Police powers promote torture says Colombo judge

Detention without trial

SUPREME COURT Judge P Ramanathan says despite judicial orders against= law-enforcement officers, torture in police stations continues unabated.= Police have powers to record statements, investigate and prosecute= offenders. The concentration of powers allow the police to take short-cuts= by torture in custody, says Mr Ramanathan.

Human rights agencies say= prolonged detention also leads to ill-treatment. Currently there are over= 1,100 Tamils in custody, 300 of whom are held for over two years. MPs who= met detainees in Kalutara prison in early November say six Tamil youths are= held for over five years and another six above the age of 50 are detained= for over 18 months. Seven had been earlier released, arrested again and= held for over two years.

Over 100 Tamil prisoners in Kalutara began= a fast on 28 November demanding trials or release. Following a fast protest= by detainees in June, the Defence Ministry promised to solve the issue= within three months. Prisoners bitterly complain that the Ministry has= failed to take any action. Lawyers say the Defence Ministry has failed to= act on several recommendations for release made by the Attorney General=92s= Department.

Human rights agencies are concerned about illegal= detentions. Some prisoners continue to languish in prison despite court= orders for their release. In a habeas corpus application, Meenatchy= Chitrasenan alleges that her daughter Thirumagal arrested in September is= illegally detained in a police station without being produced before a= court.

As LTTE=92s Great Heroes Week approached, security was= tightened in Colombo and other southern areas. Over 150 Tamils were= arrested in Negombo in early November and six women were detained. Over 100= Tamil youths were arrested in the Colombo suburbs of Wellawatte and= Kirillapone. Several others were taken into custody in Slave Island in= mid-November. Police say they have received reports that 45 Black Tigers= have infiltrated the city. Police also believe there are many Tigers= suicide bombers among the 150,000 Tamil refugees in the capital.

A= Tamil youth who had visited Switzerland as a tourist was arrested on= Aluthgama beach in mid-November. A Swiss woman with him was also taken into= custody. Press reports say Mohanarajah Thuraisingham deported from Germany= was arrested by police on 19 November. Relatives say his whereabouts are= unknown.

Reports say police introduced a new rule in late November,= allowing only three days=92 stay in Colombo for those arriving from the= north. Patients seeking medical treatment will be allowed a further four= days. People say three days are hardly sufficient, particularly in view of= the security restrictions in Colombo. Human rights agencies are concerned= and say the rule is a further infringement of human rights.

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