UN urged to secure release of arrested eyewitness in Ki’linochchi

57-year-old Sinnathamby Krishnarajah, who was detained by the Sri Lankan CID in Ki’linochchi on Saturday and taken to Vavuniyaa and from there to Colombo by the Sri Lankan Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) was arrested while he was copying forms from the Internet for producing affidavit about his daughter who was reported missing at the final stage, according his family. Tamil National Alliance (TNA) spokesman Suresh Premachandran and the Tamil National Peoples Front (TNPF) General Secretary Selvarajah Kajendren have urged the UN to ensure the release of the father of six from the Sri Lankan TID.

The UN should come forward to create an interim administration in the Tamil homeland to protect the civilians and eyewitnesses from the harassments of the Sri Lankan State, the TNPF said in its statement on Monday.

Mr Krishnarajah was making a few copies of an affidavit form to his relatives and friends who were still searching for their their kith and kin, informed sources said.

Mr Krishnarajah, from Sivapuram in Kiraagnchi is not a member of any political party or NGO, the family said on Monday.

The arrest of Mr Krishnarajah comes as the Sri Lankan Military Intelligence, CID and the TID have imposed strict monitoring of those attempting to make submissions to the OHCHR Investigation on Sri Lanka.

In the meantime, Tamil Councillor Ananthy Sasitharan has urged the OISL to extend the deadline to make submissions as Colombo has intensified threats and harassment against people making submissions to OISL.

Majority of the elected Tamil councillors in the North and East have urged the OHCHR to include investigations on genocide against Eelam Tamils.

Consistent with the practice of other United Nations fact-finding bodies, the OHCHR in August said the OISL will base its findings on a “reasonable grounds to believe” standard of proof.

“There are reasonable grounds to believe that an incident or pattern of violations or crimes occurred if the OISL has obtained a reliable body of information, consistent with other information, indicating their occurrence. This standard of proof may be sufficiently high to call for judicial investigations into violations of international humanitarian and human rights law and international crimes,” according to the OISL Terms of Reference by the OHCHR published on August 01.

Keheliya Rambukwella, the spokesman of the SL government and media minister, already in June 2014 went on record warning that ‘appropriate action’ would be taken against those submitting evidence to the OISL.

Recently, the SL government banned to all foreign nationals, including the diplomats, journalists, NGO workers and the visitors from the Tamil diaspora, from visiting the North without advance permission from the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence.

[Full Coverage]

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