The UK based NGO, Freedom From Torture, called on countries to halt the ongoing deportation of Tamil asylum seekers, citing the continuing use of torture by Sri Lankan state authorities against Tamils accused of being affiliated with the LTTE.
A new report released on Wednesday, documented at least 40 new cases in the last 8 months of post-war torture perpetrated between 2009-2013.
The new findings brings the total number of cases of post-war torture documented by the organisation to 140.
Calling on Sri Lanka to allow access to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights as a matter of urgency, the group called on Prince Zeid al-Hussein to include the torture of Tamils still taking place, into the ongoing investigations into Sri Lanka.
The head of doctors at Freedom From Torture, stressed that the Sri Lankan state torture was predominantly directed at Tamils.
“The key message is really clear. Torture is ongoing and has real prevalence in Sri Lanka, particularly directed at Tamils. Sixty-five per cent of the group are disclosing sexual assault of some kind, and we have to bear in mind that without doubt a proportion of the victims would not disclose sexual abuse. We are very concerned that people with UK visas have got back to Sri Lanka to see family or attend a wedding and within days of return they are picked up and tortured. They have been shown photographs of themselves attending demonstrations against the Sri Lankan government in this country and then, while they are being tortured, they are told identify others in the photos,” Juliet Cohen told the Guardian.
"What I think stands out in Sri Lanka is a culture of impunity. We see victims from many countries around the world but what we see in the Sri Lankan group is that not only is the torture very brutal, the victims are often disfigured with obvious scars. There is no attempt to hide this by his interrogators. They are not expecting anyone to hold them to account for this,” she added.
Urging the international community to act on ongoing abuses in Sri Lanka, the chief executive of Freedom From Torture, said,
A new report released on Wednesday, documented at least 40 new cases in the last 8 months of post-war torture perpetrated between 2009-2013.
The new findings brings the total number of cases of post-war torture documented by the organisation to 140.
Calling on Sri Lanka to allow access to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights as a matter of urgency, the group called on Prince Zeid al-Hussein to include the torture of Tamils still taking place, into the ongoing investigations into Sri Lanka.
The head of doctors at Freedom From Torture, stressed that the Sri Lankan state torture was predominantly directed at Tamils.
“The key message is really clear. Torture is ongoing and has real prevalence in Sri Lanka, particularly directed at Tamils. Sixty-five per cent of the group are disclosing sexual assault of some kind, and we have to bear in mind that without doubt a proportion of the victims would not disclose sexual abuse. We are very concerned that people with UK visas have got back to Sri Lanka to see family or attend a wedding and within days of return they are picked up and tortured. They have been shown photographs of themselves attending demonstrations against the Sri Lankan government in this country and then, while they are being tortured, they are told identify others in the photos,” Juliet Cohen told the Guardian.
"What I think stands out in Sri Lanka is a culture of impunity. We see victims from many countries around the world but what we see in the Sri Lankan group is that not only is the torture very brutal, the victims are often disfigured with obvious scars. There is no attempt to hide this by his interrogators. They are not expecting anyone to hold them to account for this,” she added.
Urging the international community to act on ongoing abuses in Sri Lanka, the chief executive of Freedom From Torture, said,
"The forensic reports our doctors produce indicate strongly that torture is still very much part of the Sri Lankan's government's repression machinery almost five years after the end of conflict. This cannot be ignored. While the UN inquiry into human rights violations and possible war crimes during the closing stages of the civil war is a vital step towards accountability, the international community must face up to the reality that abuses continue today."The Council should mandate the UN High Commissioner to specifically include a focus on ongoing torture in his inquiry and Sri Lanka should allow him free and unfettered access to conduct it urgently," said Simon Munroe.