16 years and counting…. Parents, families of disappeared protest in memory of Dillon

• It has taken 16 years, but justice wasn’t served to these victims and two mothers have already passed away
• There were four presidents, but none of them spoke on behalf of disappeared persons
• We don’t know if he’s living or dead and therefore we can’t even offer alms in memory of him

On September 18, 2008 Jamaldeen Dillon and 10 other youth went missing. Since then the parents of these 11 youth have been staging protests, going back and forth from numerous campaigns to seek justice for their beloved sons. September 18 marked 16 years since Dillon went missing and in view of this incident, his parents along with civil society activists and parents of other youth who were abducted and subjected to enforced disappearances in the infamous ‘Navy 11’ case staged a silent protest at the Hulftsdorp Magistrate court.

Missing him more

“For September 18, it has been 16 years since my son disappeared and this time I miss him more than ever before because his sister will be getting married in a few days’ time,” said Dillon’s mother Jennifer Weerasinghe. “We have been staging silent protests at Hulftsdorp all these years. But justice seems to be so far away. I have two children and one of them is this son who went missing since September 2008,” said Weerasinghe. 
Speaking about the case, Weerasinghe said that there are over 600 charges filed against respondents and even if the judiciary acts on 10 of these charges there’s enough evidence to prove certain things. “Four regimes have changed since my son and several others were abducted. There were four presidents, but none of them spoke on behalf of disappeared persons. I know that justice will be served the day that the judiciary is allowed to carry out investigations without political interference,” she said. 
Weerasinghe further claimed that one of the persons accused was given an ambassadorial position while the case was being heard. “That is because he has political affiliations. But as victims, we haven’t been served any sort of justice. There was one president who spoke about disappeared persons and even promised to serve justice to this case. But it was a mere election promise. This is why I will not believe any politician,” she said. 

Lies and false promises

Weerasinghe further said that they didn’t even receive a body to mourn for their son. “We don’t know if he’s living or dead and therefore we can’t even offer alms in memory of him. “We have been listening to lies and false promises all these years. None of the former presidents has given me a chance to meet him in person. The main reason for delays in seeking justice is due to political interferences,” she claimed further.
Speaking at the protest, Human Rights Activist and President of Families of the Disappeared organisation Brito Fernando said that even though 16 years had elapsed since the disappearance of Jamaldeen Dillon, there has been no justice served to him or his family. “The courts are the only institutions that we could turn to. After police investigations and magisterial inquiries, a special trial at bar was appointed in December 2019 but for the past five years this bar hasn’t heard this case even once. It has taken 16 years but justice wasn’t served to these victims and two mothers have already passed away,” he added.