Investigating the killing/disappearance of Pattani Razik should not undermine the corruption charges imposed against those trustees.

There are no records in the past that Mr. Pattani Razik was directly or indirectly demonstrating/involving in any human rights activities before or after joining the CTF. There is no information or records among the Sri Lankan civil society organization about Pattani Razik and about his significant contributions in upholding human rights work in the resettlement of the evicted northern Muslims or any other.

It is quite surprising to note how Pattani Razik was promoted as a human rights defendant as soon as he disappeared. The human rights organizations too should review the history of Pattani Razik before promoting him as a human rights defendant. Despite his involvement in Forum Asia does not facilitate him whatsoever as a human rights defendant.

It is learnt that there are two groups operating in the Puttalam district who are influenced. One is a group of people influenced by the trustees to promote Pattani Razik as a human rights defendant and another group campaigning against the corruption of the trustees. The group influenced by the trustees tries to undermine the corruption charges by promoting Pattani Razik as human rights activist. By promoting Pattani Razik as a HR activist they undermine the corruption charges alleged to them by being hostile to the better staffs (CTF) and to the community (other group Puttalam and Mannar) who are against the corruption of the trustees.

We welcome the efforts taken by Grounviews to expose the perpertrators of this abduction/killing. Investigating the abduction and the killing should not change the fact that there is a corruption charges against the trustees.

After the taking over by the SL defense now the corruption has become double.

Pattani Razeek’s case is just another case in which political interference is obvious and no amount of pressure on the government is going to make it move to deal with the suspects according to the laws of the land. This brings us to the question of the absence of effective witness protection legislation which inhibits witnesses to crimes from not only making statements on what they have seen but even to sign affidavits on such matters, as could be seen in Pattani Razeek’s case.

Unless the recommendation of the LLRC are taken seriously and an independent Police Commission is appointed, one cannot see any change in the performance of the police or in the rule of law situation in the country. This is a challenge the government in general and Defence Ministry in particular has to face, if they want the people to believe that they are sincerely concerned about improving the law and order situation in the country.