Sri Lanka: Disgusting! Suspect wants water – Police Sgt. urinates in his mouth

 RUWAN LAKNATH JAYAKODY AND SAMAN WADUGE

On 8 May 2014, Sanjeewa having received a call from his mother on 4 May left his home at 164, Heenagara, Medagama, Panirendawa, with the intention of visiting his father who had been brought home after a stint in hospital. He arrived in Ampara (two kilometres from Priyangala, to Rajiwelathenna) at 6.30 p.m. Then Sunil, the owner of the cycle repair shop at which Sanjeewa works, called him at around 7.30 p.m. and inquired whether eight university friends of his could stay at Sanjeewa's parents house in Ampara for a couple of days from 8 May onwards, to which he agreed and gave him the address when asked.

Anura Kumara comments on recent incidents and the rule of law

News1st provided footage of the incident in Divulapitiya to the Minuwangoda police upon a request made by the Police.

The footage was provided to the Minuwangoda Police a few days after the incident took place on June 23, which resulted in the death of an individual in police fire. We provided the footage to a police officer identified as M.B.C. Sampath on June 27  at 5 p.m.

Three letter from Sri Lanka Muslim Council to IGP, to FM and to JHU

''The report presented by Ms. Manisha Gunasekera, Deputy Permanent Representative gives figures of casualties that are ridiculous to say the least. She, like the Inspector General of Police is implying that the Muslims were the cause of the violence as they have cast the first stone when the procession was allowed to go through a Muslim village. We have video evidence to the contrary, which we could present to you if you wish.''

SRI LANKA: Why are the police allowed and encouraged to lie?

Basil Fernando

The video footage is fairly clear. First we see a tall policeman wearing a helmet standing with his arm stretched towards the other side of the road. Then we see a scooter stopped just next to him. There is one man sat on the scooter. Looking closer, we see that the policeman is carrying a pistol in his outstretched hand. The pistol is directed towards somebody on the other side of the road. Then we see the rider of the motorbike stretching his hand out towards the policeman, in an obvious gesture telling the policeman not to shoot.

Later, we get to know the story. The policeman shot somebody who was on the other side of the road. The person had been taken to a nearby hospital and there he died.

Friday Forum backs BASL proposal calling for credible investigations in to deaths in police custody

Deaths in Police Custody

Media Release/ 24^th June 2014          

The Friday Forum has urged the Inspector General of Police to respond as a matter of urgency to the current public concern, including that of the Bar Council, on the deaths that are taking place in police custody. A particularly shocking recent incident involves the death of a 17year old minor after assault in police custody.

SRI LANKA: Drunken police officers gun down 24-year-old

Subash Indika Jayasinghe

A statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission

On the night of June 11, officers attached to the Nittambuwa police station gunned down Subash Indika Jayasinghe, a 24-year-old man, for no reason. A friend named Saveen Chathuranga, 18-years-old, was accompanying Indika. Saveen describes the incident as follows:

Indika and Saveen were travelling on Indika’s motorcycle. As there was significant traffic, they were moving slowly. Some police officers stopped their motorcycle. There were four policemen. They seemed to be drunk. After Indika stopped, both the riders got off the bike. One police officer then put his pistol to Indika’s upper torso and shot him point blank.

Deaths in police custody are ‘blatant’ lies; Bar Association demands a Commission of Inquiry covering last three years

IGP Ilangakoon: Murder suspect?

The Standing Committee of the Rule of Law of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka has issued a strong statement condemning the death of criminal suspects in police custody saying that the ``acceptance of such blatant manifest untruths has made a mockery of the administration of justice in the country.’’

Commenting on the series of deaths of persons in police custody as suspects over the commission of criminal offences, the statement says: ``It is an insult to the intelligence of our people if the police expect the people to believe these fantasy stories about attacks on them (the police) by suspects while in custody and handcuffed.’’

SRI LANKA: A young man tortured to death in Kandaketiya police custody

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding a young man of the age of 17 who was illegally arrested by officers from the Kandaketiya police and severely tortured along with his brother and another family member. Despite appeals by his parents and lawyers the Magistrate who heard the case presented by the police ignored face that he had been tortured. Denied of medical treatment, P.H. Sadun Mallinga died in the remand prison while his brother held him in his arms.

Sri Lanka: The killing of the policeman after kidnapping him and his companion is a glaring reminder of the nation's sad fate.

SRI LANKA: No country is rich enough to pay for the cost of lawlessness (A Statement from the Asian Human Rights Commission)

Sri Lankans have just been confronted with the abduction of two policemen, one of whom was assassinated. The other narrowly escaped by struggling and running into the jungle naked. He is now receiving treatment in a hospital. This incident happened at Kurunegala. The immediate reaction of some persons who were interviewed by the press agencies was: if this is what is happening to our policemen, what can we expect for ourselves? Such reactions sum up the extent of the lawlessness that has spread throughout the country.

Sri Lanka: Another civilian arresed and shot dead by the police

File photo (bfi.org.uk)

Below we publish a news item for mainstream newsapaper in Sri Lanka. It has published the police version of the killing of a civilain, after he was arrrested justifing the killing of another civilian by police. This shows the self censorship that prevails in Sri Lankan media.

Underworld gangster ‘Heen malli’ shot dead
Notorious underworld gangster ‘Palankada Heen malli’,alleged to have been responsible for several killings including that of a Ratnapura gem businessman, last month was shot dead in a police shootout today.

Another suspect of Kamburupitiya murders shot dead by the police

Chinthaka Wasantha the main suspect of the murder of a police constable and his wife in Kamburupitiya died due to a confrontation with STF at Nigala last night, Police said. The Police spokesman claimed that when the STF had surrounded the suspect in Nigala last night the suspect opened fire at them and died in the shootout.

Sri Lanka: another extrajudicial killing by police; Suspected cop killer shot dead

A 30-year-old ex-army commando deserter arrested over the killing of a constable attached to the Matara police anti-vice squad and his wife, was shot dead yesterday morning, when he allegedly attempted to shoot police personnel taking him to recover a hidden arms cache.


Constable W. G. Sunil was shot on his head while his wife, Apsara, was clubbed to death by the suspects on the night of November 16 at their residence in Kamburupitiya.