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6. Prisoners’ condition
Regards the prisoners languishing in the Anuradhapura and Kalutara prisons, we have written to the President’s Committee to have their cases transferred to the Jaffna Courts so that they could be visited by their kith and kin and if bailed out could move freely among their people. We reproduce the letter we wrote and the reply:
FD/AH/60/00 6th July and 7th July2000.EA/NI/AHC dated 10/01/2000
6th July 2000
Our Ref: FD/AH/60/00
To:
The Secretary
President’s Committee
On Unlawful Arrests & Harassment,
Colombo-03.
Dear Sir,
Transferring of prisoners back to Jaffna who are detained under the Emergency Regulation
We wish to bring to your kind notice about the plight of fifty prisoners who were brought from Jaffna. According to the newspapers they were brought to Anuradhapura due to security reasons because of the intensified war situation in Jaffna.
Most of these persons are detained under the Emergency Regulation (E.R). They can be released on bail at the end of three months from the date of remand. Some of these prisoners could have been released on bail if they were in Jaffna. Since they are in Anuradhapura prison, they are unable to come out on bail.
We are told that the courts are now functioning in Jaffna. If the prisoners who are detained under the Emergency Regulation are transferred back to Jaffna they could go out of prison on bail.
We shall be thankful if you could take steps to transfer those prisoners who are detained under Emergency Regulation back to Jaffna.
Thanking you.
Yours faithfully,
Ms. Maheswary Velautham
Secretary
Copy to: Hon. Douglas Devananda, M.P. (Jaffna District)
No. 121, Park Road, Colombo-05.
7th July 2000
Our Ref: FD/AH/60/00
To:-
The Secretary
President’s Committee
on Unlawful Arrests & Harassment,
Colombo-03.
Dear Sir,
Transferring of prisoners back to Jaffna who are detained under the Emergency Regulation.
We write further to our letter of 6th July 2000 regarding the above subject.
We attach herewith a photocopy of a letter we received from the prisoners for your kind information.
We shall be grateful if you could take steps to transfer these prisoners back to Jaffna.
Thanking you.
Yours faithfully,
Ms. Maheswary Velautham
Secretary
Copy to : Hon. Douglas Devananda M.P. (Jaffna District)
No. 121, Park Road,
Colombo-05.
From: -
President’s Committee
on Unlawful Arrests and Harassment
No. 152, Galle Road,
Colombo-03
18th August 2000
EA NI/AHC/JAF
To:-
Ms. Maheswary Velautham LLB
Secretary Forum for Human Dignity
44A-2/1, Dickman’s Road
Colombo-05.
Dear Madam,
Transferring of Prisoners back to Jaffna who are detained under the Emergency Regulation
We refer to your letters dated 6th and 7th July 2000 Yr. Ref FD/AH/60/00 under the above subject and wish to inform you that out of the 41 suspects the following 12 suspects have been taken to Magistrate Court Jaffna and released on bail.
P. Sudabaran (212) M.C. Jaffna case No. B135/2000
B. Pradeepan (213) -do- No. B136/2000
T. Sadanandan (163) -do- No. B90/2000
V. Sudakaran (156) -do- No. B90/2000
K. Gawridaran (157) -do- No. B90/2000
P. Vishnu Kanthan (158) -do- No. B90/2000
Arul Yathshan (164) -do- No. B86/2000
Mohan (199) M.C. Mallakam No. B48/2000
T. Kugadasan (66) M.C Jaffna No. B41/2000
T. Rajitha Kandan (171) No. B98/2000
N. Suresh Kumar (195) No. B128/2000
Vijaya Ruban (170) No. B99/2000
The Committee directed me to inform you to initiate legal proceedings in the Jaffna Magistrate Court so that the other suspects could also be taken to Jaffna as they are waiting for call dates.
Yours faithfully,
M. T. M. A. Deen
for Secretary
President’s Committee
on Unlawful Arrests & Harassment
Deaths at Prisons
K. Navaratnam a prisoner in the Jaffna jail died on 02-04-2000 while in custody. A postmortem report says the deceased had marks on his neck as if he was strangled. There were injuries on his head too. As such CID officer Inspector. Dammika has requested the Magistrate on 24/4 to hold an inquiry and the Magistrate gave permission for it.
On 5/9/2000 one Joseph Jeyaraman 23 years who was being searched for by the Sri Lankan Army was later arrested by the army, informed his relations. Later he was shot close to his house. Reasons for shooting him dead were not given immediately.
The killing of the inmates of the Bindunuwewa rehabilitation camp was condemned by the President who has ordered an immediate inquiry into the incident. A conspiracy is suspected.
One Sinnathamby Vigneswaran (50 years) detained in the Kalutara jail under PTA died of a heart attack while in custody.
While 18 prisoners were taken in a bus to the Maravila Magistrate’s Court for inquiry, one prisoner Nalin Priyantha Bintho (20 Years) showed a grenade and threatened to bomb the bus if 10 of the prisoners were not released. The Negombo police on getting this information, hurried to the spot and police sargeant Wijerama managed to get the bomb from Nalin who was then shot and killed by a prison officer.
A Young prisoner by the name of S. Jeyarajah died when admitted to prison hospital. It is understood that he was assaulted severely while in prison and that only had caused his death.
A prisoner in the Mount Lavinia police station, committed suicide by hanging himself. He was arrested for being associated with house breaking and robbery in Moratuwa, Mount Lavinia and Dehiwela.
Anthonipillai Jesudasan a detainee at the Kalutara Prison was killed in a clash between LTTE suspects and prison guards.
The very recent attack of the Bindunuwewa Rehabilitation camp that housed surrendered members of the LTTE, by armed villagers stands clear proof of the violation of Human Rights in this country. There was a picture of these detainees enjoying a sing song session with hardly any thought that death was on their threshold, published in the Daily Mirror a few nights before this killing on that black Wednesday 25th October. We are grateful to Her Excellency the President who is doing her utmost to right the situation by setting up a Committee on Unlawful Arrests and Harassment. Her Excellency was visibly infuriated at this cowardly act of the members of the majority community and has put her foot down to go into the cause and bring to books the wrong doers.
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