May 27, 2012
Colombo:
Sri Lanka has dismissed a US report that questioned the human rights
record of its police and security forces, saying that the situation in
the country is “better than most of the countries with five star
democracies”.
The Sri Lankan government’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.
Sri Lanka has been spotlighted in a series of international reports: AP
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 the 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.
http://www.firstpost.com/fwire/sri-lanka-dismisses-international-report-on-police-torture-322369.html
