The 'Per Anger Prize’ goes to Brito Fernando, voice of the families of the disappeared
The Swedish government has singled out the Sri Lankan Catholic activist for his work on behalf of the victims of enforced disappearances during the civil war and previous periods of political violence in Sri Lanka. Founder of Families of the Disappeared, he has been seeking truth and justice for more than 30 years despite intimidation and threats.
Colombo (AsiaNews) – The Swedish government has awarded Catholic activist Brito Fernando the Per Anger Prize for his work on behalf of the thousands of families of people who went missing during decades of political violence and civil war in Sri Lanka.
Fernando is the founder and president of Families of the Disappeared (FoD), an organisation representing more than 20,000 families across the country.
Since the late 1980s, he has campaigned for truth and justice in the case of the enforced disappearances that occurred during the armed conflicts that have marked Sri Lanka's recent history.
According to the United Nations working group that deals with the issue, Sri Lanka remains one of the countries with the highest number of unsolved cases of missing persons.
During the civil war, which ended in 2009, and for several years before the conflict, tens of thousands of people were abducted by law enforcement, armed groups, and paramilitary organisations. In most cases, the fate of the abductees remains unknown.
“Even though the issue remains unresolved, Brito deserves this prize for his tireless commitment to carrying on this battle,” the Movement of Christian Women’s Voice (MoCWV), a Catholic NGO committed to human rights, told AsiaNews.
Over the years, Fernando has been exposed to considerable personal risk. He has been arrested and questioned several times for alleged ties to terrorism, while his home has also been targeted. Yet, this has never stopped him from supporting the victims' families in their quest for justice.
“This honour is not for me. The prize belongs to the families who have been fighting for over 35 years without giving up," Fernando told AsiaNews. “It is an encouragement for them. We will continue to move forward until we see our hopes realised.”
In a statement, the Swedish organisation Civil Rights Defenders stressed that Fernando "has dedicated his life to advocating for the marginalised and seeking the truth about those who disappeared during Sri Lanka’s periods of political violence and civil war."
The group goes on to note that the activist “works tirelessly to demand accountability and redress”, emphasising “the importance of remembrance and reconciliation”. Despite the risks to his personal safety, he has built bridges between ethnic and religious groups in a country still deeply marked by divisions.
The Per Anger Prize was established by the Swedish government in 2004 and is awarded annually by the Living History Forum to individuals or organisations that have distinguished themselves in the defence of human rights and democracy.
The prize is named after Swedish diplomat Per Anger, who helped save thousands of Hungarian Jews from the Holocaust during World War II.
Among the organisations participating in the selection process are Amnesty International Sweden, Human Rights Watch, UNICEF Sweden, and Civil Rights Defenders.
This year, Brito Fernando's nomination was submitted by Diakonia, a Swedish-based international human rights and development organisation.
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