May 27, 2012 03:07 pm
Sri Lanka on Sunday dismissed a US report that questioned
the human rights record of its police and security forces, saying that the
situation in the island nation is “better than most of the countries with five
star democracies”.
Colombo’s reaction came after the State Department report
alleged that “a number of suspects detained by police or other security forces
died under questionable circumstances, there were several instances in which
police were held accountable for unlawful killings”.
The report also cited that the Asian Human Rights Council
(AHRC) had compiled 1500 cases of police torture between 1998 and 2001.
As of October 2011, the AHRC had received 102 reports of
police torture.
Responding to the accusations, Lankan police spokesperson,
Ajith Rohana told reporters that the police categorically rejects all charges.
Rohana said that Sri Lanka had adopted the Convention
against torture and cruel inhuman or degrading Act in 1994.
“For the last 18 years, only five policemen had been found
guilty, not even one per year. This rate is better than most of the countries
with five star democracies”, Rohana said.
“There has not been a single case of disappearances after
police arrest. People have legal redress for any such happening,” the spokesman
said.
He said those arrested under Prevention of Terrorism Act
from the former battle zones in the north and east were handled by three
separate units.
In response to accusations that detainee information had not
been made available, Rohana said such information has been released to the
close relatives of the detainees.
On the charges of police assault at times of arrest, Rohana
said that police may have used force when resisted arrest.
These incidents cannot be classified under torture and such
cases are grossly exaggerated, he said.
“We have educated all policemen about international
conventions and human rights. Training entails such awareness including legal
positions,” Rohana said, PTI reports.
Ada Derana
Ada Derana
