old daughter, she was taken along with the mother and produced before the Killinochchi Magistrate. Based on the Magistrate’s order, Vibooshika has been placed under the care of Probation and Child Care Services.
- The aforementioned arrest was made under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). The ICRC has access to all detainees being held at Boossa.
Therefore, it is regrettable that an elected member of the Northern Provincial Council, Ms. Ananthi Sasitharan, has chosen to misrepresent this case in this august body and depict it as an arrest made of a child who had participated in protests. It is also regrettable that Ms. Sasitharan, despite being a member of a provincial administration, has chosen to make statements in the Council using time allocated to two NGOs. We also note that Ms. Sasitharan, in referring in her statements to the Council to “Tamil Eelam”, has failed to adhere to the agreed language of the United Nations, and is in violation of the Constitution she has pledged to uphold as a Provincial Councilor.
The detention on 16th March of Mr. Ruki Fernando and Father Praveen under the PTA were in connection with the aforesaid investigation into attempts to revive the LTTE by operatives, including the recovery of the arms cach© at Vishwamadu and the shooting incident in Dharmapuram involving Gobi. Investigations have revealed that Mr. Fernando and Father Praveen had been in Killinochchi engaging with persons connected to Gobi. Their questioning is continuing at present to ascertain the whereabouts of Gobi and other related operatives.
The above actions taken by the Law Enforcement Authorities of Sri Lanka are well within the existing legal framework and following due process.
This development also underscores the need to be vigilant on the activities of the remnants of the terrorist group, considering its bearing on national security.
Thank you.
18March 2014.
March 18th, 2014 at 1:47 pm
US and UK condemn arrest of Lankan human rights activists
The United States and Britain on Tuesday condemned the Sri Lankan government for the arrest and detention of two human rights activists calling the act unacceptable and further proof for an international probe.
The US said in a statement that it is this kind of ‘ongoing human rights concerns’ that have led many in the international community to push for a UN Human Rights Council resolution on the situation in Lanka.
“With these latest actions, we remain convinced that continued scrutiny by the Human Rights Council is necessary,” read the statement.
British Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire called the arrests of Father Praveen Mahesan, a Tamil Catholic priest and human rights defender, and Ruki Fernando, a Catholic human rights activist from the majority Sinhala community, “deeply concerning” and “not acceptable.” Swire called on the Lankan government to allow the two individuals who have “a strong record of promoting peace, justice and reconciliation across the country” immediate access to lawyers and their families. In contrast to the British minister’s description of Fernando and Father Mahesan, the police on Tuesday said that the rights activists are a threat to the national security.
“The Terrorism Investigation Department (TID) has sufficient evidence to prove that they have been involved in many activities that have been a threat to national security,” police spokesman Ajith Rohana told Khaleej Times. Although the police refused to reveal the nature of the duo’s threat, they stand firm that the two men were “damaging national harmony.”
On Sunday, Fernando and Father Mahesan who were visiting the former de facto capital of the Tamil Tiger rebels were arrested by the TID. Fernando sent a text message — via his cell phone to his friends saying the priest and he were detained at the Kilinochchi police station. The police spokesman confirmed that the two activists remain in custody of the TID in the country’s capital Colombo, and are being interrogated. — news@khaleejtimes.com
March 18th, 2014 at 2:21 pm
Alarming situation. New Parayahoran “Dobi” be may have already escaped.
Dissolve the stupid Eelam Council now ! Wake up bloody fools ! This is what you know, what about what you don’t know ?
March 18th, 2014 at 6:39 pm
Now SL is governed by UNHRC.
We have to JUSTIFY our actions! What a joke.
FOOLS can do further demilitarization, devolution. It is the NPC that CREATED Gobi.
In a way it is good Gobi escaped. That gives us an excuse to hunt down 100 Gobis.
For g~d’s sake DON’T EVER get rid of the PTA.
“We also note that Ms. Sasitharan, in referring in her statements to the Council to “Tamil Eelam”, has failed to adhere to the agreed language of the United Nations, and is in violation of the Constitution she has pledged to uphold as a Provincial Councilor.”
So what happens if you violate the SL constitution? NOTHING! SL constitution is like prostitution. Anyone can violate it with no problem.
March 19th, 2014 at 5:48 am
The UK and US are using a Tamil woman who even tried to lay a wreath at Tamil terrorist leader’s grave to lead charges as the head of UNHCR and punish the government that killed him. It should be clear to everybody that they all are bias. International community is not only US, UK and India that crated the problem. In the mean time MR’s government make use of it to cover it’s short comings and various other parties including some countries too, try to cash in from the situation. To me this is very much a circus and we should not go there again if they vote against SL’s people this time. Neither should we allow anybody to enter our country for their own investigations of war crimes. The whole country knows that there was nothing like that. No war is fought without guns and killing people. Enough is enough. If the current government cannot deal with the situation appropriately people should deal with MR’s government at the end of his current term without allowing him to use this war card ever again..
March 19th, 2014 at 8:19 am
The allegation is that the Tamil mother and daughter mentioned above, were arrested because they were involved in the demonstration against Sri Lanka, when Cameron or some silly man visited Jaffna. If so, why did not they arrest hundreds of other separatists who demonstrated on this occasion?
The truth is, what is stated in the government’s reply at the UNHRC.
The Joke is the wife of a known terrorist leader, is today speaking to world leaders in Geneva, to protect human rights. I do not think she even knows the meaning of human rights, having tolerated the crimes of her husband for so long, or maybe she was too innocent to know about it.
Do we need a dysfunctional UNHRC like this?
March 19th, 2014 at 10:05 am
As I have commented before the chance of a LTTE rising up again is a good possibility. When one takes into account that in Tamil Nadu TESO (Tamil Eelam Supporters Org) & TELO (Tamil Eelam Liberation Org) have been resurrected by Karunanidhi years ago and after the war ended, the determination to realize Eelam by sword or pen continues.
That is why it is so urgent starting with Sinhalese Buddhist families who have military personnel in them be relocated to those Northern and eastern provinces.
The military continues to build up its presence in the northern and eastern province which thankfully it is doing.
That all Buddhist temples destroyed in these provinces be rebuilt and new ones constructed for the purpose of the new Sinhalese migrants.
That Tamils be transferred from the northern and eastern provinces to majority Sinhalese areas where they can find jobs and live in a Buddhist atmosphere.
That the Sri Lankan version of Hinduism which demands animal sacrifice be banned (which a court already has) and the law enforced (which it has not)
The Caste system of the Sri Lankan Hindus be banned in any manner on Sri Lankan soil
Buddhism become the state faith of the land.
And most importantly invite either Russia’s naval fleet access to Sri Lanka in exchange for becoming a member of the CSTO. This last issue is so powerful that it would crush the Tamil Diaspora’s attempts to carve out Eelam, elevate Sri Lanka in the Subcontinent, transfer of military technology, side line the UNHRC, limit India’s interference. to a whole plethora of positive issues that will cement the security of Sri Lanka.
March 19th, 2014 at 1:09 pm
Ananthi woman should be ARRESTED upon arrival in SL.
She has violated the constitution.
Her venom MUST be sterilized.
March 19th, 2014 at 1:57 pm
I think GOSL should try to find employment for the rehabilitated ltte cadres either in SL or abroad. Abroad is better as they too will end up in Canada or some such country and will not be available readily as hard core fighters to be engaged by the terrorists for another war.
March 19th, 2014 at 2:48 pm
For women Thailand jobs will be easy, after all this was what they have been doing under Nordic supervision.
March 19th, 2014 at 3:20 pm
There is a better way to handle the 11,000.
Encourage them to take the BOAT.
ARRANGE boats for them. Some food, water and a time bomb attached to the hull which goes off 4 hours into the journey. We only need 110 boats. We have acptured 250 Endian boats!!
March 20th, 2014 at 3:39 am
alloy
This is 2,500 years problem You have to live with it !!!
Nanda
For women Thailand jobs will be easy- that is job 87,000 war widows are doing now in mother Lanka any way.
Lor
We only need 110 boats. We have acptured 250 Endian boats & you have unused bomb – than what you are waiting for?