Why do we need some overseas NGO to point out our failings? POLICE

Human Rights Watch (HRW) in the guise of Brad Adams who would previously NOT be allowed in to Sri Lanka, has even met the Defence Secretary, at the Ministry of Defence and issued this report of Police Brutality.

http://colombogazette.com/2015/10/23/police-accused-of-torture-ill-treatment-of-suspects/

I have been advocating changes to the behavior of the Police that has been even part of British Rule, as even the Colonial Rulers encouraged beatings as the way to get confessions. The problem is that even innocent people get caught up in the trap, when the police are not thorough enough in the investigative work to be at least 95% certain of guilt before resorting to these HR violations.

I am angry that even this publicity is given ONLY because a foreign NGO came up with the report and NOT when the local rights advocates make the same allegation they are shut up!!! There is sufficient recorded incidences of abuse every day, to consider this matter seriously and do something concrete to correct this culture of abuse without impunity.

The recent Seya Case has highlighted the amount of abuse heaped on three of the accused, before the fourth accused was finally apprehended.

When the innocent are subject to Police beatings first and then even beaten up in remand prison by inmates, especially in child abuse cases, how unfair is it when innocent people are so treated?

This very puerile attitude where politicians believe there are domestic mechanisms to solve our problems, I VEHEMENTLY deny there are satisfactory domestic mechanisms in our so called civilized society! It is only those who say leave it to our own to take care of us, who need to be apprehended and unfairly accused and forced to confess by torture. Only then will they understand the true extent of police beatings, endemic everywhere in Sri Lanka and NOT restricted to any particular ethnic or religious community.

It is time our lawmakers address this very real problem and make concrete suggestions now that there is a Police Commission which should as part of its overall ambit immediately look at this nasty practice and take steps to wipe this out of the system immediately.    

Thanks to Brad Adams this has been highlighted. Foreign NGOs and UN organizations will interfere until we solve our own problems ourselves!