Buddhist sect head says Dutch monk's death a suicide; not verified by post-mortem

The death of a Dutch Buddhist monk in Sri Lanka has caused controversy as the head of the sect deceased the monk belonged issued a press statement highlighting the death was a suicide. The press statement was issued by Thirikunamale Ananda Maha Thero, the Prelate of Amarapura Sri Dharmarakshitha Sect. 

The Chief Prelate said that the death of the monk could be suicide and asked media not to highlight it as a homicide. The temple the monk stayed belong to the sect and the temple the Chief Prelate resides. 

However, the post-mortem was conducted on December 10th by Dr. Janaki Warshahennadi, the Judicial Medical Specialist of Karapitiya Teaching Hospital of Galle. The verdict did not verify the death was a suicide and directed police to investigate further.   

Three police teams of Sri Lanka are investigating the death of a Dutch national Buddhist monk who was meditating in a Theravada Buddhist monastery in Sri Lanka. The death was initially suspected murder. 

The dead body of the Netherlands national Buddhist monk was found on December 08, 2020, from a lagoon in Rathgama in Galle district of Sri Lanka. 

The 59 years old Buddhist monk known as Ven. Jinawansa had dedicated life for meditation. He has been living in Katudampe Polgasduwa forest monastery in Rathgama in Galle district since 2011 under visa renewed yearly. The monk used a canoe to come to the village for begging alms. His empty wooden canoe was first found floating on the lagoon. 

The monk's body was found dumped in the lagoon tied to heavy rocks. Sri Lanka Police suspected the late priest might have been murdered elsewhere and drowned in the lagoon. Three police teams are investigating the incident. He was missing since December 05, 2020. 

Post updated on December 12, 2020

Conduct postmortem and reveal the causes of deaths of detainees in Mahara prison

By Anthony Vinoth, Coordinator - Sri Lankan Collective Against Torture 

Sri Lankan Collective Against Torture is highly concerned about the killing of 11 detainees of Mahara prison and injuring 107 detainees, in an incident claimed to be taken place amidst steps to control the chaos in prison on November 29. We express our deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and wish speedy recovery of all the injured detainees and the two prison officials.

We highlight that the security of the prisoners in state custody lie on the government and expect the authorities will provide a credible explanation to the society about the incident.

We want to remind that local and international civil organizations have focused the attention of the government many times to the elongated issue of congestion in prisons of Sri Lanka. We believe that COVID-19 would not make the prisons so vulnerable if the government had taken steps to provide sustainable solutions to minimize prison congestion. Several civil organizations, including the Committee to Protect the Rights of the Prisoners informed the authorities several times that spread of the epidemic in the prisons might cause panic among detainees. We stress that the cause for the unfortunate situation in prison is the failure of the authorities to take timely action. As a result, chaos has been reported from several prisoners by now.  

Two detainees lost lives in Anuradhapura prison amidst the first corona wave as a result of using live rounds to control the chaos. On November 18, one detainee of Bogambara prison died due to gunshot injuries. We focus the attention to the section 13 (4) of the constitution of Sri Lanka which highlights “No person shall be punished with death or imprisonment except by order of a competent court, made in accordance with the procedure established by law.”

The killings that took place in prisons within a brief period degrade  Sri Lanka in the human rights indices while affecting the dignity of the state internationally.

Even before the postmortem, the new Minister of Prison Management Hon. Lohan Ratwatta said in the parliament that no prisoner had died of gunshot injuries in the Mahara incident. This statement by the Hon. Minister was contradicted when the state counsel representing the Attorney General reported to the Magistrate of Welisara on December 8 that Criminal Investigation Department probes had revealed the use of firearms. The Sri Lankan Collective Against Torture protests the Minister’s statement in this context. We further demand the Department of Prisons to immediately hand over the unedited copies of the videos shown on media together with the equipment used to record them to the Magistrate Court of Welisara for further investigations. 

Also, we demand the government not to cremate the dead bodies of these detainees as per the quarantine regulations. We respect the interim order issued by Hon. Magistrate of Wattala on December 4 preventing the cremations. 

Hon. Magistrate of Welisara has directed the government to provide expert opinion regarding the postmortems, and we urge the authorities to take immediate actions in terms of this direction. In the context of the investigations after the exhumation of the bodies of the murdered persons had changed the initial postmortem reports, we emphasize that the government should conduct fair and independent inquests in terms of these nine killings. The cremation of the dead bodies considering the victims of killings as COVID-19 patients may hide evidence of murder, we stress. Therefore, we urge the government to use suitable techniques such as X-ray and conduct investigations without causing injustice to the victims of a crime and the families of the victims. The responsibility of a democratic government is to conduct murder investigations transparently and independently.

Sri Lanka is lagging regarding delivering justice to the victims of similar crimes that occur in the prisons quite often. The case regarding the killing of 27 prisoners in Welikada prison on November 9, 2012, is yet to be examined. However, accelerating the process of justice concerning exceptional circumstances is unalienable responsibility of the government.

Sri Lankan Collective Against Torture extends its fullest corporation unconditionally to its member organization, Committee to Protect the Prisoners’ Rights, in their struggle to seek justice for the victims of this incident and also to increase the security and facilities in the prisons.

(Translated by Creative Content Consultants)

Recover Better - Stand Up for Human Rights

Recover Better - Stand Up for Human Rights is the theme of Human Rights Day 2020. 

"This year’s Human Rights Day theme relates to the COVID-19 pandemic and focuses on the need to build back better by ensuring Human Rights are central to recovery efforts. We will reach our common global goals only if we are able to create equal opportunities for all, address the failures exposed and exploited by COVID-19, and apply human rights standards to tackle entrenched, systematic, and intergenerational inequalities, exclusion and discrimination," the United Nations announced.

Speaker of Sri Lanka to host the budget party violating quarantine regulations

Speaker of Sri Lanka is planning to host the traditional party after the budget is passed violating quarantine regulations, Lankadeepa Sinhala newspaper reported.  

The budget party is scheduled to be held on December 10th in the official residence of the Speaker. 

As the newspaper reported, all the parliamentarians and their families are invited to the party. The number of guests for the party is around 500 and food and beverages are ordered for 700 persons including the staff. 

Under the quarantine regulations in Sri Lanka, health authorities allow only 50 to 100 people for a similar party organized by ordinary people. 

A Sri Lankan man claims for the invention of a syrup that gives lifetime immunity for COVID-19

District Secretary of Kegalle of Sri Lanka temporarily suspended distributing a syrup that a local physician claimed a cure for COVID-19. Minister of Health Pavithra Wanniarachchi, other Ministers and some health professionals also promoted this medication as a cure for coronavirus through media. 

However, the syrup is yet to be approved by the health authorities.  

However, heavy traffic was reported from Kegalle in Sri Lanka's Sabaragamuwa Province due to the flow of hundreds of thousands of people from all over the country who rushed to grab the syrup believed a cure for COVID-19. No quarantine regulation or social distancing was followed and the 'doctor' and his helpers did not wear face masks. Even the police failed to control the crowds. 

The inventor of the medicine is not a registered traditional medical practitioner in Sri Lanka. People flocked in the inventor's house to grab the product he sold in small bottles enough for a family of four to six persons. 

The drug was distributed free of charge. The inventor who introduced himself as Dhammika Bandara said that two table spoonfuls of the syrup in the morning and in the evening for two days would give a man immunity from the deadly virus for the entire life. The patients need to take the medicine only for three days to cure, as he claims.

He says the drug was produced using bees' honey and several domestic spices. 

(Picture: The inventor distributing the drug)

Japanese girl who eloped with a Sri Lankan suspected of raped by step-father with the connivance of her mother

A 24-year old Sri Lankan who was suspected of trafficking a Japanese girl was released on bail by Negambo Magistrate Court of Sri Lanka. 

The man was arrested based on a complaint by the mother of the Japanese girl. The Embassy of Japan in Sri Lanka also involved in the case. However, K.C. Pathirana the counsel appearing for the plaintiff said that the mother would consent for the man to marry the girl. 

Waruna Weerasuriya, the counsel who appeared for the suspect said the girl told to Kochchikade police that she had been raped twice by her step-father with the connivance of her mother. The lawyer said that the Japanese language sworn translator had ignored the translation of that part to police and demanded an investigation on that matter. 

The girl continues to be held under the probationary custody. She is five-month pregnant and under Sri Lanka's law sex with minors below 16 years of age even with consent is considered statutory rape. The offence will result in a ten-year mandatory sentence and a fine against the rapist. 

Sri Lankan health authorities work hard to end child pregnancy and the Japanese embassy of Sri Lanka assist to such projects sometimes. Sri Lanka's challenge is around 5% of total pregnancies are considered teenage pregnancy. 

The Sri Lankan man who migrated into Japan under student visa had started the affair while he was working in the girl's house as a temporary worker. He returned to Sri Lanka with the Japanese girl five months ago.   

The case was postponed until 18 March 2021. 

Psychiatrists of Sri Lanka reject government's claim that psychiatric drugs caused violence among prisoners

Sri Lanka College of Psychiatrists says that the publicity given in the media on the connection between the violent and aggressive behaviour of prisoners and the abuse of the drugs used in psychiatric practice has no rational basis. 

"The drugs used in psychiatric practice in Sri Lanka are also used all over the world and these drugs are brought under the guidance of regulatory authorities. In Sri Lanka, psychiatrists have been using these drugs during the last seven decades with great benefit to patients. These drugs are prescribed based on well-accepted guidelines. Nome of these drugs are responsible for violent or aggressive behaviour and in fact, many of these drugs promote calmness and cause mild drowsiness," the statement further said. 

Sri Lankan Minister Wimal Weerawansa and Secretary of the Ministry of Defense Kamal Gunarathna were two of the bigwigs who said that the prisoners had been under the influence of psychiatric drugs stolen from a medical store in the prison.