Govt ensures right of information to relatives of LTTE suspects

The government has established a mechanism to ensure the right of information to the relatives of LTTE suspects, said Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva and Leader of the Sri Lanka Delegation to the 23rd session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) Ravinatha Aryasinha yesterday.

Aryasinha said that a centralized , comprehensive database of detainees established by the Terrorist Investigation Diviison (TID) of the Police with units operating around the clock in Colombo, Vavuniya and Boosa enables the Next of Kin (NoK) to receive details about those who are released from detention.

Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative added that information is provided to the Next of Kin of the detainees only because they have requested that such information is not made public due to privacy concerns.

“Upto now, around 3,220 inquiries have been made by the relatives to the TID alone. Of the 2,729 complaints recorded, investigations into 1,628 investigations have been completed while investigations into 1,101 investigations were in progress as of February 2013”, “he said. Aryasinghe added that a special committee has been appointed to look into the cases where suspects remain in custody pending indictment.

“In order to file cases against the suspects that remain in remand custody pending indictment, a special committee has been appointed to look into their cases,” he said.

He added that the scope of this committee is to review and advise further course of action to be taken against these suspects, including the possibility of release of suspects following rehabilitation.