FORUM-ASIA received information that one of the members of its
Executive Committee, Pattani Razeek, has been missing since
11 February 2010. Razeek was last seen in Polonnaruwa, a town in
the North-Central Province of Sri Lanka.

The Asian Forum for Human Rights
and Development (FORUM-ASIA) received information that one of the members of its
Executive Committee, Mr. Pattani Razeek, has been missing since
Thursday, 11 February 2010. Mr. Razeek was last seen in Polonnaruwa, a town in
the North-Central Province of Sri Lanka.

In the afternoon of 11 February
2010, Mr. Razeek, 55 years old, was in Polonnaruwa in a van together with other
staff of his organization, the Community Trust Fund (CTF), on their way home
from a mission when their van was intercepted by another vehicle, a white van.
In Sri Lanka, ‘white vans' have been known to be the preferred vehicles of
groups responsible for abductions and disappearances. Mr. Razeek alighted from
their vehicle, approached the men in the white van and exchanged greetings in
Arabic with them, indicating that the men are Muslim. After talking to them for
some minutes, Mr. Razeek went back to his colleagues and told them that he will
be joining the group in the white van that according to him was heading to the
Eastern provincial town of Valaichchenai. He assured his colleagues that he
will be meeting up with them later.

The next day, 12 February 2010,
the CTF was informed by the family of Mr. Razeek that he did not arrive home
from the mission. Mr. Razeek's family, CTF, and his friends have been searching
for him since then.

On 16 February 2010, the family
of Mr. Razeek was able to convince the mobile phone company to release some of
the phone records coming from Mr. Razeek's mobile phone. The records revealed
that a number of short calls were made from Mr. Razeek's mobile phone on the
evening of 11 February, the day he was last seen by his colleagues. On 15
February 2010, a call from Mr. Razeek's  mobile phone was also made to a
CTF driver, but it was missed. When the call was returned, there was no answer.
Also on 15 February 2010, a text message was sent from Mr. Razeek's mobile
phone to a member of his family. The text message said that he is in
Polonnaruwa, the town where he left his colleagues and joined the men in the
other vehicle, and that he would be home soon. Since then, there has been no further
contact, nor responses to calls and text messages.

The family of Mr. Razeek has
lodged a complaint with the local police in their hometown of Puttalam, as well
as informed the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka of his disappearance.
However, when the family of Mr. Razeek filed the complaint with the Human
Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, they were not given any file or reference
number which they could use to follow-up on the case. Moreover, up to this day,
nobody from the Commission has been in touch with the family or friends of Mr.
Razeek. It should also be noted that although this case has already been
reported to police authorities, they have been lethargic and have not been
actively pursuing leads to the case.

Background Information:

Mr. Pattani Razeek heads the
Community Trust Fund (CTF) as its Managing Trustee. The CTF is a
non-governmental organization based in Sri Lanka that works to protect human
rights and promote equality. The CTF provides disaster emergency relief
assistance as well as assistance for the people affected by the on-going civil
war in Sri Lanka.

Polonnaruwa is a town in the
North-Central Province of Sri Lanka. It is known to be the main transit point
between the Eastern districts of Batticaloa and Amparai and the rest of the
island.

Suggested Action:

Please write letters to the Human
Rights Commission of Sri Lanka  and the Inspector General of Police (IGP)
expressing your deep concern about the disappearance of Mr. Pattani Razeek,
urging them  to take immediate steps to investigate his disappearance and
ascertain his whereabouts and welfare.

Please send your letters to:

MRS. CHANDRA ELLAWALA

SECRETARY Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka
118, Barnes Place, Colombo 07 Sri Lanka 
+ 94 011 – 2694925, +94 011 – 2685980
+94 011 – 2685980, +94 011 – 2685981
Fax +94 2694924, Hotline +94 2689064
Email: [email protected]

MR. MAHINDA BALASURIYA

INSPECTOR GENERAL of POLICE (IGP) New Secretariat
Colombo 1, Sri Lanka
Fax no. +94 11 2 440440
Email: [email protected]