Eastern Province Tamil Human Rights Defender questioned by 'Terror Police'

Elderly Tamil Woman faces questioning after staging human rights protest as "Terror Police" launch investigation

Her only action was seeking to solve the medicine shortage in the country. And, the action was questioned by the Counter Terrorism Investigation Department (CTID) now dubbed the ‘Terror Police’

Anjalidevi Navaratnarasa is a Human Rights Defender based in the East of the country. She had staged a protest two years ago (2022) when there was an acute shortage of medicines in the country. For seeking to sort out the medicines shortage and ensure its uninterrupted supply she was summoned for inquiry twice this year (2024).

Hailing from Narayanapuram in Trincomalee, 60 years old Anjalidevi Navaratnarasa was questioned by the CTID Trincomalee branch was questioned for the second time on the 4th of December from 10 AM to 12.30 PM, local journalists say.

She was summoned by the police, the CTID and Intelligence agencies and was given no specific reason as to why.

After questioning her for two and half hours, authorities present there said a statement was recorded from her about the protest she staged a protest ‘against the government’ citing a shortage of medicines in 2022. They also say she was summoned to record the statement.

Local journalists say a statement was earlier recorded from her on the 7th of February 2024, during Ranil Wickremesinghe regime, by the CTID and the intelligence agencies.

When the CTID and Intelligence agencies questioned Anjalidevi Navaratnarasa about why she undertook such protests, she replied saying her protest was for the welfare of the people with regard to the shortage of medicines which was similar to farmers protesting. These protests were seeking to redress their grievances and other sections of the society had also been taking protests forward. According to local journalists, she said it was basically for people's issues.

Police and intel agencies in Trincomalee also questioned her based on her passport number and personal details, in particular regarding her trip to Switzerland among her visits abroad.

She was also questioned about Police Form 256 signed by the OIC on the 2nd of December which has been shared on various social media platforms, regarding which she was summoned for inquiry by the CTID and intelligence agencies, who had asked her to report to them on the 4th of December.

Anjalidevi Navaratnarasa told the officers that she had just shared it with her lawyer seeking advice, and that she is not aware of how it had been shared over social media platforms.

Officials say she may be summoned again in the next few days to record further statements as part of the inquiries being taken forward by the CTID and the intelligence agencies.

Local journalists add that Anjalidevi Navaratnarasa was a former activist in an NGO and was at the forefront of women’s rights in the region.