Responding to the brutal attack by the armed forces on Thursday (1st August) at Weliweriya, killing and injuring unarmed civilians demanding uncontaminated water, the Lawyers Collective strongly condemns the Government’s continuous ferocity against peaceful protesters. The Government has displayed total disrespect to the constitutional guarantees on civil liberties of its own citizens. Evidence clearly establishes that deplorable levels of force including live bullets were used on the unarmed villagers. The assailants also assaulted journalists and grabbed their cameras by force when they were doing their job covering the event. Lawyers Collective urges stern actions against those responsible for ordering and carrying out this brutal attack.
The legal fraternity urges the Government to control its military and ensure that they are used for legitimate purposes only. In a constitutional democracy, attacking peaceful unarmed protesters or disrupting legitimate civil activities of the citizens is not a legitimate objective of the Armed Forces or the law enforcement authorities.
We have noted with regret that the functions of the police are increasingly being usurped by the military. The lawyers are shocked but not at all surprised with the dubious post-event pronouncements of the State media and Government politicians to justify the attack on civilians. The Government has been also known to falsely brand the dissenting voices as “terrorists, funded by foreign elements etc” and we urge public not to be misled by such false propaganda. The Lawyers Collective, while standing by the victims and their families, will take whatever action is possible within the legal framework to ensure justice for them.
Concerned / August 3, 2013
Can the lawyers collective file against the Army and government in the Weliveriya residents behalf?
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faleel / August 3, 2013
I dnt think
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jinadasa peris / August 3, 2013
to be heard by the pseudo chief justice or by a subservient judiciary?
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sama / August 3, 2013
Had they the lawyers collective, educated professionals from including university dons been awake, we would not have reached this level of culture of impunity :(
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sama / August 3, 2013
If the lawyers collective is that bold, they could have reacted at the time all kind of MERVIN^s goons misbehaved on the illegally held impeachment process against CJ Dr SB.
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PresiDunce Bean / August 3, 2013
There are only two kinds of people in this country. Those who support the government and those who don’t support the government. Those who support the government are patriots and those who don’t are traitors.
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Sanj / August 3, 2013
Factory is owned by Hayleys. Vice president of Hayleys is Dammika Perera.
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Anura / August 3, 2013
Who is Dammika Perera? Pl let us know
We going to BodhiPuja to resolve all these issues. What else we foolish Siri Lankan do
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dhammik a / August 3, 2013
dear concerned , you are absolutely right, there are plenty of evidence and hope lawyers collective have a backbone to do that
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Thiru / August 3, 2013
It appears that the “Killing Fields of Sri Lanka” is coming to town down South.
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Qassim ben Qassim / August 3, 2013
If this is how they treat thier own kind who only asked for safe drinking water … Minorities what will be our situation in the future?????????????????
Just the thought made a goose run over my grave!!!!!!!
No one can do anything – it is too late, you can either shut the F ..Up and put up with life here or get the hell out,,not many people have the second choice ,,,,,,,
Just imagine the situation of those minorities who rushed back with all their life time earning of blood & sweat … and changed it into rupiahs..
I think I can hear the cry of those who died from their graves saying oh the living :
Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbled:
King James Bible -:)
Proverbs 24:17
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Amarasiri / August 3, 2013
Urges Government To Control Its Armed Forces?
1. Urge the government to maintain law and order.
2. Urge the government to follow the constitution and provide the protection to the citizens granted in the constitution.
3. Urge the government to have a single standard and not allow Racist Theravada Buddhist Monks run Amok and break the law in order to maintain their monk hegemony.
4. Bring to book all criminals.
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Kalu Malli / August 5, 2013
It won’t survive for a minute minus the Sri Lanka Brute Force.
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Dhaksha / August 3, 2013
Let’s face it, no one and no body, not even our courts, can stop the madmen from killing innocent civilians.
They prefer to put wealthy polluting businesses over our poor people. This is no way to stop protests, this in inhumane. They have already started blaming the victims, in typical rajapaksa fashion.
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Fathima Thennakon / August 3, 2013
We are living under medieval era led by people who are reborn directly from 14th century. I appreciate the LC determination to stand for justice though I am not optimistic for the change in the ongoing trend in near future.
The Ruling Family government has lump sum solution for all kind of problem including economy, unemployment and lack of direction and increased level of corruption and greedy to grab more and more public wealth by the family themselves. It is to increase hatreds among religious communities and threaten and shut the mouths of those who open and resist the injustices.
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Kalu Malli / August 4, 2013
Militarised dictatorship in action. Feel sorry for the people that took that rice packet and got seduced(to vote) by that Rs 500.
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Muliyawaikkal / August 4, 2013
Good clean water is pumped OUT of Sinhala areas and sent to Tamil areas in Colombo City.
This is why they don’t have good drinking water!
Identify the real problem and the real root cause of the problem.
Attacking the people or the army cannot bring good water as long as those in Colombo City (mostly outsiders who have come from other places) continue to ROB your good water you enjoyed for thousands of years.
Water resource is limited. Either you drink it or they drink it.
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Piranha / August 4, 2013
The most disciplined army in the world, eh? They are a law unto themselves.
Ask the tamils and they will tell you how disciplined the Sri Lankan army is.
If anybody thinks this murderous act against the peaceful protestors did not have the approval of Gota, think again.The country has gone to the dogs.
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Qassim ben Qassim (Muslim Freemason- Southeast Asian Lodge) / August 5, 2013
@Muliyawaikkal – why do you continue to endorse your ill begotten character repeatedly , everyone in the forum knows you are a bigot , who’s favourite pastime is bitching about others.
So if you are in heat find the right solution- this forum is for people who genuinely express thier frustration against injustice not just to one community but to all humanity- first you need to be human with conscience -Stop bitching -you God forsaken Bigot..
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Rama / August 11, 2013
this is exactly what sinhala black monkey army did to the tamil people, killing them in their thouands with the consent of sinhala pariahs gothabhaya and mahinda. these two low caste sinhala pariahs killed over 40,000 innocent tamil people. kadirgamar a pariah convert was a crawler.
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