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Torture and Sexual Violence Udenrigsudvalget 2016-17 URU Alm.del Bilag 139 Offentligt The ITJP was established in December 2013 MARCH 2017 in response to emerging evidence regarding war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Sri Lanka both during the final phase of the civil war in 2009 and its aftermath. The project is administered by the Foundation for Human Rights in South Africa. The ITJP specializes in documentation and gathering evidence outside the country from victims who leave Sri Lanka shortly after their release. In some instances, victims point out that they have been specifically warned by their captors to leave Sri Lanka. Many of the victims interviewed by the ITJP are deeply traumatized having just arrived in Europe. itjpsl.com stop-torture.com DESIGN: TEMPLO.CO.UK @T_E_M_P_L_O “The worst torture I experienced ever was in Joseph Camp and in the 4th Floor. CONTENTS The interrogators and the translator seemed cheerful, talking loudly, laughing all while inflicting torture.” MALE WITNESS (2009) FOREWORD ...................................... 5 INTRODUCTION................................. 9 Methodology ..................................... 9 Witness Profile .................................. 10 “…Joseph military camp in Vavuniya (Security Force Headquarters for JOSEPH CAMP ................................. 14 Vavuniya) or the CID “Fourth Floor” Detentions ...................................... 15 detention facility in Colombo had rooms that were set up with torture Interrogations .................................. 21 equipment, illustrating the premeditated Torture and Sexual Violence ..................... 28 and systematic nature of the use of torture by units of the Sri Lankan Bribery and extortion linked security forces.” to detention and exfiltration .................... 38 Perpetrators .................................... UNITED NATIONS1 38 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS .................... 43 Annexure 1: Other reports on Joseph Camp Torture ............ 47 Annexure 2: UN references to impunity for torture and sexual violence ..................... 52 Endnotes ........................................ 55 XX2 3 Vanni Security Force JOSEPH CAMP Headquarters (SFHQ-W) FOREWARD COMMANDERS This is a case study dealing military commanders believing in possession of evidence with just one of Sri Lanka’s they have the license revealing that the officer who many known torture sites2 to torture and perpetrate ran military intelligence in and is based on 46 detailed sexual violence. Joseph Camp at the end of the testimonies from survivors war was also rewarded with a and a wealth of supporting The extent of torture prestigious UN peacekeeping documentation. The violations – and the prevalence of posting in 2015. This level 2016-PRESENT: 2012-16: 2011-12 MAJOR GENERAL depicted in this report are interrogation rooms equipped of impunity does not bode MAJOR GENERAL MAJOR GENERAL JEEWAKA RUWAN horrifying but by no means with manacles, chains, well for accountability in BONIFACE PERERA SUMEDHA PERERA KULATUNGA represent the totality of pulleys and other instruments Sri Lanka. suffering inflicted in Joseph of torture - cannot be Camp. We identified many more ignored or wished away. It is It is hard for a report victims who were tortured hardly likely that successive like this to do justice He took part in all major He took part in almost all major Appointed Deputy Chief of Staff in in Joseph Camp from whom we military commanders of to the cruelty routinely offensives in Northern Sri Lanka. offensives against the LTTE and was the Army (February 2016). He served could not take testimony this torture and detention perpetrated inside Joseph the commander of the East during under the former defence secretary From 2005-7 he was an Infantry because time and resources site can claim not to have Camp. Survivors, even Brigade Commander in Muhamalei, the war and then the Competent in the Gajaba Regiment in Matale did not permit. known about the extensive abroad, are still struggling Jaffna. After the war he ran the Authority for displaced war in 1989 (alongside Shavendra Silva military academy until in 2012 survivors in the northern region. and Jagath Dias). He was Brigadier violations. At the end of the to regain their lives, becoming the Commander of the 55th General Staff SFHQ-W in 2009. This huge army garrison in civil war in May 2009, the wracked by physical pain Infantry Division, in Jaffna. He He was a member of the Military the heart of Vavuniya Town camp was used to interrogate and psychological trauma, Court of Inquiry set up to received a gallantry award three has been a well documented and torture large numbers plunged into poverty, lonely times for his role in the “Counter investigate allegations raised by Terrorist Operation”. Channel 4 news. site of torture for the last of people suspected to be and often suicidal in exile. three decades and represents, members of the Liberation We thank them for their at least for Sri Lankan Tigers of Tamil Eelam or extraordinary courage in Tamils, a potent symbol LTTE. The Government condoned recounting some of of impunity. Successive these violations and several their darkest days; they did governments, including those of them occurred when so in the hope that speaking of Chandrika Kumaratunga, General Jegath Jayasuriya out will prevent others Ranil Wickremesinghe, Mahinda was the commander of the suffering in the same way in Rajapaksa and Maithripala site. Instead of being held the future. Sirisena have all failed to accountable for these serious 2009-2011 2007-2009 MAJOR GENERAL MAJOR GENERAL investigate past violations crimes he was promoted KAMAL GUNARATNE JAGATH and prevent future ones. and rewarded by becoming Yasmin Sooka The most recent case of army commander in July Johannesburg torture and rape that the 2009. After the change of ITJP documented in Joseph government in 2015, he was Camp took place as recently given a diplomatic posting Sources: Sri Lankan SFHQ(W) website, http://www. In charge of the 53 Division during After the war he became the army.lk/sfhqwanni/ and Sri Lanka Army site, 8 as December 2016. Political to Brazil from where he is November 2016, http://www.army.lk/news/major- the last phase of fighting. In 2012 Commander of the Army and and then general-jr-kulatunga-assumes-office-commander- he was sent as deputy Ambassador the Chief of Defence Staff. He is inaction and denial on also accredited to Argentina, security-force-wanni to Brazil. He is part of the Gajaba currently Ambassador to Brazil, the part of the political Chile, Peru, Colombia and Regiment and also Special Forces. Columbia, Peru, Chile, Argentina leadership have resulted in Suriname. The ITJP is also 4 and Suriname. 5 6 TIMELINE 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 KEY FORTIMELINE CASES OTHER CASES FREEDOM FROMTORTURE CHRD CASES HUMAN RIGHTSCASES HOME FOR UK ASYLUMBUNDLES ITJP CASES 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 7 2016 ITJP WITNESSES INTRODUCTION 40 6 40 This is the latest in a recent allegations of extremely useful as they series of reports from ongoing violations and provide corroboration for the ITJP that profile the a persistent culture of the written testimony. MEN WOMEN LTTE continuing and endemic impunity, articulated in nature of violations recent reports from the TARGET: perpetrated by Sri Lanka’s United Nations.4 security forces during The main criteria the ITJP the final phase of METHODOLOGY utilised for selecting the civil war in 2009 witnesses was detention and its aftermath.3 This INTERVIEWS: for a minimum of 3 days at report highlights the the Vanni Security Force 9 15 42 criminality of security Six ITJP investigators Headquarters, also known force investigations and conducted extensive as the Joint Operational the pervasive violations confidential individual Security Forces and abuses perpetrated interviews with 46 Sri Headquarters (JOSFH), or against detainees, in Lankan Tamils based in more commonly “Joseph particular torture and the UK and Switzerland Camp”. The witnesses FORCED RECRUITS WHITE VANNED TO TORTURED IN sexual violence. This has that lasted several days. chosen were held in Joseph TO LTTE JOSEPH CAMP JOSEPH CAMP resulted in a “culture In those instances where Camp during the final of torture”, that is statements had already phase of the war or since systemic and reinforced been taken by the ITJP 2009 and up until the end by institutional as part of its previous of 2016. impunity that protects documentation work and individual perpetrators where Joseph Camp was SECURITY: as well as those with mentioned but not dealt command responsibility. with in depth, the ITJP There is still intense 24 32 10 conducted follow-up fear among witnesses This report focuses on interviews focusing on abroad of reprisals Sri Lanka’s war time past this site. In addition, against family members as well as the violations new witnesses were living in Sri Lanka. and abuses perpetrated interviewed on their As a result, information during the last two years experiences of Joseph Camp has been edited to RAPED/SEXUALLY MILITARY POLICE under the administration with 14 of them providing ensure no identifying VIOLATED INTERROGATORS INTERROGATORS of President Sirisena. sketches of the sites information is revealed IN JOSEPH CAMP The violations and abuses where they were detained about individuals. documented in this and interrogated. These report are confirmed by sketches by victims are 8 9 CONFIDENTIALITY: identified
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