Save the Doctors Campaign

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

Martin Luther King Jr., US civil rights leader

Panel Discussion

Dr. T. Sathiyamoorthy, Dr. V. Shanmugarajah and Dr. T. Varatharajah were three government-employed physicians detained without charge after saving thousands of lives during the war in Sri Lanka in 2009. This panel discussion will focus on the circumstances around their cases, and explore the concepts of medical neutrality and ethical duty to patients during war. Panelists will also touch on the broader themes of press freedom, detention without charge, and human rights violations as they pertain to the doctors’ story.

Title: Human Rights, Politics and the Hippocratic Oath: Exploring Physicians' Roles in Conflict Situations
Date: Monday, November 2, 2009
Time: 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm
Location: Munk Centre for International Studies, University of Toronto

Panelists:

Dr. James Orbinski MSc, BSc, MD, MA
Sharryn Aiken BA, MA, LLB, LLM
Craig Scott BA, LLB, LLM

PHOTOS:
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Click here to view the pictures of the Panel Discussion.

VIDEO:
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Part 1 & 2:

Part 3 & 4:

Online Appeal

Save The Doctors Appeal

Save The Doctors Campaign has sent an appeal to the President of Sri Lanka calling for the unconditional release of Dr. Sathiyamoorthy, Dr. Shanmugarajah, and Dr. Varatharajah. The appeal has been signed by prominent individuals and organizations including: Amnesty International Canada, Physicians for Human Rights, Canadian Medical Association, Physicians for Global Survival, Doctors for Human Rights, Asian Centre for Human Rights, Canadian Association for Physicians of Indian Heritage, Danish Medical Association, Finnish Medical Association, Icelandic Medical Association, Norwegian Medical Association, Swedish Medical Association, Johannes Weir Foundation (Netherlands). If you would like to add your name to the appeal, please reply to info@savethedoctors.com.

Click here to view current signatory list.

Save The Doctors Campaign has been referenced by International Federation for Health and Human Rights, Sri Lanka Campaign for Peace and Justice, Physicians for Human Rights and Doctors Against Racism and Anti-Semitism.

Amnesty International

Take action and call on the Sri Lankan government to release Drs. T. Sathiyamoorthy, Varatharajah and Shanmugarajah immediately unless they are promptly charged with a crime.

Letter Campaign

Please address your appeals to the Sri Lankan government, police, justice bodies and diplomatic representatives in your country. As a matter of urgency, please write to your elected representatives, members of Parliament and non-governmental organizations to press for the release of these physicians.

Engage your medical associations and societies to work with you to pass resolutions that ensure justice for these physicians. Contact your local media to publicize the stories of Drs. Sathiyamoorthy, Shanmugarajah and Varatharajah. The more awareness we can bring to this campaign, the more likely these physicians are to achieve a fair hearing and freedom.