2ND LEAD (Correction)

Peace activist grilled by CID at Katunayake Air Port

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 May 2008, 01:04 GMT]
The coordinating officer of International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR) and Womens Alliance for Peace and Democracy (WAPD), Nimalka Fernando, was subjected to interogation by an official from Crimininal Investigations Department (CID) at Bandaranayake International Air port last week, sources in Colombo said.

The incident occurred while Mrs.Fernando was at the air port to travel to Thailand to attend a Human Rights Conference.

When she submitted her passport to the air port officials prior to her departure she was detained after being informed that her name was on the list submitted by CID, and was then subjected to investigations by a CID officer for more than an hour. She was permitted to board only a few minutes prior to the scheduled departure.

Mrs. Fernando, prior to leaving the country, vowed to take necessary action regarding the matter when she returns to Sri Lanka.

She was also scheduled to attend the 7th Session of United Nations Human Rights held in Geneva during her stay outside the country.

Ms. Fernando presently serves as an advisor for Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CAFFE), and is involved in monitoring the activities relating to the election propaganda and canvassing in the East since the beginning of March.

Ms Fernando expressed sharp criticism immediately after the recent local council elections in Batticaloa has recently released a number of reports on behalf of IMADR specifically stating that the situation is not conducive for elections to be held in the East and that the general public do not want elections to be held under the present circumstances.

A number of rights groups fighting against the activities of Government of Sri Lanka Including Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) have received death threats, sources said.