Disappearance of Stephan Sunthararaj explained

Stephan Sunthararaj
Birth Name:Sinnavan Stephan Sunthararaj
Birth Place:Sri Lanka
Occupation:Child rights activist
Known For:Mysterious disappearance

Sinnavan Stephan Sunthararaj was a child rights activist in Sri Lanka. He was the Project Manager of the Centre for Human Rights and Development and Coordinator for the Child Protection Unit of World Vision.[1] He had reported on the pro government military Eelam People's Democratic Party's child prostitution racket in Malaysia and India with the help of corrupt of Customs and Immigration officials.

He had provided information to the U.S. embassy in Colombo that: "Children are sold into slavery, usually boys to work camps and girls to prostitution rings, through EPDP's networks in India and Malaysia. Sunthararaj maintained that children are often smuggled out of the country with the help of a corrupt Customs and Immigration official at Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo."[2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

Background

Stephan did his bachelor's degree in sociology from the Jaffna University. Later he worked as an Assistant Lecturer.Stephen later joined the a position in World Vision (Child Protection). He married Vanitana and had children.[7]

Incident

Stephan was kidnapped just hours after he had been released from Sri Lankan police custody after he was exonerated by the court. He was kidnapped while he was travelling in his lawyer's car on 7 May 2009 and has been missing since.[8]

Reaction

The U.S. State Department report on Sri Lanka in 2011 said: "There was no progress in solving the 2009 disappearance of Stephen Sunthararaj, project manager at the Center for Human Rights and Development. Sunthararaj was held by police without charges beginning in February of that year and was abducted by four persons in a white van wearing army uniforms shortly after he was released on a court order."[9] [10] [11] [12]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Lanka . CHRD Sri . Disappearance of Stephan Sunthararaj . CHRD Sri Lanka's own experience . 12 Feb 2009 . 22 Apr 2023.
  2. Web site: Still searching for Stephen Sunthararaj . Tamil Guardan . 7 May 2020 . 28 May 2020.
  3. Web site: Sri Lanka: Enforced Disappearance: Stephen Sunthararaj (m) . Amnesty International . 14 May 2009 . 28 May 2020.
  4. Web site: Prageeth not found for 500 days . BBC Sinhala . Charles . Haviland . 8 June 2011 . 28 May 2020 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240609001127/http://www.bbc.com/sinhala/news/story/2011/06/110608_prageeth_500 . Jun 9, 2024 .
  5. Web site: The Person Who Exposed EPDP's Child Prostitution Was Abducted And No Information So Far . Colombo Telegraph . 14 September 2013 . 28 May 2020.
  6. Web site: Sandeshaya - US slams Lanka rights record . BBCSinhala.com . 12 Mar 2010 . si . 22 Apr 2023.
  7. Web site: Tamil Human Rights officer abducted in Colombo . Tamilnet . 9 May 2009 . 28 May 2020.
  8. Web site: Activist seized from lawyer's car in Sri Lanka . . Mark Tran . 20 May 2009 . 28 May 2020.
  9. Book: Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Report Submitted to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, U.S. House of Representatives and Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate by the Department of State in Accordance with Sections 116(d) and 502B(b) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as Amended. 28 May 2020. 2011. U.S. Government Printing Office. 2236–.
  10. Book: Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and House Committee on Foreign Affairs. Country reports on human rights practices. 28 May 2020. 20 February 2013. Government Printing Office. 2606–. GGKEY:NN89UP1JS4T.
  11. Web site: Sri Lanka: Immediately disclose the whereabouts of - and release - Sinnavan Stephen Sunthararaj; put an end to the impunity into the murder of Pattani Razeek! . OMCT . 18 February 2013 . 28 May 2020.
  12. Web site: "ONLY JUSTICE CAN HEAL OUR WOUNDS" LISTENING TO THE DEMANDS OF FAMILIES OF THE DISAPPEARED IN SRI LANKA . Amnesty International . 28 May 2020 . 20–21.

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