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Custodial massacre

Bindunuwewa massacre

Tamil detainees killed by a mob at a state-run rehabilitation centre.

When
25 October 2000; final acquittals in 2005
Where
Bindunuwewa detention centre, Sri Lanka
Cover of Amnesty International’s 2009 report Twenty Years of Make-Believe, which examines failed inquiries including Bindunuwewa.
Cover of Amnesty International’s 2009 report Twenty Years of Make-Believe, which examines failed inquiries including Bindunuwewa.

Tamil detainees killed by a mob at a state-run rehabilitation centre.

01

Background

Protection owed to detainees

Bindunuwewa housed Tamil youths described as former or suspected LTTE members undergoing rehabilitation. Their detention made the authorities responsible for preventing attacks against them, irrespective of individual allegations or political affiliation.[1]

02

What happened

  1. October 2000

    A mob entered the centre

    Attackers killed 27 detainees and injured others. Accounts raised serious questions about police conduct and the failure to intervene effectively. Calling the institution a rehabilitation centre did not diminish the state’s duty to protect those confined there.[1]

  2. 2003–2005

    The prosecution and appeals

    The trial initially resulted in death sentences for five defendants, including police officers. The convictions did not survive appeal. Human Rights Watch criticised the prosecution’s handling of evidence and the failure to establish responsibility higher in the police command, highlighting how weaknesses in an investigation can undermine a trial years later.[3]

03

Impact & evidence

October 2000

Every detainee was killed or injured

Human Rights Watch recorded 27 deaths and serious injuries to the remaining 14 detainees. The centre held 41 Tamil men and boys, including children and youths who had escaped LTTE recruitment. None had been formally charged, according to the organisation’s account.[3]

04

Aftermath & legacy

The last convictions were overturned

Human Rights Watch reported that on 27 May 2005 the Supreme Court acquitted the last defendants in the killing of 27 Tamil detainees. The organisation criticised failures in the investigation and prosecution. The judicial outcome left the families without criminal accountability for an attack on people confined in a state-run rehabilitation centre.[3]

Sources & image credits (3)
  1. Wikipedia — Bindunuwewa massacre ↗
  2. Amnesty International: Twenty years of make-believe, 2009 ↗
  3. Human Rights Watch: failure of justice at Bindunuwewa, 2005 ↗

Amnesty International · Copyright retained by Amnesty International Image source ↗

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