26 April 2012
OPEN LETTER
HIS EXCELLENCY PRESIDENT MAHINDA RAJAPAKSA
Office of the President,
Temple Trees, 150, Galle Road,
Colombo 3, Sri Lanka
His Excellency President Mahinda Rajapaksa,
The Asian Federation Against Involuntary
Disappearances (AFAD) is a regional federation of human rights
organizations working directly on the issue of enforced or involuntary
disappearances.
The Federation expresses its extreme concern
regarding the reports of harassment and intimidation of woman human
rights defender Mrs. Sandya Ekneligoda by Sri Lankan government
supporter Mr. Douglas Wickramaratne during the side event organized
during the 19th session on the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. Mrs.
Ekneligoda was also allegedly subjected to intimidations by Deputy
Solicitor General Mr. Shavinra Fernando during the Homagama Magistrate
Courts (Colombo district) hearing.
On 19 March 2012, Mr. Wickramaratne reportedly mocked
Mrs. Ekneligoda, stating that she came to Geneva with a smiling face and
therefore is not a victim. Accusations were also thrown by another group
identifying themselves as Sri Lankan Muslims, mocking that Mrs.
Ekneligoda is manipulated by funds from different organizations.
Mrs. Ekneligoda was among the panel of speakers in
the side event with the theme, “Rule of Law and human rights violations
in Sri Lanka: Perspectives from women, minorities and families of
disappeared” during the 19th session of the UN Human Rights Council in
Geneva. Another woman human rights defender, Ms. Farah Mihlar, also
spoke at the same event and was subsequently harassed by the delegates
of the Government of Sri Lanka.
Meanwhile, the incident involving Deputy Solicitor
General Fernando occurred on 26 March 2012 wherein Mrs. Ekneligoda
attended a hearing for an inquiry of a plea to summon former Attorney
General and current Advisor to the Cabinet of Ministers Mr. Mohan Peiris
for a statement he issued to the UN Committee Against Torture on 9
November 2011 claiming that Prageeth Ekneligoda did not disappear but
was residing out of the country.
The line of questioning addressed to Mrs. Ekneligoda
ranged from inquiring of her participation in the UN HRC sessions,
sources of her travel funds and the disclosure of organizations
supporting her travel and accommodation in Geneva, to the nature of how
Mrs. Ekneligoda reacted when her husband went missing.
The Federation believes that the struggle against
enforced disappearance should enable the families of the disappeared to
reach an empowered state wherein they can generate the strength to
continue the fight for justice. Mrs. Ekneligoda is an epitome of a
victim empowered, a woman able to lead the search for the disappeared
and demand for truth and justice without fear.
The harassments experienced by Sandya are a clear
manifestation of how the Sri Lankan government responds to the issue of
enforced disappearance. The incidences belittle the victims of
disappearances and the families’ struggle for truth behind their loved
ones’ disappearance.
In line with this incident, AFAD calls on the Sri
Lankan government to undertake necessary actions to ensure that both
Deputy Solicitor General Mr. Shavinra Fernando and government supporter
Mr. Douglas Wickramaratne will be held accountable for harassing and
intimidating Mrs. Ekneligoda.
The AFAD further reiterates the appeal for the
Rajapaksa administration to sincerely launch investigations on reports
of disappearances committed during the war between the Liberation Tamil
Tigers of Eelam (LTTE), and the disappearances of media workers, human
rights defenders and other civilians. A transparent, fair, impartial and
expeditious investigation should be pursued to determine the fate and
whereabouts of the victims and bring to justice the perpetrators of the
inhumane act.
Thank you.
In defense of human rights,
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MUGIYANTO |
| Chairperson |
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MARY AILEEN D. BACALSO |
| Secretary-General |
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Copy furnished to:
Ms. Shanthi Eva Wanasundara
Attorney General, Attorney General’s Department,
Colombo 12, Sri Lanka
Secretary, Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka,
118, Barnes Place, Colombo 07, Sri Lanka
Inspector General of Police (IGP)
New Secretariat, Colombo 1, Sri Lanka
Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa
Defence Secretary, Ministry Of Defence and Urban Development
15/5, Baladaksha Mawatha, Colombo 03, Sri Lanka
H.E. Ms. Tamara Kunanayakam
Ambassador, Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United
Nations in Geneva
Permanent Mission of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri
Lanka to the United Nations
56 rue De Moillebeau, 5th Floor, 1211 Geneva 19, Switzerland
Dr. Palitha T.B. Kohona
Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the
United Nations in New York
Permanent Mission of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri
Lanka to the United Nations
#630, 3rd Avenue (20th Floor), New York, NY 10017
United States America
Mr. Olivier de Frouville
Chairperson, UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary
Disappearances (UN WGEID)
c/o OHCHR-UNOG CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Mr. Emmanuel Decaux
Chairperson, UN Committee on Enforced Disappearance (CED)
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
Palais Wilson - 52, rue des Pâquis, CH-1201 Geneva, Switzerland
Ms. Margaret SekaggyMs. Sekaggya
Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders
c/o Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights – Palais
Wilson
United Nations Office at Geneva
Mr. Nawalage Bennet Cooray
Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Philippines
7th Floor G.C. Corporate Plaza Building, No. 150 Legaspi Street,
Legaspi Village
Makati City, Philippines
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