Says denial of entry to Mullaitivu QC disrespectful
Deadline for SLAF Commander to submit report today
BY Pamodi WaravitaThe Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) has requested Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Commander Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana to submit a report to the HRCSL by today (20) as to why HRCSL officers were not allowed to inspect the Mullaitivu Quarantine Centre (QC) on 13 July.In a letter to the SLAF Commander, the HRCSL has noted that HRCSL Regional Coordinator T. Kanagaraj had initially visited the centre on 9 July, following a complaint received by the Commission regarding the forced quarantine of Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) General Secretary Joseph Stalin and a number of other activists despite having received bail from court and on the lack of facilities at the Mullaitivu QC, and also the absence of a female officer for the protection of the female activist who was also forced to undergo quarantine at the centre.However, the officers at the quarantine centre had not assisted Kanagaraj with the details required for the initial investigation. Although HRCSL Commissioner Dr. Nimal Karunasiri had informed the SLAF Commander about this incident, following which HRCSL officers had visited the Mullaitivu QC on 13 July again, the officers had been denied entry for the second time as well.“Not providing the due assistance to HRCSL investigations is a form of disrespect to the HRCSL and its officers,” the letter has noted.Section 11 of the HRCSL Act No. 21 of 1996 states that the HRCSL has the power to “investigate, any infringement or imminent infringement of fundamental rights, in accordance with the succeeding provisions of this Act” and to “monitor the welfare of persons detained either by a judicial order or otherwise, by regular inspection of their places of detention, and to make such recommendations as may be necessary for improving their conditions of detention”.A range of demonstrations occurred throughout Colombo over the last two weeks in protest over the General Sir John Kotelawala National Defence University (KNDU) Bill which was tabled in Parliament on 7 July, where over 31 arrests were made, including that of Stalin. Although they were enlarged on bail later on 8 July, they were forcibly taken to quarantine centres and released over the weekend following heavy criticism and testing negative for Covid-19.
