A Tamil man in Mullaitivu has filed a complaint with the Vavuniya Human Rights Commission, after he was illegally detained, assaulted and tortured by officials from Sri Lanka's Wildlife Department last week.
The complaint, filed by Mr. Navaruban, alleges that seven Wildlife Department officials and four Special Task Force (STF) officers forcibly entered his home on June 14th, without a warrant, on the suspicion that he had game meat in his possession.
Mr. Navaruban, nor his wife were present at home at the time of the raid. After being informed that his house has been surrounded by STF officials, Mr. Navaruban returned home, to find the family's food had been thrown on the floor and his belongings were strewn about the house. Angered by this, he confronted the officials, who began recording the incident on their phones, in order to intimidate him and the confrontation escalated into a heated arugment.
The officials then took Mr. Navaruban to their office and placed him under arrest, keeping him at the Wildlife Department office overnight where he was repeatedly assaulted and tortured. He was then produced in court alleging that he had obstructed investigations and attacked the Wildlife Department officials. Following his release on bail, the vicitim has made a complaint at the Vavuniya Human Rights Commission and is currently undergoing medical treatment for his injuries.
Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) leader Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam visited the victim and his family at their house to inquire about the victim’s recovery.
In addition, officials who have failed to respond to emergencies involving wild animals have caused distress among villagers in the past. There have also been multiple reports of Wildlife Department officials from Kilinochchi entering areas under the purview of Mullaitivu and harassing the general public. This has caused tensions within these communities and has led to feelings of antagonism against Wildlife Department officials. These incidents have raised serious concerns about the effectiveness of the Wildlife Department and the safety of the public.