Doctors at risk in Sri Lanka

ASA 37/018/2009

(I could not find the document on the AI servers yet, but this is the right UA, it has the same text as the word file I was sent.)

There is fear for the well being of five doctors who spoke out against the Sri Lankan government's methods of warfare during the recent war with the LTTE. They are now being held, and recently a press conference was held in which they recanted their previous accusations. Sri Lanka has a history of torture and ill treatment of prisoners.

AI writes:

Before their capture the doctors had provided eyewitness reports to the media and the international community from hospitals and makeshift medical centres in the conflict zone. Contrary to information from the government, their reports detailed the suffering of ordinary civilians, many of whom died from war-related injuries. Their reports also highlighted shelling of areas with large concentrations of non-combatants.

Please send appeals, before 23/09/09, to:
PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 23 September 2009:

• His Excellency the President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Presidential Secretariat, Colombo 1, Sri Lanka, Fax: +94 11 2446657 (Salutation: Your Excellency)
• Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Minister of Defence, Ministry of Defence, Public Security, Law and Order, 15/5, Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 03, Sri Lanka, Fax: +94 11 245 1529 (Salutation: Dear Minister). NB: I was unsuccessful in getting a fax through to this number.

Send copies to your local Sri Lankan diplomatic mission. In Australia:

• His Excellency Mr Senaka C.B. WALGAMPAYA PC, High Commissioner, High Commission of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, 35 Empire Circuit, Forrest ACT 2603, Fax: (02) 6239 6166, Email : admin@slhcaust.org (Salutation: Your Excellency)

My letter is below.

His Excellency the President Mahinda Rajapaksa
Presidential Secretariat
Colombo 1
Sri Lanka
Fax: +94 11 2446657

Ole Koksvik
Philosophy, RSSS
The Australian National University
Canberra ACT 2600
Australia, Tuesday, 18 August 2009


Your Excellency,

My name is Ole Koksvik. I am a Norwegian citizen, an Australian Permanent Resident and a PhD Candidate at the Australian National University.

I write to express my grave concern for doctors Veerakkathipillai Shanmugarajah, Thurairaja Varatharaja, Thangamuttu Sathyamoorthy, Kathirvel Ilancheliyan Vallavan and S. Sivapalanm, who have not been charged since their detention on 15 May 2009.

I call on you to release the doctors immediately, unless they are charged with recognisably criminal offences.

I futhermore call on the Sri Lankan government to repeal or revise emergency regulations and other special security legislation so as to bring them into line with international human rights law and standards.

I also note that I regard with suspicion the retractions of earlier statements which were given by the doctors on the press conference on July the 8th. I call on you to do ensure that the doctors are treated well while in custody, and to ensure, in particular, that they are not subjected to torture or other ill treatment.

Thank you for taking the time to read my concerns.

This letter has been made public here: http://aiua-sent.blogspot.com/

Yours sincerely,

Ole Koksvik