Due to improper handling of witnesses, more criminals are set free than the number convicted, said Amith Ariyaratne, a human rights lawyer. He was speaking at an awareness programme for members of the ‘People Against Torture’ held at Kamkaru Sevana, Ja-Ela recently.

He said that the police extract information from witnesses by torturing them. He also said there had been occasions when people were beaten. When witnesses failed to confess they were tortured.

Mr. Ariyaratne said that the defenders of human rights should be aware of their task in safeguarding rights of people.

Ariyaratne said that it would not be easy to work as a rights defender but to preserve human rights is not against any law. Today it has become impossible to defend one’s own rights as an individual an attempt could be made as a group to establish others rights.

When there is a difficulty people run to the police and there has been enough instances of police refusing to note down complaints, postponing or asking the people to come again to write their complaints. If the complaint is not written, it could be submitted to police in writing and also could be sent under registered cover so that it could not be denied.

Once a complaint is made it should be inquired into and if such inquiry is not held it could be referred to higher authorities demanding an inquiry. Ariyaratne said that failure to inquire into the complaint too is matter to seek judicial review.

Ariyaratne said that if the people affected fail to seek the due process of law as mentioned above there are two independent bodies established under the Constitution, the National Human Rights Commission and the National Police Commission, to seek justifiable redress as every citizen of Sri Lanka has access to these two independent bodies.