In 2020 alone, 26 illegal killings were reported, said Philip Dissanayake, a member of the Convening Board of the Sri Lankan Alliance Against Torture.
He points out that there have been 16 incidents and 26 inmates have been killed along with 11 other prisoners who died in the Mahara incident.
He says there are three criteria as a key factor in establishing human rights in a country: the first is that murders cannot take place outside the country, the second is that disappearances are not allowed, and the third is that torture is not possible.
However, all these three issues have been more or less present in the country since time immemorial and there are many people in Sri Lanka who have been tortured and this issue is a serious issue and the attention of the people of the country should be drawn to this, he said.
He said that in the face of our silence, this would not be further reduced and that although two anti-torture laws were in place in the country, it was still not fair to point the finger at the Sri Lankan police alone. That in the system and the school system.
Mr. Dissanayake says that many victims of torture have remained silent and that these incidents are being reported through human security guards throughout the country and therefore the victims themselves need a process to speak out against this.
He points out that due to certain shortcomings in the government, these illegal killings and torture are on the rise and therefore the government should immediately address this issue and formulate a program.
He had recently reported in the media that about 55% of the members of the police force are in the ministerial security service and that the number of police officers in civilian affairs is about 1/2. That should be given.
He says that the criminal investigation process is a unique process and that not everyone can do it, it cannot be done just by wearing a uniform and proper training is required in this regard.
Questioning why the methodology used by the CID today is not being applied to local police stations, Mr. Philip says a country needs good police for development. Therefore, he emphasizes that the police system should be reformed.
He pointed out that delays in court cases contribute to police breakdowns, which would not be effective if it took more than two years for a crime to be brought to justice.
He also says that the process of forensic doctors also affects this torture. He also points out that it is problematic not to pay attention to the reports of certain forensic medical officers.
He made this statement at a press conference held at the Baseline Media Center, Dematagoda under the theme ‘Let’s oppose torture’. This was organized by the Sri Lankan Coalition Against Torture.
Yamuna Kumari, the mother of the Gokarella A / L student who was tortured by the police, Vasana, the wife of Gayan Pushpakumara who died in Pugoda police custody, Danushka Maduranga who was assaulted by the Hakmana police were arbitrarily arrested by the Beruwala police and a false case was filed. Suranjith, who was assaulted by the Baduraliya police, and Amitha Priyanthi, who has been demanding justice for her brother’s murder for 21 years, also spoke.
