We are deeply saddened by the death of our founder, colleague and mentor Solomon Arulanandan David, who was known to the Tamil people as “David Iya” or “Gandhiyam David”. He suffered from illness in the last few years and was 92 years of age at the time of death. A qualified architect and town planner,… Read more »
Monthly Archives: October 2015
On David Iyaar’s Passing
Solomon Arulanandam “Gandhiyam” David [1924-2015] Men involved in our defeated movement always spoke about a man who was there at the beginning. A man who guided the first generation of the Iyakkam. A peaceful man who experienced the massacres at Welikade prison in 1983. A man who the movement never abandoned – freeing him was… Read more »
Pressuring Sri Lanka for Peace
By Taylor Dibbert, ‘The Wall Street Journal’ Opinion page, New York, October 7, 2015 Last Thursday, the United Nations Human Rights Council passed a resolution that seemed, once again, to promote postwar reconciliation and express a broad international consensus for ensuring those who committed serious human-rights violations during the end of Sri Lanka’s civil war… Read more »
Fact Sheets on OISL Report
OHCHR Investigation on Sri Lanka Fact Sheet 1: Overview of the Report Fact Sheet 2: Torture Fact Sheet 3: Deprivation of Liberty Fact Sheet 4: Unlawful Killings Fact Sheet 5: Abduction Fact Sheet 6: Control of Movement Fact Sheet 7: Last Phase of War
Pressuring Sri Lanka for Peace
Last Thursday, the United Nations Human Rights Council passed a resolution that seemed, once again, to promote postwar reconciliation and express a broad international consensus for ensuring those who committed serious human-rights violations during the end of Sri Lanka’s civil war are held accountable. The problem is the resolution’s overly diplomatic and, at times, vague… Read more »
Sen. Cardin Speech on the Importance of Accountability in Sri Lanka
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 6, 2015 CONTACTS: Adam Sharon 202-224-4651 Sue Walitsky 202-224-4524 Cardin Speech on the Importance of Accountability in Sri Lanka WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, submitted the following remarksfor the congressional record regarding the importance of accountability in… Read more »
Reaction to UNHRC Resolution in Colombo
PM upbeat on Sri Lankan solution by ‘Daily Mirror,’ Colombo, September 29, 2015 Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday that the resolution co-sponsored by the US and Sri Lanka placed before the UNHRC would pave the way to bring about a Sri Lankan solution to the question of reconciliation and accountability during the last stages… Read more »
He was a U.S. Ally in Africa. Now He’s on Trial for Crimes against Humanity
HRW Q & A re Habre’s trial He was our man in Africa. Hissene Habre, who ruled Chad in the 1980s, was a U.S. ally in good standing even as his government killed tens of thousands of people and filled prisons with enemies who were starved, beaten and tortured. Last week he finally had to… Read more »
Role of UN and International Community in Sri Lanka
by Sarava Kanesathasan, ‘The Island,’ Colombo, September 20, 2015 To its credit, it was the US that initiated the international accountability process in Sri Lanka through the 2014 UNHRC resolution which called for an international investigation by the Office of the UN High Commissioner (OISL Report). That resolution was preceded by five years of failure… Read more »
‘We Have Talked So Much About It
By Nimmi Gowrinathan and Kate Cronin-Furman, “The Washington Post’s’ Monkey Cage blog, October 1, 2015 This photograph, released by the Sri Lankan army in 2009, allegedly shows civilians who managed to escape from the last remaining Tamil Tiger rebel-held patch of coastline in Sri Lanka. A long-awaited United Nations report on Sept. 16 detailed horrific abuses… Read more »
Colombo Consensus 2.0
By Daniel Balazs, Patrick Mendis, ‘Foreign Policy,’ Washington, DC, October 1, 2015 The new Sri Lankan government is re-balancing its foreign policy, drifting away from China’s orbit toward a more equidistant engagement with India and the United States. With the growing economic importance of the Indian Ocean, the geo-strategically located Sri Lanka is becoming crucial… Read more »
What Just Happened in Geneva?
Today the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted resolution 30/29 on accountability in Sri Lanka. You can watch the discussion here: https://www.srilankacampaign.org/what-just-happened-in-geneva/ You can read the final text here. And you can read our summary of what it means here. So is this good news or bad news? It is actually quite difficult to say. This… Read more »
A Deflated US Resolution & Tamils’ Quest for Justice and Accountability.
In conclusion, it is plain truth that unless Sri Lanka musters the political will and determination, shedding its majority dominant thinking and implements the mentioned encouraged fitting and just proposals fully and fairly, chances of true reconciliation will be a distance dream “Sowing the seeds for further conflict” as stated by the Commissioner.
The role of UN and Security Council is no less important. The UN and Security Council failed to stop the war and protect the Tamils by exercising their right under the RTP doctrine. If they fail again to uphold accountability and mete out justice, their credibility and relevance is at stake and will be open to question.
Overcoming the Peace Versus Justice Divide in Colombia
New developments are advancing hopes that the Colombian government and the largest anti-government armed group in the country—the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC—will soon reach an agreement in their protracted peace talks to bring an end to the country’s even more protracted armed conflict. Last week, the Colombian government and FARC leaders agreed… Read more »
USTPAC Calls for Speedy Implementation of Transitional Justice Mechanism
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Human Rights Council Adopts Landmark Resolution on Sri Lanka USTPAC calls for speedy implementation of transitional justice mechanism Washington, DC – (October 2, 2015): The UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on Reconciliation, Accountability and Human Rights in Sri Lanka yesterday. With the Report of the OHCHR Investigation on Sri Lanka… Read more »
World Bank on Integrating Island & Need for Empowering Local Govnts
Key challenges are how to manage the growth of the Kandy-Colombo-Galle region, in particular, the Metropolitan Colombo Region, and how to enhance connectivity of other single-city agglomerations with the Kandy-Colombo-Galle region so as realize their potential for economic growth and poverty alleviation…
Specifically, the report identified three areas where reform could address fundamental deficits – in empowerment, resources, and accountability:
· Improving intergovernmental fiscal relations to address empowerment.
· Identifying practical ways to increase the resources available to local governments to allow them to perform their mandated functions.
· Strengthening mechanisms to hold local governments accountable for their actions.
2015 UNHRC Resolution on Sri Lanka
—– Archived webcast of discussion of OHCHR Report on Sri Lanka OHCHR Report on Sri Lanka – 37th Meeting, 30th Regular Session Human Rights Council OHCHR Report on Sri Lanka (Cont’d) – 38th Meeting, 30th Regular Session Human Rights Council —— Resolution on Sri Lanka A/HRC/30/1 UNHRC Resolution 30/1 October 1 2015 Received from (main… Read more »
UNHCHR Zeid Statement to UNHRC on Sri Lanka
Statement by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein via videolink to the Human Rights Council Scroll down for the video message link. 30 September 2015 Mr President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, I am pleased to present the report of OHCHR on promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka, including… Read more »
Fr. Emmanuel Statement to UNHRC
Statement by Fr.S.J.Emmanuel on the 30th Sept.2015 at the UNHRC We give a cautious but hopeful welcome to this Resolution. We thank the High Commissioner and his team for the Report – a historic document in promoting Truth, Justice and Accountability for all the peoples of Sri Lanka. How far the mechanism proposed in this… Read more »
Pasumai Thayagam Statements to UNHRC
Three statements below by ‘Green Motherland,’ India at the UN Human Rights Council re Tamils in Sri Lanka: UN Human Rights Council, October 30, 2015 General Debate on the report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on Sri Lanka Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss MPThank You Mr.President This is Dr. Anbumani… Read more »