Shooting of two Jaffna Students: The Council of Non-Governmental Organizations urges for a speedy and just investigation

The Council of Non Governmental Organizations of Jaffna District (CNGOs) has condemned the  police shooting and the killing of two Jaffna University students on the  and called on the government for a speedy and impartial investigation regarding the incident.

“This should be relevant to the Judiciary, Legal sector, Protection of the minorities and the race reconciliation. The above incident creates a feeling that the above is being dragged towards a dangerous situation.  All faction should get together and attempt to prevent this. Hence a just investigation should be held regarding these cold blooded murders and the perpetrators punished. Truth should be revealed” CNGOs said in a statement released yesterday.

The full text is available here:

We, the Council of Non-Governmental Organizations (CNGOs) Jaffna District, incorporating 28 Non Governmental Organizations of Jaffna District, wish to express our strong opposition, condemnation and deep sorrow regarding the shooting and the murder of two students that occurred in Jaffna on 21.10.2016. We also express our deepest sympathies to the families of the students in the incident.

Two innocent students losing their lives in the police shooting had created a fear psychosis in the minds of the people of the Jaffna Peninsula. The mysterious deaths of these two students, reveals that “the fence itself grazing on the crop continuing.” Further fear is being created by context where, obtaining clear information regarding the incident prevented by the attempts to screen the incidents.

In a country where Good Governance is prevailing, it is important for reconciliation, that transparency is maintained about an incident that occurred in that country. Especially, it is a faulty approach for the Police faction, which should preserve and protect and establish Law and Order and establish the Good Governance, behave in a way that could pose danger to the lives to innocent people, without having a mechanism to protect the innocent public. Further, this incident is obviating the confidence that the sectors of Law and Order and the Judiciary will move towards a progressive position!!!

This should be relevant to the Judiciary, Legal sector, Protection of the minorities and the race reconciliation. The above incident creates a feeling that the above is being dragged towards a dangerous situation.  All faction should get together and attempt to prevent this. Hence a just investigation should be held regarding these cold blooded murders and the perpetrators punished. Truth should be revealed. Representatives from the affected people and Civil Society should be included in an Investigation panel that could be constituted to investigate into the incident. The fact that, the current government does posses the capacity to handle this incident had been demonstrated by the past incident. Hence we request that, Human Rights activists be included and a just investigation be pursued.

These cold blooded murders had raised suspicion about a prosperous future which will be conducive for people of all races of Sri Lanka to live in reconciliation. This further reiterates the need for changes in the structures of all sectors of the Government. Hence we hereby insist that, structural changes be instituted in the Judicial and legal sectors and we wish to take this opportunity to insist that the Government should attempt to find out appropriate ways and means for all of us to move with the International Community in this regard.

The firing made on these innocent students, murder, the statements and information issued after the incident go on to show that the ruling elite of Sri Lanka does not possess the mind set to accommodate the people of the minority races. All of us should understand that oppressing and eliminating are not the routes to cordial living. The state structures with an oppressive authority related psychology could be identified as the main reason. Particularly, we request that the Government institute action immediately for change of mind set in the structure of the Police Force.

While, we, as a Civil Society, hereby pledge our righteous support to the just struggle of the people, we also request that all Civil Societies to offer their support towards this. There are always the likelihoods of the people who had demanded justice being misled and deviated. We also modestly request the Civil Societies to ensure that the just struggles of the people pursued with much com ‘pos men’ tis.