Rehabilitation Minister DEW Gunasekera on complaints of abuse: 'Write letters to me instead of BBC in London'
Former Sri Lanka rebels 'abused in detention'
By Swaminathan Natarajan
BBC Tamil service
Former Tamil Tiger rebels detained in Sri Lanka say they have been ill-treated in government camps with no basic facilities.
In letters and phone calls to BBC Tamil, ex-militants say they have been "tortured and beaten" in the centres.
They accuse camp guards of being corrupt and demanding bribes before releasing detainees.
The government says all those being held in custody following the end of the war are being well cared for.
It has consistently refused to allow any kind of independent investigation into allegations of human rights abuses in the final weeks leading up to the end of the war in May 2009.
Recently President Mahinda Rajapaksa said that "not even a single civilian was killed" during the conflict.
But human rights groups say thousands were killed or injured towards the end of the fighting and in the war's immediate aftermath.
It has consistently refused to allow any kind of independent investigation into allegations of human rights abuses in the final weeks leading up to the end of the war in May 2009.
Recently President Mahinda Rajapaksa said that "not even a single civilian was killed" during the conflict.
But human rights groups say thousands were killed or injured towards the end of the fighting and in the war's immediate aftermath.
"Military officers often call us dogs - even if we don't shave for a day we are beaten up badly," said one of the letters, which was written by a detainee being held at a Tamil school in Vavuniya.
"The detainees are forced to bear the expenses for electricity and cleaning charges," continued the letter.
"If we say we don't have money, they threaten to transfer us to the notorious Boossa prison."
Another letter said: "We don't know whether we will be released or... shot."
The claims - mostly made in letters to BBC Tamil but sometimes in telephone interviews - are difficult to verify as there is no direct access to the camps.
It is estimated that some 10,000 Tamil Tigers either surrendered or were captured at the end of the war; many of them remain confined.
Some of the camps are located in military bases, others in schools and colleges.
The government refuses to allow journalists, aid agencies and the UN to visit these camps - but in most cases, relatives are allowed to see their loved ones.
Their accounts and the letters written by those being held all speak of unsanitary conditions and shortages of water.
The government says it is giving technical and vocational training to the detained cadres to make them more employable. Detainees say "no meaningful training" has so far been provided.
One letter written by a woman from the eastern town of Trincomalee said some young detainees had been "beaten black and blue".
"Some are hanged upside down," she wrote. "Some are made to lie down in the floor and beaten with belts and sticks. They don't take the injured to hospital."
Others accuse the authorities of providing no information on the whereabouts of their loved ones and of orchestrating "disappearances" from the detention centres.
They say that detainees taken away for questioning have not returned and no-one knows what has happened to them.
But these claims too have been strenuously denied by the government.
"I have visited Jaffna, Killinochi and Vavuniya where I met many people - including wives and relatives of the detainees," Rehabilitation Minister DEW Gunasekera told the BBC.
"No one made any complaints to me.
"Instead of writing letters to the BBC in London, ask them to write to me and I will look into it."
The minister said 3,000 people had been released from the camps in the past year and 8,000 former rebels - including 600 women and 1,300 men classified as "hardcore fighters" - remained in custody.
"Overall I would say we have been very magnanimous," added Mr Gunasekera. - courtesy: BBC.co.uk -
16 Comments
Probably these people dont trust the Govt and why run the risk of getting bumped off. Govt should be more transparent about the conditions of detention in which case if conditions are satisfactory no one would need to complain. The secretive nature of these detentions and lack of information lends credence to the reports filtering out.
YOU TOO DEW ! If your former comrades, Alaveddy V. Ponnampalam,Udupiddy Pon Kandiah, Urumpirai Vaithilingam,Jaffna Karthigesu and the likes are alive today, they would vormit blood and die through shock , the moment they read your above interview with the BBC.
You may be an angel among the supreamcists or rather the patriots but the moment some one write to you direct instead of BBC or even with a cc to you, there are others without your knowledge send the the white van to give a lift to that person under the pretence that "DEW wants to see you in person to have a tea or coffee sesion with you, please get into the van ".
Comrade DEW you are claiming "I have visited Jaffna, Killinochi and Vavuniya where I met many people - including wives and relatives of the detainees," Rehabilitation Minister DEW Gunasekera told the BBC.
"No one made any complaints to me. "
WHY DID NOT YOU TAKE THE LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL MEDIA WITH YOU WHEN YOU DID THE ABOVE VIST ? That every concern person can see the truth and reconciliation undertaken by you or the regime you belong to ?
Are you planning to allow international media ( of course not Stephen Sackur of BBC ) or at least ex Srilankan journalist living abroad (with you following them in person ) to vist all the detention centres and speak to the detainees and record their comments or views or telecast them alive for the world see the truth? If there is nothing to hide, why media or even elected MPs be banned or curtailed to vist these centres ? In what way it will be threat to the security and sovereignty of the country now that war is over for more than a year ?
What is the position of you on the SLs own truth and reconciliation committee when your colleagues are against others' intitiative for a possible crime and punishment ?
MR DEW Gunasegara,
This is your duty to rehabilitate the EX Militants, If your system fails we can't tell you because you gov still want the Tamils living in Colombo to register. what is this means you all look Tamils as some how terrorist also if they complaint to you the complaint will stay in file no action will not going to take.
this is the reason they wants this torture and abuse to the international media and local media afraid to print because your gov's press freedom policy kidnap or killed it is not too late why don't you investigate and meet the BBC and tell your side of the story.
Why don't you let the Media and NGO to visit to these detention camps you only show to the BBC from Colombo .
Tamils don't have trust on your government because your government didn't take the resettlement as first priority. Just send millions on show time.
Why don't you give out the your telephone number and some one will contact you direct without the third party to knows again Tamils have no trust on your Government
Recently we saw in UK the sad ending of a life of prisoner whose first offence was a relatively minor one. But he had developed into a psycopath, while and on release killed one person - his former girlfriend's lover seriously injured few others including his former girlfriend before ending his own life in a well publicised case.
There is a real likelihood that these individuals too could one day fall into the same category.
Perhaps UN can step into solve the situation. Best answer would be to allow them to join their expatriate comrades. Western countries with spare cash, vast land masses and manpower shortages like Norway , Sweden, and Canada could absorb them and use their skills.
detained LTTE Terroristes are asking more facilities from the government. It is a big joke. They must be thankfull to SL forces and government that still they are alive. Distructions they (LTTE) did to our country and innocent people ( sinhala/tamil and muslim)are irrecoverable. Lives of innocent people will not be returned to their loves ones. So what facilty these LTTE terrorists are accepting from the government. They must be killed and burried together like Praba and all other LTTEr's burried. No need to waste a single sent to these detaniese. Government should improve the basick facility of innocent people in North and East.
Ramal
Journalists and NGO personnel are not allowed access to detainess to converse with them in private without the immediate presence of army and/or police.
The minister should ensure this first,to allow a credible assessment of what is happening in these camps.
How can he expect detainees to write to him, when such communications will be monitored by those in charge of these camps.
Guys it was war. Tamil rebels weren't throwing cup cakes and roses at the security forces. At least the rebel in government custody lived to complain. Military and police captured by the didn't live to tell the BBC about their ordeal. At moment people in the north and the east can go about their business as the please. Only the journalists and political dissidents in the south has to worry about white vans that may show-up at their doorsteps.
Yes Minister , if they Write to you , you will make the Problem "Dissapear" ,
"I have visited Jaffna, Killinochi and Vavuniya where I met many people - including wives and relatives of the detainees ( in the presence of Military and its inteligent officers who was behind the abduction /arrest and murder)
One time they called themselves TIGERS and went around killing innocent civilians, now they are PUSSYCATS. :)
Can this guy read in the first place? The Govt of Sri Lanka has appointed incapable men as Ministers. Dew Gunasekara will not do anything if we write to him. BBC seems to be the better option for the poor public right now.
It's amazing to see how many bleeding hearts are out there for the rights of ex-terrorists!
It's hilarious to say the least to read the that media and NGOs are not allowed in the camps!
First find out whether the USA allows media and Aid organizations in the Guanatamo prison camps where the suspects remain after five years without a trial
Tissa Wije ,
Your coment revels to me that you have psychopathic tendency Bewear the public around this man! As I have psycholgy triining and working experience.
Govt must give All these Racist ruthless LTTE Terroristes accomadation in 5 start hotels for crimes and genocide they have done during the past.
Only about a hour ago, my good friend Janaka K, a Sinhalese whilst talking to me stated that the Tamils in custody had barbed wire and metal pipes inserted into their rectums and pulled out many a time during their torture process and this had been conveyed by a senior army officer. He was in glee when describing these methods of torture.
Various methods are still being used to torment the unfortunates, when will they ever end in a predominantly Buddhist nation, where the good lord Buddha preaches stating that "do not hurt even a fly"
Hopefully with the arrival of the war enquiry panels, the days of these chambers of pleasure will cease. a j.
Please note that we european peace loving citizens dont trust and dont wont any criminals or terrorists in our countries, dont send your pooblems to us. enough is enough....
Tissa Wije, the one's with the spare cash are the Chinese, not western countries anymore.
Get yourself updated.