The Friday Forum has urged the President Maithripala Sirisena to release the full reports of the inquire into the Welikada prison riots in 2012 and the Presidential Commission to Investigate into Complaints regarding Missing Persons (Paranagama Commission).
The Friday Forum has sent the letter below to the President;
President Maithripala Sirisena
President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Presidential Secretariat
Colombo 1.
Dear President Sirisena
Report on Welikade prison riots; Paranagama Commission
The Friday Forum was pleased to read the report of the recommendations of the committee to inquire into the Welikada prison riots in 2012, which recommendations were released to the public on 25 June 2015. However we call on you, in the public interest, to release in full the report of the inquiry, as we have a right to know what took place inside the prison which caused 27 inmates to lose their lives.
The Friday Forum was also pleased to note the handing over to you of the interim report of the Presidential Commission to Investigate into Complaints regarding Missing Persons (Paranagama Commission) in early April. Here too we ask for its release and publication in the public interest. We welcome the actions of the Commission to facilitate issuing of death certificates, payment of compensation, intervention in employment and land matters etc over and above its mandate. However we note with concern the Commission’s regret that written requests to the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Justice to release to the Commission names of persons who were in custody of prisons, detention camps, refugee camps, and rehabilitation centres had not been complied with. We urge you to ensure compliance by these two Ministries in order to further facilitate the identification and location of missing persons.
Dr. G. Usvatte- Aratchi – Ms. Suriya Wickremasinghe – Ms. Shanthi Dias
On behalf of The Friday Forum
Dr. G. Usvatte- Aratchi, Ms. Suriya Wickremasinghe, Prof. Arjuna Aluwihare, Rev. Dr. Jayasiri Peiris, Mr. Faiz-Ur. Rahman, Mr. Ananda Galappatti, Ms. Damaris Wickremasekera, Dr. Selvy Thiruchandran, Ms. Manouri Muttetuwegama, Prof. Camena Guneratne, Ms. Shanthi Dias, Dr. Upatissa Pethiyagoda, Prof. Gameela Samarasinghe, Dr. Deepika Udagama, Mr. J. C Weliamuna, Dr. A.C. Visvalingam, Professor Ranjini Obeyesekere, Mr. Ahilan Kadirgamar, Rt. Rev. Bishop Duleep de Chickera, Mr. D. Wijayanandana, Mr. S.C.C.Elankovan and Mr. Chandra Jayaratne.
*The Friday Forum is an informal group of concerned citizens pledged to uphold norms of democracy, good governance, the rule of law, human rights, media freedom and tolerance in our pluralist society.
Dev / July 9, 2015
Sri Lanka and ger commissions ! I have lost count the no of reports that are gathering dust !
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Amarasiri / July 11, 2015
RE: Friday Forum Wants Sirisena To Release Welikada Prison Riots And Paranagama Commission Reports
Dear Friday Forum,
Maitripala Sirisena, the spineless, wimp, liar, coward,Mahinda Rajapaksa and Chinese Brike taker and traitor is now part of the Mara Gang of Cronies.
So, the traitor Sirsena will not release it.
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Estate Labourer / July 9, 2015
It is a Failed State that Fails to publish the reports of Presidential Commissions of Inquiry in attempts to suppress the truth and sweep the wrongdoings of state actors under the carpet.
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maali karunaratne / July 9, 2015
How many reports go unpublished and some are published and no action is taken. For e.g. Report on Airlines and buying of MIGs.
I think with the U turn of yahapalanaya, I think we can request but things will not change.Thanks to Judas- Long live his yakapalanaya
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maali karunaratne / July 9, 2015
How many reports go unpublished and some are published and no action is taken. For e.g. Report on Airlines and buying of MIGs.
I think with the U turn of yahapalanaya, I think we can request but things will not change.Thanks to Judas- Long live his yakapalanaya. What is the point of hard work that Friday Forum and the NGOs put in if this Judas can change our destiny. It is disgusting
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thondamannar / July 9, 2015
Friday Forum another bunch of Jokers. The other day it was Prof. deepthi Udalagama and today its a collective voice.
All they’ve got are some educational credentials at the end of their name which they think can dictate to anyone or everybody should listen to.
I will go for the opinions of the village kopi kade folks who are seen playing draught sipping a plain tea.
FRIDAY FORUM WILL HAVE MUCH TO LEARN FROM THEM.
Kindly step down from your pedestals or just keep to your relevant educational fields.
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Rio Ziegelaar / July 9, 2015
GOOD GOVERNANCE is a foreign word for the whole Sinhalese race. You can take a swine and wash him, but he will return to the shit he is used too.
The Sinhalese race is what I refer to as Scum of this planet.
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Navin / July 10, 2015
What do you expect of the delusional – imagining they are superior because they are half lion?
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justice / July 9, 2015
The suppression of the two reports mentioned, is part of a ‘tradition’ of successive regimes to protect themselves from allegations of injustice against citizens.
About a dozen such reports lie in the presidential secretariat’s archives.
Sri Lanka is unique among nations in suppressing reports of commissions appointed by successive governments by the governments themselves.
The Paranagama commission report would probably have bared injustices against citizens by police and military.
So may have, the report of the Welikada Prison riots commission.
Such omissions have encouraged police and military to a sense of impunity – they believe that they can get away with any unlawful acts against citizens – both in free society, and in prisons.
Successive regimes have upheld this “tradition” of suppression of reports.
These regimes thus safeguard the police and military.
They may fear the takeover of the state by police and military with imposition of a Military Regime – this has happened in some countries.
I hope that the Sirisena Regime will be the exception.
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