Majority of “abductees” found to have returned

Chairman of the Presidential Commission to probe abductions, disappearances and killings, stated yesterday that he recommended tough action against policemen who had failed to take action to the complaint of abductions and disappearances.

Former High Court Judge, Mahanama Tillakaratne, who headed the commission detailing it’s findings, which was presented to the President recently, stated at a press briefing that that sometimes the police had been evasive in recording complaints. The High Court Judge stated that it was his observation that the police were in a ‘deep slumber’. According to the evidence before the commission some complaints had not been recorded even after the complaints had come to the police station several times and at times people had been kept waiting for over 10 hours to record their statements,” the head of the Presidential Commission said.

The High Court Judge said that the commission was only on a fact finding mission and had no powers to impose punishment. He said he had recommended that investigations be carried out against the police officers by a unit comprising a retired civil servant and a state counsel. Mr. Tillakaratne made this observation while releasing the findings of the commission which looked into incidents of disappearances, abductions and killings over a period from January 1, 2006 to February 25, 2007.

The commission’s head also noted that a majority of the abductions were not exactly abductions as they have left their homes temporally over trivial matters like family disputes among others. During this period 1713 disappearances were reported island wide but out of them in the case of 1002 cases the person reported abducted had returned to their homes. He also noted that according to the evidence some of the abductees when they were last seen seemed to have gone with the people whom they knew and of their own free will. Out of 307 complaints of abductions in 132 cases the alleged abductees had come back. Among the incidents reported were 430 killings.

The incidents were from the nine provinces and the Wanni area. The majority of killings (192) and abduction (702) were reported from Eastern province while the highest number of disappearances was reported from the Western province.

However 450 of them had already returned. 192 killings were also reported from Eastern province while 43 were reported from the western province. The finding had also revealed that some of the victims had notorious backgrounds.

Questioned by the media, the High Court Judge said action would be taken against the persons who are found to be connected or are discovered to be involved in these abductions that have been reported to the commission.

(http://www.dailymirror.lk/2007/06/29/news/09.asp)