by Sanjana Hattotuwa, ‘The Sunday Island,’ Colombo, February 5, 2017 In 2003, aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, the then US President George W. Bush delivered an infamous address proclaiming an end to large scale combat operations in Iraq. “Major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Human Rights
Sri Lanka’s Transition to Nowhere
Time may be running out for meaningful reforms, and transitional justice remains just out of reach. by Alan Keenan, ‘The Diplomat,’ Tokyo, February 1, 2017 Sri Lanka’s Transition to Nowhere – Alan Keenan – Diplomat – Feb 2017 The momentum of the early months soon slowed, as deep political dysfunctions reasserted themselves in the face… Read more »
The Travel Ban and an Authoritarian ‘Ladder of Violence’
by Amanda Taub, ‘The New York Times,’ February 2, 2017 WASHINGTON — History is full of examples of leaders using “us versus them” politics to paint a particular minority group as a threat to the majority’s safety, morals or culture. That history has scholars of authoritarianism unnerved by President Trump’s order to halt immigration from… Read more »
National Question and Grievances Faced by a Minority
by Dr. Nirmala Chandrahasan, ‘Daily Mirror,’ Colombo, January 30, 2017 In a recent article in the Daily mirror of January 5, 2017, titled “Let’s make Sampanthan’s New Year wish come true, the writer refers to the fact that the Opposition Leader has pinned his hopes for a peaceful and prosperous country in 2017 on a… Read more »
Report of SR on Transitional Justice on Victim Participation
by UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence, Geneva, December 27, 2016 SR Transitional Justice Victim Participation Conclusions 84. The present report and the report to the General Assembly focusing on national consultation processes emphasize the importance of broad participation in transitional justice measures, including by victims. They… Read more »
Report of Special Rapporteur on Torture
by UN Special Rapporteur on torture, Geneva, December 22, 2016 SR Torture report on visit to Sri Lanka Conclusions 109. The issue of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment is part of the legacy of the country’s armed conflict, and one of the reasons why the citizens of Sri Lanka continue… Read more »
ITJPSL Welcomes Juan Mendez Report
by International Truth & Justice Project Sri Lanka, South Africa, January 26, 2017 ITJP Juan-Mendez-Report-Welcomed PRESS RELEASE: Johannesburg (26 January 2017): A UN report describing a “culture of torture” in Sri Lanka reinforced by decades of impunity is a wake up call to President Sirisena’s Government to comply with its obligations under international law and… Read more »
Hunger Strikers in Sri Lanka Demand Answers
‘Give us our children back’ by Dharisha Bastians & Geeta Anand, ‘The New York Times,’ January 26, 2017 COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Seated on a platform outside a regional post office in Sri Lanka’s former war zone, about 150 miles north of the capital, Colombo, a mother whose son has been missing for seven years… Read more »
Sri Lankans Demand Justice as Journalists Attacked
by Al-Jazeera, January 24, 2017 Sri Lanka should form a presidential commission to investigate the targeting of journalists by the previous government, media groups said. The current government, they claim, has failed to keep its campaign promise to punish those responsible. Video at http://video.aljazeera.com/channels/eng/videos/sri-lankans-demand-justice-as-journalists-attacked/5295274508001 Also see Tamils Against Genocide 2013 report ‘Silencing the Press: An… Read more »
Foreign Judges: Sri Lanka’s Dilemma
by M.S.M Ayub, ‘The Daily Mirror,’ Colombo, January 13, 2017 The question remains as to how Sri Lanka is going to justify its rejection of foreign participation in the accountability process after co-sponsoring the UNHRC resolution The question about the involvement of foreign judges in the mechanism to investigate the allegations of Human Rights violations… Read more »
ICJ: Implement Task Force Recommendations to Deliver Justice
by International Commission of Jurists, Geneva, January 19, 2017 The Sri Lankan government must deliver on the clear demand for justice from Sri Lankans nationwide by implementing the Consultation Task Force recommendations without further delay, the ICJ said today. Among these recommendations, the calls for a special court with international judges and a bar against… Read more »
GTF Calls on the SLG to Implement Recommendations of the CTF
by Global Tamil Forum, January 11, 2017 PRESS STATEMENT 11 January 2017, London Global Tamil Forum calls on the Sri Lankan Government to faithfully implement the recommendations of the Consultation Task Force on Reconciliation Mechanisms The Global Tamil Forum (GTF) welcomes the recommendations of the Consultation Task Force on Reconciliation Mechanisms (CTF) released on January… Read more »
Amnesty: Refusing to Disappear
Tens of thousands missing, families demand answers by Amnesty International, London, January 23, 2017 Index number: ASA 37/5497/2017 As any family member searching for a missing loved one can tell you, enforced disappearance is a crime without end. Until parents, wives, siblings, and children know the truth about the fate of a missing family member,… Read more »
HRW: Adopt Task Force’s Justice Proposals
Consultations Highlight Broad Accountability Concerns by Human Rights Watch, New York, January 11, 2016 Sri Lanka’s government should promptly implement recommendations on transitional justice proposed by the Consultation Task Force (CTF) in a report released on January 3, 2017, Human Rights Watch said today. The report reflects the first broad survey of Sri Lankan citizens… Read more »
UN System Owes Sri Lankan Tamils Remedial Justice
For its failures in delivering justice and to protect them during the genocidal war from 2004 to 2009 by Kumarathasan Rasingam, January 10, 2017 “In the end, it comes down to values, as was said so many times today. We want the world our children inherit to be defined by the values enshrined in the… Read more »
Germany Sued for Damages of ‘Forgotten Genocide’ in Namibia
by Reuters, New York, January 5, 2017 Descendants of the Herero and Nama people brought lawsuit for what they called a campaign of genocide by German colonial troops in the early 1900s Germany has been sued for damages in the United States by descendants of the Herero and Nama people of Namibia, for what they… Read more »
Consultation Task Force Final Report
Final Report of the Consultation Task Force on Reconciliation Mechanisms Executive Summary and Recommendations Colombo, Completed November 17, 2016, Released January 4, 2017 Download at https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bzl_GkvmvUNzRVBkcmh3Rnoyc2c/view Full report at http://www.scrm.gov.lk/documents-reports
Letter to Amb. Power
by S. Kanesathasan, February 15, 2016 This short submission highlights some unprecedented aspects of the Sri Lankan experience and makes a plea for a strong personal and early initiative by President Obama and Secretary Kerry to finally end the pernicious practice of Sri Lankan governments, including the current one, of unmet commitments made at its… Read more »
Verdict on Raviraj Murder Case
Another Travesty of Justice by M.K. Eelaventhan, December 27, 2016 The recent acquittal of six accused in the political murder trial of late MP Raviraj is not surprising. It is yet another expected verdict from the Sri Lankan judiciary. It would have been a real surprise if the accused were convicted, as in the Sri… Read more »
HRW: UN GA Adopts Resolution on War Crimes Investigations
by Human Rights Watch, New York, December 21, 2016 On December 21, 2016, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution establishing a mechanism to assist in the investigation of serious crimes committed in Syria since 2011. “The General Assembly today demonstrated that it can take the reins on questions of justice in the face of Security Council deadlock. The countries that voted for this unprecedented… Read more »