Amnesty International

Demand justice for Ragihar Manoharan in Sri Lanka

Take Action On This Issue

Ragihar Manoharan was one of five Sri Lankan Tamil students killed by security forces in January 2006 in the city of Trincomalee. Authorities have failed to prosecute anyone for their murder. His case is emblematic of the thousands of people subjected to human rights violations and war crimes in Sri Lanka by government forces or their paramilitary agents. A 2006 commission of inquiry examined the murder of the five students but its report has never been made public. Call on the Sri Lankan government to release the commission’s report and to bring the killers of Ragihar Manoharan and the other four students to justice. Read More »

Message Recipients

Mahinda Rajapaksa – President of Sri Lanka

Subject:

Dear (recipient name),

I am very concerned about the killing of Ragihar Manoharan and four other Sri Lankan Tamil youth on January 2, 2006 in Trincomalee in northeastern Sri Lanka. A group of students had gathered for a chat at about 7:00 P.M. on that day near the seafront in Trincomalee, when a grenade was thrown at them from a passing auto rickshaw. The students ran, but at least three of them were injured in the explosion. A short while later a group of 10 to 15 officers in uniform, believed to be police from the elite Special Task Force, arrived. They put the injured students into their jeep and beat them with rifle butts, and then pushed them out onto the road. According to a witness, the security forces personnel then shot five students dead, including Ragihar Manoharan. An initial police investigation into the killings did not disclose who killed the students or lead to any prosecutions. As you know, you established an ad hoc commission of inquiry in September 2006 to examine this case and certain others. The commission’s final report (given to you in 2009) has never been made public, nor has anyone been held responsible for these murders. The family of Ragihar Manoharan deserves justice and to know the truth of what happened to their son. The same is true for the families of the four other students. Sri Lanka is obligated under international law to launch genuine investigations into these killings. I respectfully request that your government do so without delay and that their killers are promptly brought to justice. I also request that the final report of the ad hoc commission of inquiry be made public. Thank you for your consideration.

Your Message

Message Recipients:

Subject:

Dear (recipient name),

If you have taken action with us before, enter your email address.

If you have NOT taken action with us before, please fill out the form below.

Your Information* required information

First Name:*

Last Name:*

Email:*

Address Line 1:*

Address Line 2: