Human Rights Office
Kandy
Human Rights Office of Kandy Diocese is a catholic organization headed by Fr. Nandana Manatunga, established in 2008 under the jurisdictions of the Bishop of Kandy, incorporated in the parliament Act no 17 of 1983.
The HRO campaign to establish the Rule of Law by taking up individual cases of victims of Torture, the “Mother” of all Human Rights violations and victims of rape, gender based violence, domestic violence, families of the disappeared and of the prisoners. HRO provide victims not only access to Justice (Legal assistance) but “Holistic” assistance - security, protection, legal, medical, psychological and educational assistance and journey with the victims and their families until the victims are integrated to the society. By taking up individual cases of human rights violations, HRO identify the defects of the Justice system and thereby call for Judicial and Police reforms to establish the Rule of Law. Individual victims whom the HRO empowered and cases that were legally assisted have become models for the other victims to seek Justice & Redress. HRO has activated the Torture Act of Act no 22 of 1994 by assisting Torture victims and made a major breakthrough with land mark judgments in the Central Province. Although anti Torture campaign was the launching pad, Human Rights Office gradually entered the wider field of Human Rights by accepting cases of all human rights violations, specially of the families of the disappeared, cases of prisoners with fabricated charges, gender based violence, domestic violence, cases on destruction of the environment and cases of denial of fundamental rights.
Since our efforts need to be supported by the communities in breaking the silent suffering of the victims, a “Support Group” was created with professionals to assist the victims by engaging them in the “Victim centered activity”. Further citizen committees were set up in villages and in tea plantations. With Urgent Appeals, street movements, legal clinics, Human Rights Exhibitions, poster and postcard campaigns, signature campaigns, Audio/ visuals, radio programmes, media conferences, HRO educate the civil society on Human Rights and relevant provisions to safe guards the Rights.
The HRO campaign and lobby locally and internationally with submissions to the Special Rapporteurs on Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment of punishment and to the UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers - Judicial accountability and to Economic Social Cultural Rights.
Along with “Holistic” assistance, the HRO journey with victims of Torture, rape and serious human rights violations for 12-15 years. At present the Human Rights office handles more than 160 cases of custodial torture, child abuse, rape, extra-judicial killings, gender based violence, domestic violence and human trafficking. HRO stand by the victims of all communities to get Justice & redress and mobilize the civil society to call for reforms and activate the justice system to punished the perpetrators through a fair trial. By taking up such cases the office campaigns for the reform of the collapsed Justice System and establishment of the Rule of Law in the country.
The HRO campaign to establish the Rule of Law by taking up individual cases of victims of Torture, the “Mother” of all Human Rights violations and victims of rape, gender based violence, domestic violence, families of the disappeared and of the prisoners. HRO provide victims not only access to Justice (Legal assistance) but “Holistic” assistance - security, protection, legal, medical, psychological and educational assistance and journey with the victims and their families until the victims are integrated to the society. By taking up individual cases of human rights violations, HRO identify the defects of the Justice system and thereby call for Judicial and Police reforms to establish the Rule of Law. Individual victims whom the HRO empowered and cases that were legally assisted have become models for the other victims to seek Justice & Redress. HRO has activated the Torture Act of Act no 22 of 1994 by assisting Torture victims and made a major breakthrough with land mark judgments in the Central Province. Although anti Torture campaign was the launching pad, Human Rights Office gradually entered the wider field of Human Rights by accepting cases of all human rights violations, specially of the families of the disappeared, cases of prisoners with fabricated charges, gender based violence, domestic violence, cases on destruction of the environment and cases of denial of fundamental rights.
Since our efforts need to be supported by the communities in breaking the silent suffering of the victims, a “Support Group” was created with professionals to assist the victims by engaging them in the “Victim centered activity”. Further citizen committees were set up in villages and in tea plantations. With Urgent Appeals, street movements, legal clinics, Human Rights Exhibitions, poster and postcard campaigns, signature campaigns, Audio/ visuals, radio programmes, media conferences, HRO educate the civil society on Human Rights and relevant provisions to safe guards the Rights.
The HRO campaign and lobby locally and internationally with submissions to the Special Rapporteurs on Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment of punishment and to the UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers - Judicial accountability and to Economic Social Cultural Rights.
Along with “Holistic” assistance, the HRO journey with victims of Torture, rape and serious human rights violations for 12-15 years. At present the Human Rights office handles more than 160 cases of custodial torture, child abuse, rape, extra-judicial killings, gender based violence, domestic violence and human trafficking. HRO stand by the victims of all communities to get Justice & redress and mobilize the civil society to call for reforms and activate the justice system to punished the perpetrators through a fair trial. By taking up such cases the office campaigns for the reform of the collapsed Justice System and establishment of the Rule of Law in the country.
|
Vision
A society that respect the dignity of the Human person, created in the image and likeness of God irrespective of the caste, creed and ethnicity. |
Mission
Accompany the Survivors of Rape and Torture, Families of the Disappeared, Prisoners with fabricated charges and their families, to seek Justice and campaign to Establish the Rule of Law. |
