Sivasubramaniam Raveendranath

Sivasubramaniam Raveendranath (born February 22, 1951) [cite web
url = http://www.esn.ac.lk/Vc/CV/CV-Prof.S.Raveendranath.doc
title = Curriculum Vitae
accessdate = 2007-08-09
last = Raveendranath
first = Sivasubramaniam
format = DOC
work = Eastern University of Sri Lanka] is a Sri Lankan Tamil academic and the Vice Chancellor of the Eastern University of Sri Lanka. He disappeared after attending a conference on December 15, 2006 in a high-security zone in Colombocite news |last = |first = |title=Sri Lankan police drag out their inquiries into the murder of SEP supporter
work=
date=2007-08-10 |url=http://www.wsws.org/articles/2007/jan2007/sril-j19.shtml
accessdate = 2007-08-10] cite web |last = Zuhair |first = Ayesha |title = The family members of Prof. S. Raveendranath anxiously await a miracle |work = Daily Mirror |date = 2007-05-02 |url=http://www.dailymirror.lk/2007/05/02/opinion/01.asp
accessdate = 2007-07-19] and was last seen leaving the conference after receiving a telephone call.cite web
last = Fuad
first = Asif
title = Disappearance of VC: CID in the dark
work = The Sunday Times
date = 2006-12-24
url = http://www.sundaytimes.lk/061224/News/n120.htm
accessdate = 2007-07-19] His current whereabouts are unknowncite web
last = Gardner
first = Simon
title = Abductions, disappearances haunt Lankan civil war
work = Gulf Times
date = 2007-03-07
url = http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=136482&version=1&template_id=44&parent_id=24
accessdate = 2007-07-23] and his family have claimed that they believe that he has been killed. [cite web
title = Missing top Sri Lankan academic may be dead, says family
work = Canada Standard
date = 2007-07-04
url = http://story.canadastandard.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/71df8d33cd2a30df/id/254120/cs/1/
accessdate = 2007-07-23]

Disappearance

Raveendranath had been with the Eastern University of Sri Lanka since its inception but he had to give his resignation following threats and the kidnapping of Dean Dr. K. Balasukumar to the University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman. However, the UGC asked him to work from the capital, Colombo. He moved to Colombo and lived there with his daughter. According to his son-in-law, M. Malaravan:

Prior to his disappearance, Raveendranath was attending the annual sessions of the Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science at Vidya Mandiraya, which is situated in a high security zone in Colombo. He was last seen leaving the session after receiving a phone call.cite news |last = Hoole |first = Ranjan |title=S.Raveendranath, Vice Chancellor of Eastern University |work=UTHR
date=2007-07-19 |url=http://www.uthr.org/SpecialReports/spreport26.htm#_Toc173926115¶
accessdate = 2007-08-10]

Local media have reported that there are allegations that gunmen belonging to the paramilitary organisation Tamil Makkal Viduthalia Pulikal (TMVP) have kidnapped him. [cite news
last = Morris
first = Chris
title = Civil war haunts Sri Lanka again
work = BBC
date = 2007-01-20
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/6279017.stm
accessdate = 2007-07-23] [cite news
last = Fiorito
first = Joe
title = The fate of a Sri Lankan scholar hits home here
work = Toronto Star
date = 2007-04-02
url = http://www.thestar.com/News/article/198397
accessdate = 2007-07-19]

Reactions

Reacting to the disappearance, Amnesty International speculated that Raveendranath is being held by "an armed group operating with the tacit support of the security forces".cite web
author = Amnesty International
title = "Disappearance"/fear of torture or ill-treatment/health concern: Professor Sivasubramanium Raveendranath (m)
work =
publisher = Amnesty International
date = 2006-12-06
url = http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGASA370352006?open&of=ENG-LKA
accessdate = 2007-07-19
quote = Since he was in an area tightly controlled by the military, it seems likely that his captors are an armed group operating with the tacit support of the security forces. He is at risk of torture. He suffers from heart disease, putting his life in greater danger.] The University Teachers for Human Rights (UTHR), a local human rights organisation, also claimed that he has been abducted and alleged that there is "widespread consensus" that the TMVP is behind the disappearance and that the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence was aware of the kidnapping plot. Robert J. Quinn, director of the Scholars At Risk network, issued an appeal to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse to locate him. [cite web
last = Quinn
first = Robert J
title = SRI LANKA: SAR appeals to SL President to locate disappeared Vice-chancellor Raveendranath
work =
publisher = Scholars At Risk
date = 2006-12-06
url = http://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2006statements/918/
accessdate = 2007-07-19
quote = We are greatly concerned about his physical well being, not least because in September of this year unidentified gunmen demanding Prof. Raveendranath's resignation kidnapped the Dean of the Faculty of Arts at Eastern University, Professor Bala Sugumar, and because in the months thereafter Professor Raveendranath received repeated death threats demanding he abandon his post.]

Government investigation

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) investigation revealed that the initial threats to him came from an armed group suspected to be the TMVP. Raveendranath's driver has been detained and it is alleged that he had received telephone calls from people "believed to be" members of the TMVP.

ee also

* List of people who have disappeared

References

External links

* [http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2007/2321/ AHRC list of Disappeared people in Sri Lanka 2006 -2007]