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Statements of AFAD
AFAD FOURTH
CONGRESS
1-5 June 2010
AFAD Second Congress
Remembering Munir
AFAD Second Congress
August 26-30, 2003 in Bangkok, Thailand
AFAD’s Mid-Year Report
Ding Zilin's
Message To
Hong Kong
Again, The KONTRAS – IKOHI Office Was Attacked
“ If they are dead, tell us”!
My sons, where are they? |
AFAD Press Statement
28 October 2011
Attempts to Destroy Monument of the Disappeared,
A Grievous Offense Against Victims and Their Families
The Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) joins the
Sri Lankan families of the disappeared victims in remembering their
loved ones subjected to disappearances during the annual commemoration
at the Monument for the Disappeared in Raddoluwa Junction in Seeduwa.,
Sri Lanka. This year is the 21st commemoration of the Monument.
Between 1987 and 1991, disappearances in Sri Lanka had reached 30,000.
These proportions and the failure of the Sri Lankan government to
address the alarming occurrence of disappearances and prosecute
perpetrators led to the construction of the Monument for the Disappeared
in 1991.
The Monument serves as a constant reminder of the atrocities committed
by the Sri Lankan government against its own people. For a couple of
decades, it has become the place for families to honor their disappeared
loved ones – where they grieve, light candles, put flowers and offer
prayers. After more than two decades of annual commemorations, the
Monument continues to stand as a concrete reminder that the cases of
disappearances must not be forgotten. It constantly urges families of
victims and the greater society to continue the search for the truth, to
pursue justice and to prevent recurrence.
With remembering the victims comes the recognition that disappearances
exist and can be committed against anyone. Recent threats of the
Raddoluwa parish priest, Rev. Father Prasad Perera to destroy the
Monument for the Disappeared showed an alarming picture of the malicious
actions to obliterate the memory of the victims. The proposed demolition
of the monument is a manifestation of an evil intention to bury the
truth and for the Sri Lankan public and the rest of the world to
disregard the existence of disappearances in the country.
The attempt to destroy the concrete remembrance of the disappeared
victims is a direct insult to the victims and a grievous offense at
that. It is an obvious disregard of the reality of the injustice
committed against them. It is an affront to the families’ continuing
search for truth and justice for the stolen lives of their loved ones.
On this occasion, the AFAD joins the Families of the Disappeared (FOD)
and its partner organizations in their resistance against the proposed
demolition.
The Monument of the Disappeared should continue to stand as an integral
part of the continuing reconstruction of the desaparecidos’ historical
memory. With the Monument standing conspicuously, the Sri Lankan people
and the rest of the world shall serve as a shadow of the disappeared
that would never leave us. As long as the memories of the victims and
the violation are remembered, the efforts to attain truth and redress
shall not cease. The hope for justice shall remain alive in the hearts
of the families left behind.
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MARY AILEEN D. BACALSO |
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Secretary-General |
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