Tamil men report rape, torture by Lanka

Raped, branded and beaten, he is one of more than 50 men who say they were abducted and tortured under Sri Lanka’s current government. The men’s previously unpublished accounts conjure images of the bloody civil war that ended in 2009. 

The men agreed to tell their stories and to have the extensive scars on their legs, chests and backs photographed in July and August. Thirty medical and psychological evaluations were reviewed and 20 men interviewed. 

The men said they were accused of trying to revive the Tamil Tiger rebel group and tortured between early 2016 to as recently as July of this year. 

Sri Lankan authorities have denied the allegations. “The army was not involved and as for that matter I’m sure that police also were not involved,” Sri Lanka army commander Lt. Gen. Mahesh Senanayake said in an interview last week in Sri Lanka. “There’s no reason for us to do that now.” 

The Sri Lankan government minister in charge of the police agreed to an interview last month but did not follow through.

Sri Lanka’s current government was elected in 2015. Many had hoped the new leadership would bring long promised reforms. 

Piers Pigou, a South African human rights investigator, said he has not seen torture of this scale in his 40year career.

“The levels of sexual abuse being perpetuated in Sri Lanka by authorities are the most egregious and perverted that I’ve ever seen.” 

Sri Lanka has so far failed to investigate war crimes allegations stemming from its 26-year civil war. Upon his return, Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena said neither the former general nor other “war heroes” would be touched a pledge that drew criticism from human rights groups. 

“While the U.N. is unable to confirm this until we mount an investigation, clearly the reports are horrifying and merit a much closer inspection from our part, especially if they occurred in 2016 and 2017,” said Zeid, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights. 

Sri Lanka’s representative in London, Amari Wijewardene, declined interview requests.