Muttur Magistrate directs SL Police to provide details of arrested

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 January 2006, 16:23 GMT]
Mr.Manickavasagar Ganesharajah, Muttur Magistrate at a conference held Monday directed the authorities concerned to submit all names, other details of persons arrested, and the reasons for their arrests in Tamil areas in the government controlled territory in Muttur division. The failure to furnish these details with valid legal reasons could lead to serious human right violations, Mr.Ganesharajah cautioned.

Representatives of the International Committee of Red cross (ICRC) and the Officer-in-Charge of the Muttur Police attended the discussion, sources said.

Muttur Magistrate told ICRC representatives and Police that he has been informed of several arrests of persons in Tamil areas in the government controlled villages in the Muttur division.

He stressed at the discussion that police and armed forces should be aware that Sri Lanka is a signatory to the Geneva Convention of 1949, which considers harassing innocent civilians and ill-treating the detainees during war, as punishable crimes. Police and armed forces should formulate their operational activities based on the Geneva Convention, he said.

Mr.Ganesharajah instructed the police to implement his instruction properly, legal sources said.