Mother of disappeared Tamil youth submits appeal after spotting son in photograph

Activist Balendran Jeyakumary submitted a formal letter to the Public Relations Division of the Presidential Secretariat, urgently requesting information on the disappearance of her son, Balendran Mahinthan, who was forcibly disappeared in December 2008.

Jeyakumary, a well-known figure among the families of the disappeared in the North-East, has fought for over 15 years to uncover the truth about her son's fate.

In her appeal, addressed to the president of Sri Lanka Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Jeyakumary states she recognised her son in a photograph published by The Irish Times on 25th June 2009. The article, covering a rehabilitation programme run by the Ministry of Justice at the Ambepussa camp, included an image of Tamil youths being “rehabilitated” — and among them, she identified Mahinthan.

She writes, “When I received this paper, I immediately recognised that my son was in the picture.” 

She attached a copy of the article as Annexure 9. She also refers to a 2012 book by the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA), where a photo of the same rehabilitation programme was published. This, too, included her son. The CPA photo credits were attributed to the official government outlet Lanka Puwath.

Her letter went on to recount her family's deep losses. A widowed mother of four, she writes that two of her sons were killed during the war, and her youngest son, Mahinthan, was forcibly disappeared during the final phase of the armed conflict. 

Her husband and other relatives also died, leaving her with only one surviving child, her daughter Vibushika.

Mahinthan, born in June 1993, disappeared on 18th December 2008 after leaving home in Painthamkiludiruppu, Kilinochchi. At the time, he had just completed his O/L examinations. 

“He never returned home, I have not seen him since, and I have had no contact with my son,” she writes. Jeyakumary notes that a known individual later told her that he had seen Mahinthan in military custody alongside other detainees, confirming fears that he had been taken by the Sri Lankan army.

Jeyakumary’s letter is accompanied by detailed annexures, including:
•    Communications with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in 2009 and 2010,
•    Police complaints lodged in Kilinochchi,
•    Responses from the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) regional and head offices,
•    Letters from the Presidential Commission to Investigate Missing Persons.

Despite these efforts, she has never received conclusive information about her son’s fate.

“Since the disappearance of my son you are the 5th president to hold the presidency in Sri Lanka,” she writes. “Now, with Your Excellency as President, a leader who understands the struggles of the common people, we believe you will heed our cries and tears and we have renewed hope that you will hear our pleas.”

She made three specific requests to the President:
1.    To grant her and her daughter a personal meeting to discuss the case.
2.    To assist in obtaining information about the Ambepussa rehabilitation camp.
3.    To provide updates regarding her previous complaints to the police and Presidential Commission.

“I am reaching out to you in the sincere hope that you will give your attention to help me find information about my son and bring justice for the injustice I have faced over the past 15 years,” she concluded.

Balendran Jeyakumary, who campaigned since the end of the armed conflict against enforced disappearances, was arrested and detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act in 2015 in the run up to the UN Human Rights Council passing a resolution on Sri Lanka calling for accountability. She was held for 362 days before being released and then later re-arrested and detained for a further 6 days.

Her story reflects the continued plight of thousands of Tamil families still searching for loved ones who surrendered, were detained or forcibly disappeared by the Sri Lankan state. Despite repeated calls for truth and accountability, Sri Lanka has failed to provide answers or justice. Families continue to demand international intervention.

See the full text of her letter below.

^{Photographs via @SanjulaPietersz.}