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Sri Lanka's Genocidal War - '95 to '01
"In a letter sent to the President of Sri Lanka today (31 August 2000),
Amnesty International urged investigations into an increasing number of
"disappearances" reported over the last two weeks in northern Sri Lanka.
Seven people who were last seen in the hands of security forces in Vavuniya between 10 and
16 August have "disappeared", bringing the total number of
"disappearances" in that city to nine this year. In addition many people have
reportedly been held in secret detention for up to two or three weeks and subjected to
torture.
This deterioration in the human rights situation appears to be linked to attacks on army
camps and convoys apparently carried out by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE).
The killing of two army personnel in a suicide bomb attack on August 16 may have
contributed to the "disappearances". Attacks on the military in 1996 in Jaffna
also appeared to cause soldiers to resort to illegal arrest, torture and
"disappearances". At the that time, more than 500 cases
were reported within three months.
These "disappearances" have taken place in the context of a general
deterioration in human rights following the introduction of emergency regulations in May
2000. The regulations increase the risk of secret detention and
"disappearances".
Amnesty International has expressed concern that the Sri Lankan
authorities decided to reduce the safeguards against the abuse of prisoners and called on
the government to repeal the emergency regulations, or failing that, order a thorough
review to bring them in line with international standards.
"Security concerns cannot justify human rights violations. The Sri Lankan government
must take action to prevent further 'disappearances' and immediately investigate those
that have already taken place," Amnesty International said.
(Source: Amnesty International, International Secretariat, 1 Easton Street, WC1X 8DJ, London, United Kingdom 31 August 2000 AI Index ASA 37/027/2000 News Service Nr. 167)
