HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION OF SRI LANKA, Annual Report 2018
government authorities. Subsequently, complainants were asked to
submit complaints to the Kandy Regional office. The Officers of the
Kandy regional office also visited the Bogambara - Pallekale prison
on 16 March 2018 to inspect the wellbeing and the conditions of
detention of the four Muslim youths who had been remanded in
connection with the murder of Heepitiye Gedara Kumarasinghe and
the suspects who had been arrested in relation to the anti-Muslim
attacks. The regional office also ably facilitated the conducting of the
inquiry of the HRCSL into these violent incidents. (Please see chapter
2 for more information on the inquiry).
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The Jaffna regional office visited the people of Iranaithivu who were
compelled to evacuate from Iranaithivu island in 1992 due to the
civil war. Relocated to Iranaimatha Nagar, Poonagari Division, the
residents of Iranaithivu sought to return to their original places of
residence since the end of the hostilities in the North. As they did not
receive a response from government authorities to their request to
return, the residents returned to Iranaithivu of their own accord in
April 2018. The Jaffna Regional Office carried out a visit to inquire
into the social and legal issues, basic needs, and safety of the public
on Iranaithivu island. Following this visit, government authorities
too had visited Iranaithivu and proceeded to provide assistance for
the people to return and settle safely. The HRCSL continues to
monitor the situation.
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