|
|
4. Disappearances
An unexplained phenomenon that follows arrests is ‘disappearances’. How could a person who had returned from Italy- by the name of Sinniah Sivarasa (40 Years) disappear after boarding the ship "The City Of Trinco"? His luggage bearing his name was found unclaimed though the owner had obviously traveled on the 31st from Trincomalee to Point Pedro. The bag was at the Point Pedro harbour.
There were many instances of people in the Kilinochchi district disappearing in flesh and blood and emerging as skeletons from some trenches or even worse from cesspits. Most of those who disappeared in the area are poor labourers from the hill country who had come to the area to fend for their livelihood and support their families.
We give below the letter we sent to the Anti Harassment committee in Mr Sivarasa’s case.
5th December 2000
Our Ref: FD/AH/75/00
TO:
The Secretary
President’s Committee
on Unlawful Arrests & Harassment,
Colombo – 03.
Dear Sir,
Disappearance of Mr. Sinniah Sivarajah
Here with we are forwarding the photocopy of a letter written by Mrs. Selvarani Sivarajah of Jaffna about the disappearance of her husband. We would much appreciate it if you could investigate the matter and give Mrs. Selvarani Sivarajah any information about the missing Mr. S. Sivarajah. Details of his trip to Jaffna by the ‘City Of Trinco’ are given in the letter written to us by Mrs. Selvarani Sivaraja being forwarded herewith
Thanking you,
Yours faithfully,
Mr. M. K. P. Chandralal
for Secretary
Mrs. Sivarajah Selvarani,
C/o. P. Pathmanathan,
Mortenseema,
Alvai East,
Alvai.
08/09/2000.
Mrs. Chandrika Bandaranayake Kumaratunge,
Honourable President,
Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka,
Presidents House,
Colombo.
Dear Madam,
Disappearance of my husband Sinniah Sivarajah
Most respectfully and with great mental agony, I wish to bring to your kind notice the circumstances that lead to the disappearance of my beloved husband Sinniah Sivarajah.
Our native place is Meesalai (Chavakachcheri). Due to the abnormal conditions prevailing at Chavakachcheri, I am displaced and living with my four children at Alvai-Point Pedro. My eldest daughter is dumb and last son is disabled. The other two are school going. My husband is an ordinary farmer. Owing to the poverty, my husband left Sri Lanka and went to Italy, four months back, disposing all our valuable belongings and borrowing money from neighbours.
On hearing of our displacement and sufferings my husband was highly worried and returned to Sri Lanka. He boarded the ship ‘City of Trinco’ at Trincomalee on 30/08/2000 to come to Point-Pedro. Ticket No. 003952 – Serial No.154. But up-to-date my husband has not returned home.
We went to Point Pedro Jetty and inquired about my husband’s arrival. The Jetty authorities have confirmed that my husband boarded the ship at Trincomalee on 30-08-2000 and according to their records my husband has not reached the destination (Point-Pedro Jetty). In the meantime the travelling bag of my husband which was left behind in the ship was handed over to my son on 07/09/2000, by the Jetty authorities.
The handbag of my husband containing passport and the ticket (return ticket to Italy) are missing and untraceable.
Under the circumstances, I hope that you are well aware of the mental agony of a poor woman who has two disabled children and if happens to be without her husband. Therefore I humbly beg your honour to help me to trace my missing husband please.
Thanking you.
Yours obediently,
(Mrs. Sivarajah Selvarani)
Copies to: -
We reproduce some of our letters to the said committee in the cases of disappearances.
Our Ref: FD/AH/66/00
To: -
The Secretary
Human Rights Commission
Colombo-08
Dear Sir,
Disappearance of Mr. Nadarajah Manoranjan
This has reference to the disappearance of the above mentioned person who was residing at Besco Lodge, Main Street, Colombo – 11. His mother Mrs. Nadarajah Arulsothy aged 51, also residing at Besco Lodge complained to us on the 14th of October 2000, that her son the said Mr. Nadarajah Manoranjan who is an engineering student at the University of Peradeniya, has been missing sinc.e the 27th of September 2000. We were also given to understand by the mother of the missing person namely, Mr. Nadarajah Manoranjan that he is of a slightly unsound mind. We shall be thankful if you could kindly help to trace the missing person Mr. Nadarajah Manoranjan and enable him to join his distressed mother.
Thanking you.
Yours faithfully,
Ms. Maheswary Velautham
Secretary
6th December 2000
Our Ref:FD/AH/66/00
To: -
The Secretary
President’s Committee
on Unlawful Arrests & Harassment,
Colombo-03.
Dear Sir,
Disappearance of Mr. Nadarajah Manoranjan
By our letter Ref. No. FD/AH/66/00 we informed you of the disappearance of the above named. We are glad to inform you that he has been found. As he is of a slightly unsound mind, he has left the lodge on 27/09/00 and has been missing since. He was missing for two months. Some of his friends saw him in Kandy on the road. They phoned the mother the next day and she sent a friend of his to Kandy to bring him to Colombo.
He is not able to explain why he was in Kandy or where he has been. Again he went to Kandy to study on 21st October. But he was arrested by the army who handed him over to the Maradana Police and was detained at the Maradana Police Station for eleven days and the police informed the mother. The mother had him released with the help of a lawyer. Now he is in hospital as he is slightly mentally upset. Especially after the arrest the doctor has advised the mother not to take him back to the lodge. He is being treated by a psychiatrist at the Central Nursing Home at Punchi Borella, said the mother.
Thanking you.
Yours faithfully,
Mrs. Manori Wijewardena
for Secretary
Our Ref: FD/AH/67/00
TO:
The Secretary
President’s Committee
on Unlawful Arrests & Harassment,
Colombo – 03.
Dear Sir,
Disappearance of Mr. Antony Suthas
Mrs. P. Analatpuvanananyagi of Punnery Road, Keeri, Mannar has written to us on 06.09.2000, about her son Mr. P. Antony Suthas who was missing since 21.09.1999.
According to her, her son the said Mr. Antony Suthas a G.C.E O/L student went with one Mr. Haran and one Mr. Alington in search of their fishing nets and OBM Engine which they left behind in the sea off Mullaitivu on 20.09.1999.
While they went in search of the said articles, they saw a ship belonging to the Sri Lankan Navy approaching them. We are given to understand that Mr. Haran and Mr. Antony jumped into the sea and Mr. Alington escaped. Both Mr. Haran and Mr. Antony Suthas were taken by the Navy as seen and reported by Mr. Alington.
We appeal to you on behalf of the distressed mother to help trace her son taken away by the Sri Lankan Navy personnel on 21.09.1999, in the sea off Mullaitivu.
Thanking you.
Yours faithfully,
Ms. Maheswary Velautham
Secretary
Our Ref: FD/AH/68/00
To:
The Secretary
President’s Committee
on Unlawful Arrests & Harassment,
Colombo-03.
Dear Sir,
Missing : Mr. Sivalingam Jeganathan – B 21/05/1980
We have received a complaint from Mrs. S. Punithavathy of Thalaimannar Street, Thalaimannar that her son Mr. Sivalingam Jeganathan aged 20 has been missing since 15th of June 2000.
According to what she has stated, her son Mr.S.Jeganathan was on his way to Sri Lanka from India by boat. On the way the boat capsized. Mr. S. Jeganathan was saved by one Aruchunan. Twenty-three of them survived and came ashore on the 5th Sand dune- at that time they were surrounded by the Sri Lanka Navy and taken by them to the Thalaimannar Camp.
They missed Mr. S. Jeganathan; they came back and took him to the Navy Camp. Those who were fishing at that time were ordered to go ashore. There were the navy personnel on shore too. Hence her son could not have gone ashore.
Mrs. Punithavathy says her son was not handed over to the police. The Navy denies taking him to their camp. Usually those arrested at sea are taken to the Karainagar Navy Camp. She and others saw the ship going towards Jaffna the day after her son was arrested. Those who saw her son being taken to the Thalaimannar Navy Camp are scared to come out as witnesses.
She says she finds it difficult to have her son released for lack of witnesses. As such we request you to look into the matter and have the said boy Mr. S. Jeganathan released to join his distressed mother who later found her house also has been burnt down. Please expedite matters in this case on humanitarian basis.
Thanking you.
Yours faithfully,
Ms. Maheswary Velautham
Secretary
Our Ref: FD/AH/69/00
TO:
The Secretary
President’s Committee
on Unlawful Arrests & Harassment,
Colombo – 03.
Dear Sir,
Disappearance of Mr. Vallipuram Kamalanathan - B 17/05/1969
The individual named above was an employer at the Kathiresan wedding hall. His sister V. Amutha of Colombo-13 has complained to us that the said individual has been missing from 29.08.2000. He was on his way to the Kathiresan wedding hall and left home at 9.30 P.M. but he has not been seen after that. He has recently returned from Switzerland after being there for five years from 1990 – 1995 he is of a slightly unsound mind. The family members have searched for him at the following police stations of Modara, Pettah, Kotahena, Pitakotuwa, Bambalapitiya, Kollupitiya. 4th floor of C.I.D, C.D.B, T.I.D and had drawn a blank. They have also informed the ICRC and HRC, but to no avail.
We request you to kindly do your utmost to trace him and help him join his family. There was his photograph and name published in the Virakesari of 02.10.2000 under the caption "Missing".
Thanking you.
Yours faithfully,
Ms. Maheswary Velautham
Secretary
29th November 2000
Our Ref: FD/AH/74/00
To: -
The Secretary
President’s Committee,
on Unlawful Arrests & Harassment,
Colombo-03.
Dear Sir,
Disappearance of Mr. Mohamed Haniffa Mangalakumar – B 30/12/1980
We wish to bring to your notice the disappearance of the above named. He was last seen on 31/10/2000 at 7.00 a.m. when he went to the temple.
Eye witnesses say he was arrested by the army and taken to Moonamadu Sri Lankan Army Camp. So far he has not been produced before the Magistrate. He was arrested during a cordon and search operation. Relatives have informed Human Rights Commission in Writing. At the time of arrest he had his bicycle license number 55961695 and two rings. It is understood that the bicycle has been later used by the army. We hope you will look into the matter and have him either produced before the Magistrate or released.
Thanking you.
Yours faithfully,
Mrs. Manori Wijewardena
for Secretary
We quote below some more cases of disappearances as reported in the newspapers. Mr. Subramanium Palavadivelan 29 years, was arrested by Sri Lankan Army personnel on 21.07.1996, while he was going somewhere. He has neither been indicted nor allowed to be released on bail to date according to his wife P. Vijitha who complained twice to the Forum for Human Dignity about the arrest .on 7/9/2000. A person by the name of Nagarasa Jeyanantharasa has told the complainant Vijitha, that he met her husband Subramanium Palavadivelan in ward C2 of the Kalutara jail. She now lives in fear as her husband’s life is in danger and has appealed to the Forum to help her.
In Vavuniya several people were arrested on suspicion and to date their where abouts are not known. 29 year old Muthannan Ganeshamoorthy of Koomankulam, 36 year old V. Tharmalingam of Kovilkulam, 22 year old G. Naguleswaran of Kilinochchi, 22 year old P. Sivakumar of Sastrikoolankulam and 21 year old M. Vijeyakumar of Poonthottam, Vavuniya were arrested, witnessed by the people. - Vavuniya in North Sri Lanka holds a record case of disappearances next to Kilinochchi. Unfortunately, those disappeared in Vavuniya have not even reappeared as skeletons!
The following details of disappearances are according to complaints received by us form the kith and kin of the victims. But in many cases the perpetrators are not known.
|
Disapperances |
D1 |
North |
Mannar, Vavuniya, Jaffna |
17 |
|
D2 |
East |
Trinco, Batticaloa, Ampara |
8 |
|
|
D3 |
South |
Rest of the Island |
6 |
|
|
|
