he United Nations Committee against Torture says that secret detention centres are in existence in Sri Lanka.

The United Nations Committee against Torture (CAT) quoting human rights organisations says that secret detention centres are in existence in Sri Lanka.
The 47th Session of the CAT met in Geneva on Tuesday with the Sri Lankan Delegation where Sri Lanka's commitment to upholding rights was severely questioned.
Several committee members accused the Sri Lankan government of not providing detailed information requested in advance.
She said that the allegation on 'secret detention centres' suggests the need for an independent investigation.
"Sri Lanka Army and affiliated Para military groups have run and made possible to run secret facilities which torture and extra judicial killings, have it is claimed, perpetrated" she said.
She said that Amnesty International had cited 7 torture detention sites in northern Sri Lanka; five in Vavuniya and two in Mullaitivu.
Poonthottam Maha Vidyalaya, 211 Brigade headquarters, Vallikulam Maha Vidyalaya, the PLOTE paramilitary detention centre and Dharmapuram as five camps in Vavuniya while two camps were named from Mullaitheevu.
Miss Gaer said that there are allegedly five compounds in Dharmapuram detaining more than 700 men and women in abandoned buildings and houses, holding 80 top levels LTTE people and 300 civilian supporters.
The UN Working Group on Disappearances has identified Sri Lanka as having the second largest most number of disappearance cases in the world, she informed the session.
"While many of these cases have been clarified there are more than 5,000 that haven't been" states Miss Felice Gaer.

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candle light vigil for Sri Lankan Tamil war victims.

Thousands gathered at Marina beach in Tamil Nadu capital Chennai on June 26th to observe candle light vigil for Sri Lankan Tamil war victims.
The commemorative event was held on Sunday as June 26th has been declared by the UN as “International day in support of victims of torture”.
The June 26th candle light vigil was not organized by any political party.It was held by the”May 17th Movement”which is a peoples movement.
The”May 17th Movement”was set up by youths in Tamil Nadu.The date May 17 denotes the Mullivaaikkaal debacle of the LTTE on that day in 2009.
Chief organizer of candle light vigil by “May 17th Movement” was Thirumurugan Gandhi. Co-organizers were Rajkumar Palanichamy & Umar Naina.
Although held by a civil society organization several political figures also participated. The broad gathering cut across party lines.
Among prominent attendees were P.Nedumaran, Kaasi Ananandan, Thamarai, Seeman, Viduthalai Rajendran, Chanthaanam, Professor Saraswathy & Thiyaagu.
Nedumaran delivered the introductory address. Thirumurugan ended the event with another speech.Others speeches were disallowed.
Slogans were chanted frequently. Some slogan themes were -Genocide, Tamil Eelam, Betrayal of New Delhi govt,solidarity of Tamil Nadu Tamils etc.
The commemorative vigil was held for 3 hours from 5.45 pm to 8.45 pm. A folk music event based on traditional “Oppaari” (lamentation) was held.
A street drama”Vamsa vatham” (decimation of a generation)was also performed. The drama portrayed deaths of Tamils in Sri Lanka as “Genocide”.

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