Who is tarnishing the Image of the Country?

Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has strongly condemned the shocking killing of a mentally ill person in the beach of Bamalapitiya (Colombo 4) which involved the police.
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(October 31, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Hundreds of people were gathered around the beach whilst the violent act was perpetrated on Thursday against this innocent and mentally disabled man. Police officers pursued the man who was seen stoning buses and trains on the beach side road. He was chased by the police towards the sea and the victim went as far as into the sea.

The police men did not find ways to get him out of the see, but went on to charge him with the batons. The video footage shows the man was defending himself from the police attack. His resistance was in vain, within few minutes the sea drama of the police came to an end and the man was dead choking in the water. For the spectators, it was real drama and for others the video footage is a real life film. This incident reflects the ugly face of the security persons at the time when the outgoing Inspector General of Police boasted them as exemplary service men.

Perhaps few weeks ago, we watched the video release by the Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka brought to the public domain by the UK based Channel 4 news. The footage showed young Tamil men being executed by the army.

There was even a video footage of abhorring dealings by the Sri Lankan forces of the dead bodies of Tamil Tiger female cadres.

These are in addition to the display of naked bodies of Tamil Tiger cadres in an open truck in the holy city of Anuradhapura following an encounter in the army base.

These incidents are strongly condemned by the Sri Lanka Government and it always qualifies them by saying these are huge conspiracies against the government to tarnish the image of the forces.

The latest footage of the killing of the mentally ill man makes the government defenseless and it has made everyone clear who has tarnished the image of the country. The government remains exposed and it is in a twisted knickers situation, unable to blame it on external forces. The denial spree government is good at creating another concocted story on the latest incident.

The victim, the 26 years old Shivakumara was a resident of Ratmalana - just few miles away from where he was killed and the area is mainly an ethnic Tamil minority concentrated place in Colombo.

‘This kind of police brutality has taken place all over Sri Lanka in the past few years. The IGP must take the responsibility for this shocking incident’ said Mr. Basil Fernando, director of the Asian Human Rights Commission to the Sri Lanka Guardian.

Speaking from Delhi, Mr. Basil Fernando further said, “ This is just one single brutal act that was witnessed by the people. There are no law and order and a highly corrupted brutal Police service has carried out this act. We were seen this in Angulana when the wife of high ranking police offer took the law into her hand and brutally punished the school children, just few months ago.”

“The Asian Human Rights Commission condemns (AHRC) both the police and the Government of Sri Lanka for this incident and many other similar incidents routinely occurring in the country. The police officers who commit such acts continue to remain as law enforcement officers is not just surprising but truly shocking. Before anything else, the Sri Lankan government must get rid of the persons in the law enforcement agencies who do such barbaric acts and blatantly violate the law. A heavy burden lies with the country's Attorney General - under whom there is branch to prosecute torture perpetrators - to act decisively,” Mr. Basil Fernanado added.

-Sri Lanka Guardian