- Amnesty International Calls on the Sri Lankan Government
to Prosecute Security Forces Responsible for Disappearances in
Sri Lanka - 7 October 2004
"
August 30 is observed in many parts of the world as the Day of the
Disappeared. Amnesty International has for many years been working
to obtain accountability for the tens of thousands of
"disappearances" that occurred in Sri Lanka in recent decades. As
part of our observance of the Day of the Disappeared, AI has updated
our online action on "disappearances" in Sri Lanka. It can be found
at:
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/action/index.asp?step=2&item=11085
Call on the Sri Lankan government to investigate all the cases of
"disappearances," to compensate the victims or their families and to
bring to justice those found responsible for the "disappearances."
A "disappearance" occurs when someone is arrested by government
forces, or by private forces operating with the government's
consent, and the government then denies all knowledge of the
person's location or status.
AI
opposes "disappearances" in all cases. In Sri Lanka, the security
forces have been responsible for tens of thousands of
"disappearances" in connection with two separate conflicts: the war
between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil separatist group,
the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), as well as the
insurrection in the late 1980s by an opposition group from the
majority Sinhalese community, the People's Liberation Front.
"Disappearance" appeared to be used for two purposes: it facilitated
torture
without accountability and it concealed the killing of
prisoners. In the overwhelming majority of these cases, there have
been virtually no reported prosecutions or convictions.
Impunity for
these crimes continues.
Amnesty is calling on the Sri Lankan government to investigate
all the cases of "disappearances," to compensate the victims or
their families and to bring to justice those found responsible for
the "disappearances."
