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Sri Lanka: Dark Side of PTA

Change but No Change in Sri Lanka

Statement to mark one year since the issuing of the gag order,

travel restrictions and TID investigation against Sri Lankan human rights defender

Ruki Fernando

( March 22, 2!", #olom$o, Sri Lanka %uardian& The 2!st March 2!" 'ill mark one year since a court order restricting the freedom of e)ression on leading Sri Lankan

human rights defender and 'riter, Ruki Fernando 'as o$tained $y the Terrorist

Investigation De)artment (TID&* Such restriction on freedom of e)ression of a )rolific

 'riter and commentator on human rights issues such as Ruki, is un)recedented in

recent Sri Lankan history*

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Ruki and another colleague 'ere arrested on !+th March 2! during a fact finding

mission to the 'ar ravaged -orthern )art of the country* .oth 'ere released on !/th

March 2! after massive national and international outrage* Immediately after his

release, Ruki gave intervie's to local and international media* 0s a result of this, he

faced intimidation after his release and a fresh investigation 'as launched against him

 $y the TID* The TID also o$tained #ourt 1rders restriction Rukis overseas travels andfreedom of e)ression, and also confiscated communication e3ui)ment , all of 'hich

are effective till today*

Rukis arrest had resulted in him $eing $randed a traitor and terrorist su))orter $y

some media and Sinhalese nationalist grou)s, and the restriction on freedom of

e)ression had made it difficult for him to res)ond to such accusations and

defamation and defend himself* 4is human rights 'ork locally and internationally as

 'ell as )ersonal life has $een constrained $y the need to go to courts each time he

needs to travel overseas* 5ven after o$taining court )ermission, he 'as com)elled to

miss a flight 'hen he 'as travelling overseas for a human rights conference and he had

faced delays, humiliation on other occasions he 'as travelling overseas for human

rights 'ork, due to $eing sto))ed and 3uestioned $y the Immigration and State

Intelligence Service officers*

It is no' more than months since Rukis la'yers had made ver$al and 'ritten

su$missions to the 0ttorney %enerals De)artment a$out the closure of the case and

lifting of the restrictions * There has $een an indication of readiness to lift the travel

restriction* .ut the 0ttorney %enerals De)artment and the TID has refused to close

the investigation, return the confiscated e3ui)ment and lift of the gag order*This clearly indicates the continuing anti 6human rights and media freedom mind7set

of the security esta$lishment and the insensitivity of the ne' )olitical leadershi)

to'ards same* It sho's that 4RDs released from detention can $e su$8ected to

continued harassments and restrictions, des)ite the ne' )olitical leadershi) in Sri

Lanka* The conditions im)osed on Ms* .alendran 9eyakumari, a 'oman 4RD released

on $ail on !th March 2!" after :+2 days in detention, reaffirms this*

 ;e the undersigned fully endorse and look for'ard to <=the day 'hen all human

rights defenders and dissenters can $e free from accusations of su))orting terrorismand are a$le en8oy their rights to e)ress themselves and travel freely> (as said $y

Ruki &*

Signatures?

Individuals

!* 0inslie 9ose)h 6 #onvener@#hief 0nimator, #hristian 0lliance for Social 0ction

(#0S0&

2* 0mal de #hickera

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:* 0n$eriya 4anifa

* 0nthony 9esudasan

"* .* %o'thaman

+* .alasingham Skanthakumar

A* .rito Fernando

B* .udi T8ah8ono/* #hamila Thushari

!* Damaris ;ickremesekera

!!* Deanne Cyangoda

!2* Dr* #heran Rudhramoorthy 

!:* Dr* Leonie Solomons 6 5ecutive Director, Language Matters

!* Dr* Muhammad Muammil #ader 6 #onvener, Eeo)les Movement for -on7

 iolence

!"* Dr* Eaikiasothy Saravanamuttu 6 5ecutive Director, #entre for Eolicy 0lternatives

(#E0&

!+* Dr* Richard Eerera

!A* Dulan de Silva

!B* 5*M* .andara Menike

!/* 5mil van der Eoorten 6 #ommunity 0ctivist seeking to u)hold $asic human rights

2* Faiun Gackariya 6 #itiens oice for 9ustice and Eeace

2!* Freddy %amage 6 5ditor, Mee)ura -e's)a)er

22* %a8en Mahendra

2:* %amini iyangoda

2* %odfrey Hogara8ah 6 5ecutive Director, ;orld 5vangelical 0lliance 6 Religious

Li$erty #ommission (;50 RL#&2"* 4erman umara 6 #onvener, -0FS1

2+* Ian Ferdinands

2A* Indika Cdugam)ola

2B* 9ake 1orloff 

2/* 9ayam)athi .ulathsinhala

:* 9ayanthi uru7Ctum)ala

:!* 9oanne Senn

:2* 9oe ;illiam

::* 9ovita 0rulanantham:* * %uru)aran 6 0ttorney7at7La' 

:"* alani Su$asinghe

:+* elly Senanayaka

:A* rishan Ra8a)akshe

:B* rishna Su$ramaniam

:/* usal Eerera 6 9ournalist

* Laaurence ;0R 

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!* Lesley Sirimane

2* M* -ilashani

:* M*M* Rahman 6 9ournalist, Mannar

* Man8ula ;edi'ardana

"* Marianne 9ohn)illai

+* Marisa de SilvaA* Melani Manel Eerera 6 9ournalist

B* Melisha Ha)a

/* Menaha andasamy 6 Red Flag ;omens Movement

"* Michaela Told

"!* Monica 0lfred

"2* -adara8ah %uru)araran

":* -alini Ratnara8ah 6 ;omen 4uman Rights Defender

"* -icola Eerera

""* -ilantha Ilangamu'a 6 9ournalist J 5ditor of Sri Lanka %uardian

"+* -ilshan Fonseka

"A* -imal Eerera 6 #SM

"B* -imalka Fernando

"/* -irmala Ra8asingam

+* E* Selvaratnam

+!* E* i8ayashanthan 6 Theatre 0ctivist

+2* E*-* Singham

+:* Ea$a Desha)riya

+* Eadmi Liyanage

+"* Ehili) Setunga++* Eoddala 9ayantha

+A* Erof* 08it 0$eysekera

+B* Erof* 9ayadeva Cyangoda 6 Cniversity of #olom$o

+/* Erof* 9ayantha Seneviratne 6 Cniversity of elaniya

A* R*M*. Senanayake 6 Retired #*#*S

A!* Ra8any #handrasegaram

A2* Ran8ith 4enayakaarachchi

A:* Rasika Mano$uddhi

A* Ravindra #handralalA"* Rev* Dr* Raya))u 9ose)h 6 .isho) of Mannar

A+* Rev* Fr* 9eya$alan #roos

AA* Rev* Fr* Sherard 9aya'ardane

AB* Rev* Fr* T* L* R* Dominic

A/* Rev* 9ason 9* Selvara8a 6 0ssem$ly of %od, #havakachcheri

B* Rev* Sr* 0nne Eerera7 4F 6 #SM

B!* Rev* Sr* Dee)a Fernando 6 4F

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B2* Rev* Sr* -ichola

B:* Rev* Sr* -oel #hristine Fernando 6 S#9M, Sri Lanka

B* Rohini 4ensman 6 ;riter and Inde)endent Scholar

B"* Ru'andi Silva

B+* S* R* Eerera

BA* S*#*#* 5lankovanBB* Sam)ath Samarakoon

B/* Senaka ;attegedara

/* Shantha D* Eathirana 6 4uman Rights Defender

/!* Shreen Saroor

/2* Sivasamy Sivara8an

/:* Sunanda Desha)riya

/* Sunil 9ayasekara

/"* Suren D* Eerera

/+* T* Mathuri 6 0ttorney7at7La' 

/A* Tanu8a Thuraira8ah 6 Researcher

/B* Te8shree Tha)a

//* Cdaya alu)athirana

!* Cdaya R* Tennakoon

!!* * San8eev 

!2* isaka Dharmadasa

1rganiations

!:* 0ssociation of ;ar 0ffected ;omen (0;0;&

!* I-F1RM 4uman Rights Documentation #entre

!"* -ational Eeace #ouncil (-E#&!+* Rights -o' #ollective for Democracy 

Eosted $y Thavam