80 abducted in 4 months in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 May 2007, 20:58 GMT]
According to Jaffna Human Rights Commission (HRC) representatives, there were 20 abductions in January, 8 in February, 33 in March, and 19 in April have either been abducted or gone missing in the last 4 months of this year. 72 persons have sought protective custody in Jaffna prison through HRC Jaffna for fear of death, abduction by the SLA and armed groups, the HRC added.

Habeas corpus pettitions were filed in 1996 and 1997, but have not yet made it to court. Efforts to release those abducted, allegedly by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and collaborating paramilitary members, have also failed due to the inadequate response of the law enforcement authorities, civil society sources in Jaffna said.

On Wednesday, an appeal was made to United States Ambassador Richard Boucher who was in Jaffna, by a mother whose son had been abducted.

The Jaffna Human Rights Commission (HRC) said it cannot do anything beyond its mandate of maintaining statistics of abductions and forcible disappearance, HRC representatives said.

Chronology: