Vavuniya Rights Day focusses on Death Penalty

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 December 2004, 10:44 GMT]
"Whether death penalty is a violation of human rights is a fundamental question debated in societies around the world. In Sri Lanka, after the murder of Judge Ambepitiya, the death penalty has been reintroduced. There has to be vigourous debate by the citizens on the States right to inflict death on an individual," said Manicavasagar Ilancheliyan, Vavuniya District Judge, speaking at the Human Rights Day held at the Irambaikulam Maha Vidiyalayam, Friday, sources said.

The event was presided by the Prinicipal of Irambaikulam Girls School, Rev.Sister Jeyanayagi Sebamalai. Teachers and students of the school participated in the event.

"Recently I argued against the death penalty in a research paper submitted at a conference in Hongkong University. The rights of the individuals and the rights of the victims and their relatives were discussed and discussed at the end of the session.

"Sri Lanka Government has decided to reintroduce the death penalty as a deterrant. The impact and effectiveness of this decision will only be known in the next several years," Ilancheliyan said.