Thousands of Tamil people have been arbitrarily detained in the capital, Colombo, and its suburbs since 15 October 1993. Some have been taken away by men in police or military uniform, others by officers in civilian dress. Many of the arrests were made in the middle of the night. In six documented cases, the arrests had still not been acknowledged by the police three or four days after the arrest, and there are fears for the safety of these prisoners.
