Pattani Razeek: Fourth Anniversary Of Abduction And Murder

| by Kingsley Karunaratne Appeal for Justice for Pattani Razeek after four years of Abduction and Murder. ( February 11 !"1# $olo%bo &ri 'anka (uardian) *+ailand based Asian Foru% for ,u%an Rig+ts and -e.elop%ent (Foru%/Asia) and Asian ,u%an Rig+ts $o%%ission based in ,ong Kong o.erlooking t+e +u%an Rig+ts in t+e Asian Region fro% year to year fro% !"1" e0pressed t+eir s+ock and deep frustration o.er t+e long delay of in.estigation and seeking 1ustice into t+e Abduction and Murder of ,u%an Rig+ts -efender Pattani Razeek.

Razeek 2as 33 years of age t+e Managing *rustee of t+e $o%%unity *rust Fund ($*F) 4(5 in Puttala% of &ri 'anka and also a 2ell kno2n ,u%an Rig+ts -efender and 60ecuti.e $o%%ittee Me%ber of Foru%/Asia. ,e got disappeared on 11t+ Feb.!"1" in Polonnaru2a 2+ile engaging in an official duty in +is trust. Mr. Razeek 2as last seen getting into a .an 2it+ so%e persons 2+o +ad parked t+eir .e+icle closer to t+e Ju%%a Mos7ue at Kaduru2ela in Polonnaru2a +a.ing infor%ed +is colleagues 2+o ca%e 2it+ +i% t+at +e 2as tra.elling to t+e 8alaic+c+enai to2n in t+e 6astern Pro.ince. Mr. Razeek +as not been seen or +eard fro% since. &+ortly after2ards Mr. Razeek fa%ily recei.ed a fe2 calls fro% Mr. Razeek9s %obile p+one nu%ber de%anding large a%ounts of %oney to secure +is release. *+en t+e calls stopped.

For +is son Razeek Rizk+an Mo+a%ed t+e ensuing years +a.e been a tedious process of 2aiting and suffering. 4ot only Rizk+an but +is four sisters and younger brot+er along 2it+ t+eir dear %ot+er still are suffering 2it+out t+eir dear belo.ed fat+er and dear belo.ed +usband. :t 2as 7uickly establis+ed t+at Pattani a rig+ts acti.ist and ci.il organizer 2as abducted and later %urdered. Police in Ka.at+t+a%unai 5dda%a.adi 8alaic+enai in an 6astern Pro.ince area disco.ered +is body and e0+u%ed it on !;t+ of July !"11 after a lapse of one and a +alf years after t+e abduction. <ut t+e in.estigation +as %ade little progress since. After e0+u%ation of Razeek body t+e post/%orte% 2as co%pleted on !nd August !"11 and t+e body 2as released to t+e fa%ily on t+e sa%e day. *+e -4A testing sa%ples and ot+er testing 2ere carried out by t+e go.ern%ent Analyst and ot+er responsible officers. Razeek fa%ily fully corporate 2it+ t+e Police for in.estigation to seek 1ustice for +i%. =After years of 2aiting 2e still +a.e not obtained 1ustice for %y fat+er court case (M.$.;!!>#) still going on at Polonnaru2a Magistrate $ourts. 6.en a date +ad been fi0ed on 1"t+ February !"1#? one day before t+e fourt+ anni.ersary of %y fat+er9s disappearance ? t+e court +eard a case against t2o suspects allegedly in.ol.ed. Police +ad not issued a deat+ certificate since t+en after t2o and +alf years of finis+ing t+e autopsy.@ Rizk+an said. A*+e key suspect 4o2s+aad+ +as been released on bail and con.erted to a cro2n 2itness. 4o2 t+e ot+er suspect Musdeen is also released on bail and t+e t+ird one A%eer 2+o is absconding fro% court fro% t+e beginning is yet to be arrested. Be +a.e lost all +opes of 1ustice A +e said. =5ur fa%ily and 2itnesses to t+e case do not +a.e any protection t+oug+ it is an urgent responsibility of t+e state =+e said. *+e fa%ily as 2ell as for%er colleagues and fello2 acti.ists +a.e co%plained of long delays in t+e courts police inaction in t+e in.estigation and t+e release of key suspects in t+e case including &+a+adbeen 4o2s+aad+ 2+o police +ad initially linked to Razeek t+roug+ t+e ranso% p+one calls to t+e fa%ily. ,e 2as re%e%bered %uc+ due to +is tre%endous ser.ices rendered to t+e fello2 citizens during t+e *suna%i debacle t+at +it &ri 'anka in !""C especially in *rinco%alee and A%parai areas. :n 1;;" 2+en t+e Musli% people 2ere e.icted fro% Jaffna Mannar and Mullti.u during

t+e ci.il 2ar +e 2as t+ere to +elp t+e% and %ade t+e% resettled in Puttala%. Many re7uests %ade for a credible in.estigation by t+e %e%bers of t+e ci.il society and t+e ,u%an rig+ts organizations and ,u%an Rig+ts defenders in &ri 'anka. Anot+er i%portant %atter to be indicated is t+e $*F +as been taken o.er by t+e Ministry of -efense of t+e $entral (o.ern%ent after t+e abduction and killing of Razeek. ,u%an Rig+ts 5rganizations t+roug+out t+e country along 2it+ +is fa%ily %e%bers ca%paigned to seek 1ustice and to book t+e perpetrators 2+o is responsible for t+is +einous abduction and %urder. 6.en t+e eig+t/%e%ber co%%ission of in7uiry appointed by President Ma+inda Ra1apakse follo2ing t+e end of t+e ci.il 2ar concluded in its report t+at police +ad failed in t+eir +andling of t+e case. =*+e de.elop%ent 2e +a.e seen so far in t+is case is t+at bot+ key suspects +a.e been released on bail fa%ily %e%bers and la2yer +a.e not been gi.en access to t+e post/%orte% report 2+ic+ %ust +a.e .ital infor%ation on t+e trut+ be+ind +is %urder@ said &eyeed A+%ad $ountry Progra% Manager of Foru%/Asia co%%enting on t+e case in !"1D. For %any years no2 t+e &ri 'anka (o.ern%ent +as been urged by E4 agencies and :nternational ,u%an Rig+ts 5rganizations as 2ell as se.eral go.ern%ents to take effecti.e steps to stop abductions and forced disappearances in t+e country +o2e.er %uc+ +as to be done by t+e go.ern%ent in t+is regard. 6.en after # years of neglect t+is is +ig+ ti%e to carry out an i%partial in.estigation and book t+e perpetrators of t+is cri%e as by no2 Police is +a.ing all t+e scientific and tec+nological e.idence suc+ as -4A and details of %obile calls de%anding t+e ranso% to release Razeek.