Sri Lanka lies to UN on disppearance of upcountry youth - Ganesan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 May 2008, 17:40 GMT]
Mano Ganesan, Leader of Western People’s Front and Convener of Civil Monitoring Commission (CMC), accused the Sri Lanka Government of lying to the United Nations Working Group of Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) when the disappearance of a 25-year old upcountry youth was raised by the WGEID based on a complaint filed by the CMC. While CMC said it had irrefutable evidence of complicity of Sri Lanka Police officials in the disappearance of the youth, Colombo has responded to the WGEID that no such person was arrested and that National Identity Card was not a valid one.

Excerpts from the press release issued by Mr Ganeson Tuesday providing the details of the abduction follow:

Jayakanthan Ramiah, a 25 years old young Tamil person went missing while traveling to his home town Madulkelle in Kandy District, central province from Colombo, the capitol of Sri Lanka.

The permanent address of Jayakanthan Ramiah is Kachamalai Estate, Kelebokka, Madulkelle. He was employed in Colombo. The incident occurred on 19th March, 2007 at 10:30 AM. He was traveling in a public bus with the company of five more friends. When the bus passed Kadawatha town approaching Kirullawela area on Colombo-Kandy highway, a co traveler introduced himself as from Criminal Investigations Department (CID), got the bus stopped at a location where a white van was waiting by the side of the road.

All six men including Jayakanthan Ramiah were bundled into the van and taken away. Two days later all five except Jayakanthan Ramiah were released at the Gampaha police station. The police disclaimed taking in Jayakanthan Ramiah. Subsequently brother of the victim Mr. Jaganathan Ramiah registered a complaint at Kadawatha police station of the disappearance of his brother. He obtained a signed receipt from the Inspector of police named Mr. Renuka who received the compliant at the Kadawatha police station.

Other pertinent details related to the complaint related to the abduction follow:

• Victim's brother registers police complaint at Kadawatha police station on 22nd March, 2007 under # 229/208 obtains receipt and also at Civil Monitoring Commission
• Victim is holder of National Identity Card # 830784608V issued to him by Commissioner of Registrations of Persons for state Department of Registrations of Persons
• The receipt is handwritten by the police officer. The number of the complaint is 229/208. Date of complaint is 22nd March, 2007; 02:20PM (14:220hrs).
• The police officer had put his mobile phone number as 0777720576, police station's number as 2925222 and his service number as 35699 in the receipt.
• The National Identity Card (NIC) number of Jayakanthan Ramiah is 830784608V. This NIC was issued to Jayakanthan Ramiah on 11th February, 2003 by the Commissioner of Registrations of Persons by the Department of Registrations of Persons.
• The incident was reported to Civil Monitoring Commission (CMC) by Mr. Jaganathan Ramiah.
• The number allotted to the complaint is CMC/ABD/86.
• CMC forwarded this complaint the attention of Working Group of Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) at the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on 04th April, 2007.
• The WGEID case number allotted to the document on Jayakanthan Ramiah is 10000523 dated 04th April, 2007.

" The WGEID has taken up the case with the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and has notified the response of the GoSL to the complainant Jaganathan Ramiah, brother of the victim, through us by letter dated 03rd April, 2008. The complainant Jaganathan Ramiah, brother of the victim permits us to make the response of the GoSL public," Mr Ganeson says in the press release.

The Government of Sri Lanka's response to WGIED's inquiry follows:

"The criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Sri Lanka conducted an intensive investigation concerning the alleged disappearances of the above named. Inquiries revealed that no such person has been arrested by the CID and no complaints have been received at Raththota and Kadawatha police stations in this regard during the period under review. There is no record at the Department od Registration of Persons concerning the issuance of the above National Identity Card (830784608V)."