I believe Prageeth is still alive Sandhya

Thursday, 12 February 2015

Although it is now over five years since he went missing, wife of Prageeth Ekneligoda
says: I believe he is still alive; to me, he is still alive . She says it is this hope that
helpes her remain relentless in her pursuit to find her husband and ensure justice is
delivered.
In an interview with the Daily Mirror, Sandhya spoke about the hardships she faced
during the past five years since the disappearance of her husband, on the accusations
made against him after he went missing and her hope for justice to be delivered
someday. . .
Q: How would you describe your life during the past five years since Prageeths
disappearance?
A: Its impossible to put into words how my life has been during the past five years
time passed and I have gone through every possible suffering and disappointment to
say the least. When I look back, I find it hard to believe that I faced life and its
challenges all by myself. It was tough; the accusations, the comments made by certain
people regarding Prageeths disappearance . . . they were unbearable. But I made a

resolution and stuck to it, that is how I survived.

Q: Since the election of the new government, have you been notified about any
initiation of a fresh investigation into Prageeths disappearance or of any
developments in the investigation?
I have not been notified of any such development so far, legally. But I saw and read
through media reports that JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake, as a member of
the National Executive Committee had proposed that thorough investigations are
carried out into the disappearances and murders of journalists that occurred during the
previous regime.
Q: Have you approached the media minister or the justice minister to discuss the
progress of the investigation relating to Prageeths disappearance?
No, but I have tried to get an appointment to meet President [Maithripala Sirisena] but
I have not succeeded so the far.
Q: Did you receive any response to the letters you wrote to former President
Rajapaksa and his wife on your husbands disappearance and the appeal you made
for justice?
No. Neither that President nor his wife responded to any of my letters. I must have
written over ten letters but all I received was the generic reply from the Presidents
Secretary stating my letters have been brought to the attention of the President. It is
unclear as to whether or not it actually happened because there was no response.
Q: What do you think of the comment made by former Chief Justice Mohan Peiris at
the local courts about your disappeared husband: only God knows of his
whereabouts?
He went before the UN as an official representing the Sri Lankan government and
made irresponsible statements. The fact that he got away with that claim only reflects
on the plight of this countrys judicial system. He even said that he cannot recall [the
names] of those who shared the information with him.
that Prageeth was alive and well. However, given my present circumstances and the
plight of the local judicial system, I dont think I could ever hold him accountable.
Q: UPFA MP Arundika Fernando claimed he saw Prageeth in France. Is there even the
slimmest chance that he might have fled the country due to threats to his life? No, his
statement was a complete lie. He made this claim in Parliament in 2013 but according
to his own account, he claims to have seen Prageeth sometime between December
2011 and January 2012. As a member of a responsible government, his duty was to
divulge what he saw to the relevant authorities immediately after his return to Sri
Lanka. By the time this incident occurred, the newspapers and even the President

and MPs had been commenting on Prageeths disappearance following Peiris

statement at the UN. I suffered for eight months without being able to summon Peiris
to Courts. If Arundikas claims were genuine, he should have shared this information
long before he did.
When I commented on the claims he had made, MP Fernando went on to accuse
me of violating his parliamentary privileges. It is funny how these MPs exploit their
position and power and commit abusive acts against the very people they are
supposed to protect, including women and children, and thereafter seek refuge
behind parliamentary privileges! Even Manjula Wediwardena, who according to
Fernando, pinpointed Prageeth, says he never met this man in France. So even a
child can listen to these statements and discern the truth.
Q: You told the BBC that it was Prageeths investigations into the governments
alleged use of chemical weapons during the war that led to his disappearance. During
the past five years, are you aware of any other reasons besides that has come to
light?
Absolutely nothing concerning his disappearance has been revealed at the ongoing
court case nor through police investigations. Either the police is lying to me or the
police has remained inactive on investigating the case. When Prageeth wrote about
the governments use of chemical weapons in 2008, his argument was that the use of
such weapons amounts to genocide. I believed it was the main factor that led to his
abduction because after his disappearance I found a document in which he had
chronicled his research on the subject.
Also, he criticised the war because as a peace-loving man, he was really distressed by
the bloodshed and the atrocious impacts of the war. He was first abducted in 2009 and
then let go. But even afterwards, Prageeth continued his research. In 2010, he
supported Mahindas contender Sarath Fonseka and during that period he criticised
the Rajapaksa regime and their family bandyism. So I believe all those reasons
contributed to his disappearance.
Q: Provincial Councilor Udaya Gammanpila recently said he would actively probe into
the disappearance of your husband. What are your comments?
Since January 2010 up to this point, Gammanpila has not even by mistake phoned
me, written to me or spoken to me even by chance and inquired about what happened
to my husband.
He also said he actively probed into the disappearance; I was very amused by his
claims because MP Fernando made ridiculous statements about Prageeth while
Gammanpila was part of the previous government. These people have started to
empathize with my family, me and of what became to Prageeth only after they had a
brush with a similar experience. Prageeths issue was discussed in Parliament over 10

times during the past five years but never have I seen him make a single statement on
it -not even when government reports indicated that Prageeth had been abducted by
an armed group. I have been disappointed by the accusations made against my
husband by certain people who preach about ethics to others. Despite their
allegations, my children and I are still here and my elder sons education has been
interrupted due to financial difficulties. I try to make ends meet by selling rice [lunch]
packets and popcorn. There are a few good people around and their goodness has
helped us come this far.
Q: You have relentlessly campaigned to uncover the truth behind your husbands
disappearance and bring the perpetrators to justice. Without doubt it must have been
done with at least a hint of hope about his return. At this point do you still believe he is
alive and will come back home?
Yes, it is my belief [he is alive]and I have faith in it. I believe he will come through this
door one day. It might not be certain but I know that one day, justice will be done. I
believe he is still alive for me, Prageeth is still alive. Some would ask whether its
possible considering all the ailments he was suffering from. . . Prageeth might not be
here when my eyes are open but when I close my eyes he is with me. I do everything
with him by my side; to me, he is alive everyday. I await the day he would once again
walk into his house. I am content when I think of all the opportunities I used to
campaign for him. At both local and international institutions, I made use of the
chances given to me to the maximum and did everything possible to make sure that
the crime committed against him was not swept under the rug. That is why he is still
living in everyones minds -his disappearance was brought up even during the recent
ICCPR held last October. When I came home after lodging a complaint with the police
when he went missing, I made a promise to myself to find Prageeth no matter what it
took. I will not give up till I find him and until that day, I need to keep him alive. I have
dedicated myself for that purpose.
Q: Do you think the justice you expect will be delivered by the incumbent government?
Yes. But I have to be honest, I was downhearted when the case was taken up on
February 5. It was for the first time that the case was taken up since the election of the
new government and the appointment of the new Chief Justice. But even that day the
outcome was the same as on previous occasions; the magistrate was on leave and
the case was postponed. I expected something would happen but I was disappointed.
But I have a firm belief that under this government, justice will be delivered at least to
a certain extent. I dont know when the specific date would be. My request was to
make it happen before the end of the 100-days, I am waiting to see what will happen.
Q: Do you have any request to make from the President or any other responsible
official of the government?
I have waited for five years for justice to be delivered. Initially, many people asked me

why I was doing it and now they ask why Prageeth is still not home as the regime has
changed. So I ask the government, please ensure justice is done; please find
Prageeth.
Posted by Thavam