Anti-Muslim Violence: Not Even The Most Basic Investigations Launched

July 4, 2014

It has been revealed that not even the most basic investigations have been launched to determine the cause of the fires that resulted in extensive property damages in Southern Sri Lanka following the anti-Muslim violence that erupted in several coastal towns, further proving the Rajapaksa regime’s apathy towards delivering justice to victimized families of the brutality.

Upul Jayasuriya -BASL President

Reports have surfaced and they have been further concreted by a statement made by the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) on the fact that the Government Analyst has still not been summoned to the areas affected by the brutal anti-Muslim clashes, to investigate the cause of the fire though it has been over two weeks since the incident.

Making matters worse, Colombo Telegraph has been told that the rapid reconstruction operations that were underway by the military are in fact a clever disguise deployed by the government to bury evidence in the absence of a proper investigation on what caused the fire that caused heavy damages to properties in the area.

The BASL meanwhile has filed an application requesting the Government Analyst testing on the incident and in response the Kaluthara Magistrate has ordered the suspension of debris clearance while ordering the Police to summon the GA to the affected areas. However, the suspension order has been limited to the Welipitiya area where three individuals died succumbing to fatal injuries inflicted by anti-Muslim rioters.

Furthermore, following doubts expressed by Justice Minister Rauff Hakeem on the authenticity of the post-mortem reports of two victims who had been shot to death – but whose cause of death in the reports had been noted as cut injuries as reported by Colombo Telegraph – the Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) who submitted the reports have been summoned to Courts.

The BASL has also sought a court order to exhume the bodies of the victims but the ruling on the order is to be delivered only following the statement obtained by the JMO that has been scheduled for tomorrow.