One of the two activists of a newly formed Leftist party abducted by Sri Lankan security forces and later released after Australia’s intervention says he was tortured in custody.
Speaking on his return to Australia after being deported, Kumar Gunaratnam told ABC:
“I confirm I was abducted by the Sri Lankan government forces [who] blind-folded me and tortured [me].
“This includes, I'm embarrassed to say, sexual torture. I was handcuffed and my ankles were bound during the whole period.”
“I have no doubt that if I didn't have the Australian Government's support, I would have been killed just like my brother and hundreds of other political activists and journalists have been killed.”
The other activist, Dimuthu Attygalle, held a press conference in Colombo ato announce that she was abducted by the security forces. (See AFP's report.)
Gunaratnam, leader of the new Frontline Socialist Party (FSP), was abducted on Friday and Attygalle, the party’s women's wing leader, was abducted the day before.
Neighbours say that about 25 armed men arrived at his home before dawn last Saturday and cut the power, before storming the house and taking him away. (See the Sydney Morning Herald's report).
Sri Lanka has denied the kidnapping claims and says Mr Gunaratnam is a dangerous militant.
A Foreign Ministry statement said Mr Gunaratnam's claim of abduction is a fabrication and he was thrown out of the country because he overstayed his visa by five months.
Human rights organisations say in the past six months, 56 political activists, party leaders and journalists have disappeared from Sri Lankan streets.
