The four accused in the murder of six youths in 1990 at Wawulkelle were acquitted by the Gampaha High Court on 5 April on the ground that the evidence was insufficient. A day earlier a Colombo magistrate released two police officers accused of mass murder at Hokandara in 1989, after the Attorney General informed the court that he would not be pursuing action. The ruling People’s Alliance (PA) promised in its election campaign in 1994 to investigate mass murders committed during the People’s Liberation Front (JVP) insurrection between 1988 and 1990. After the PA was elected a number of bodies were unearthed from mass graves and court actions were filed. So far no one has been punished for murders committed before, during or after that period. Observers suspect official collusion in ensuring that offenders will go free. In March, the Colombo Bolgoda Lake death squad case in which 22 Special Task Force members stood accused of the killing of 21 Tamils in custody, was taken off the court roll because the accused and the Attorney General failed to appear for two hearings. Colombo lawyers say despite Supreme Court ruling in December that officials including the Defence Secretary have breached the Emergency regulations, thus far no action has been taken.
At the recent sessions of the UN Human Rights Commission, the Sri Lankan government pledged that full rigours of the law will be brought to bear on the perpetrators of human rights violations. Amnesty International has urged that those responsible be brought to justice without exception.