Political 'Disappearances' Still Rife in Sri Lanka: Rights Group

The war ended in 2009, but a human rights group says people are still disappearing on a regular basis.

Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse spearheaded the first protest movement against the disappearances. [Reuters] Image: Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse

(COLOMBO, Sri Lanka) - Platform for Freedom set up the Wall of Tears memorial ten years ago with photographs of 600 Sri Lankans who it said had been "disappeared".

Platform for Freedom spokesman Brito Fernando told Radio Australia's Asia Pacific that despite a campaign by President Mahinda Rajapakse to end the practice, the group believes there have been 35 such disappearances in the last three months.

He said the government is not taking the issue seriously anymore.

"They're using it as a political thing against their opponents. Very recently some military people were caught red-handed when they were trying to abduct the chairman of a municipality.

"But the government just released them saying that they just went to find some ex-soldiers from the military. So the government is paying no interest in stopping this, the most cruel violence against a human being." he said.

Mr Fernando said the government's attempts at national reconciliation have not been sincere.

"They have built some temples, changed Tamil names into Sinhala and the army presence is much stronger than before.... But the thing is, the Tamil people are unhappy because they don't have the freedom of expression.

"They can't mourn for the 'disappeared', or for the people who were killed, whether they are [Tamil] or not," he said.

The United Nations' Human Rights Council last week passed a resolution urging Sri Lanka to implement the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission.

It also called for a thorough investigation of alleged war crimes committed by both sides during the final phases of the civil war.

Mr Fernando says he doubts the government will act without external pressure.

"We have a history of not implementing commission reports. Sometimes even, they do not publish the reports, so no one knows."

Special thanks to ABC Radio Australia

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2012-03-28/political-disappearances-still-rife-in-sri-lanka-rights-group/653976