In response to questions raised over the arrest and detention of Balendran Jayakumari, Sri Lanka questioned the member states at the 25th UNHRC sessions as to what their response would be if they were confronted with the threat of re-grouping terror networks in their respective countries.

A statement from the Sri Lankan Mission in Geneva released yesterday (March 26) stated that interested parties were attempting to stigmatise the action of the authorities as an infringement when they were only carrying out their duties for the purpose of national security.

The statement further read that Sri Lanka will not be deterred in its bid to safeguard its citizens from the terrorism in the face of “credible evidence” on the resurgence of LTTE activities while appealing to the member states of the UNHRC not to impede the nation in its quest to avoid any terrorist revival.

FULL STATEMENT:

Exercising the right to reply on statements made regarding the arrest and detention of Ms. Balendran Jeyakumari, and the incidents in Killinochchi last week, Sri Lanka asked the member states at the 25th Session of the Human Rights Council on 26 March 2014 how their respective countries would react if there was a credible threat of re-grouping terror networks and if they would remain passive bystanders or take proactive action to ensure terror networks were kept at bay.

Detailing the circumstances which led to the arrest of Ms. Jeyakumari, Sri Lanka, said the performance of this investigative action “should not be portrayed as selective, singling out of these individuals” and deplored attempts on the part of “interested parties to stigmatise the action of law enforcement authorities as an infringement when they were merely carrying out duties for purposes of national security”. Sri Lanka also stated that as there was “credible evidence of resurgence and revival of LTTE activity in Sri Lanka, masquerading these activities in the garb of human rights, impeded the legitimate exercise of protecting the citizens of the country from terrorism and protecting their right to life”. 

Elaborating on the arrest, Sri Lanka pointed out that the recovery of an arms cache, evidence on attempts to reorganise and rearm the terrorist outfit, LTTE, and a shooting incident involving a LTTE terrorist named K. P. Selvanayagam a.k.a Gobi who was found in the residence of Ms. Jeyakumari and who had shot at Police officials and escaped, still remains at large. It was also noted that Ms. Jeyakumari’s daughter who was also at the scene, had been handed over to Probation and Childcare Services following magisterial orders.

Referring to the detention of Mr. Ruki Fernando and Father Praveen, after they were found to be visiting the scene of the crime and the residence of Gobi, the fleeing suspect, Sri Lanka observed that it provided sufficient need for an investigation to be launched into the nature of their involvement of these individuals with the main suspect. They were both released after due judicial process.

While appealing to the member states not to impede Sri Lanka’s quest to ensure that no resurgence of terrorism takes place in the country by misinformation and the wrongful portrayal and misrepresentation of facts, Sri Lanka reiterated that it would continue to maintain vigilance in the face of credible evidence on the resurgence of terrorist activities by the LTTE and would not be deterred in its bid to safeguard its citizens from the scourge of terrorism.

Sri Lanka Mission

Geneva

26 March 2014