Tamil Eelam Compared with Kosovo
The right to self-determination of the Tamils of Sri Lanka (Ceylon)
by Tamil Centre for Human Rights, March 7, 2008
| |
Kosovo |
Tamil Eelam |
| Sq. Kilometers |
10,887 km² |
19,509 km² |
| Coastal area |
---- |
More than 400 kms |
| Capital |
Pristina |
Trincomalee |
| Annexed with |
Serbia in 1989 |
Ceylon (Sri Lanka) in 1948 |
| Conflicting peoples |
Serbs vs Kosovars |
Singhalese vs Tamils |
| Population |
2,000,000 |
3,598,000 (census in 1979) 93% Tamils |
| Domination by |
Serbs |
Singhalese |
| Military composition |
100% Serbs |
99% Singhalese in all forces |
| Colonisation |
Kosovo region by Serbs |
North East by Singhalese |
| Settlers |
? |
over 300,000 Singhalese colonists |
| Negotiations started |
1989 |
1927 |
| Failed negotiations |
Several |
Between Sinhala & Tamil leaders
1927, 1971,1977-82,1985, 1986, 1989, 1994, 2003-2006 |
| Abrogation of pacts by state |
yes
Serbia-EU
|
Unilaterally abrogated by Sri Lanka
1956, 1965, 1987, 2002, 2005 |
| Democratic mandate |
Sept 1991 & May 1992 |
1977 general elections - Tamils voted overwhelmingly for independence |
| Armed conflict |
March 1998 |
July 1983 to date |
| Freedom fighters |
Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) |
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) |
| Civilians killed |
over 5,000 |
over 100,000 |
| Disappearances |
over 4,000 |
over 28,000 |
| Rapes |
20,000 |
over 12,600 |
| Mass graves |
526 |
Numerous |
| Internally displaced |
250,000 single displacement |
over 800.000 multiple displacements |
| Refugees |
61,000 |
over 600,000 in western countries & India |
| Press & Fredom of Movement |
Denied |
Denied |
| Property damage |
figures not known |
over US$ eight billion |
| Houses destroyed |
128,000 |
over 300,000 |
| Attacks on religious buildings |
500 |
2,375 (both Christian & Hindu-Saivite) |
| Villages demolished |
figures not known |
over 500 |
| Political prisoners |
nearly 2,000 (Dec. 2001) |
over 3,000 at present |
| Ethnic cleansing/violence |
1990 |
Since 1956, esp. 1956
, 1958, 1977, 1981 & 1983 onwards |
| Economic embargo |
not enforced |
since 1987 with a few interludes. now in force. |
| Forces |
Army |
Army, navy, air force, police & auxiliary |
| Courts |
Judicial Development Division (JDD) |
Tamil Eelam Courts, including an Appeal Court & Law College |
| Human Rights institutions |
Ombudsperson Institution of Kosovo |
North East Secretariat for Human Rights (NESoHR) |
| Financial institutions |
Banking & Payment Authority of Kosovo (BPK) |
Bank of Tamil Eelam |
| Education |
Kosovar education system |
Education Council of Tamil Eelam |
| Welfare & sociation institutions |
Insitution of social welfare |
Homes for the aged, widows, children & war-affected adults & children |
| Violation of signed UN instruments |
Serbia has not signed many UN treaties |
Sri Lanka has violated the UN Charter, UDHR, ICCPR*, ICESCR, ICERD, CEDAW*, CAT & CRC* |
| Visit by High Commis. for Human Rights |
yes |
Visited only the Sri Lankan government-administered areas |
| UN/EU intervention |
yes |
NONE |
| UN resolutions |
yes |
NONE |
| International monitoring |
yes |
NONE |
| Visits by VIPs |
yes |
VIPS who met with LTTE leadership:
Spe.Rep of UNSec Gen.Mr Olaru Ottunu-1997
EU Commissioner – Mr Chris Patten
Norway’s Foreign Minister & Deputy
Norway’s Minister for Intern. Development
Norwegian special envoy – Erik Solheim
Japanese special envoy Yasushi Akashi
US Congressman – Danny Davis
Australian MP – Ms Virginia Judge
Iceland’s Foreign Ministry official – Bjarni V
Martin McGuinness – Sinn Fein, North reland
All EU and other Diplomats in Colombo
UNICEF Executive Director
UN Special Representative Allan Rock
UN Spec.Rapporteur–Extra-judicial killings
UN Spe.Rapporteur – Religious intolerance
Head of UN agencies in Colombo
|
| VIP visits prevented |
---- |
Sri Lanka prevented visits to LTTE-administered areas for:
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan
His Royal Highness Prince Charles – UK
Ex-Presidents of USA W Bush and B Clinton
Secretary of State, USA
Prime Minister of Canada
Prime Minister of South Korea
Ministers from Japan, Netherlands,
Finland, Germany and many other countries
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Spec. Rep of UN Sec Gen. Sir Holmes
Spec. Rep of UN Sec Gen on IDPs
UN Sep. Rapporteur on Torture |
(Updated from the TCHR reports submitted in March 2001 and March 2007)
ICCPR*- International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
ICESCR - International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
ICERD- International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
CEDAW* - Convention on the elimination of Discrimination against Women
CAT - Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment....
CRC* - Convention on the Rights of the Child
* optional protocols
|
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