Posts Categorized: Human Rights

Sri Lankan Soldiers Acquitted over Massacre of Tamils

by ‘Tamil Guardian,’ London, July 27, 2016 Six former Sri Lankan army corporals were acquitted by a Sri Lankan court today over the rape and massacre of 24 Tamil civilians in Kumarapuram in 1996. The Sri Lankan soldiers were standing on trial over the involvement in the killings, which took place in the village in southern… Read more »

On Rights and Justice

As it is, despite the best efforts of the CTF and subsidiary bodies, politically, the popular consultations appear to be an eyewash, designed to placate foreign governments and UN officials, and tick the box. by Taylor Dibbert, ‘The World Post,’ Los Angeles, July 28, 2016 Ruki Fernando is a human rights activist based in Colombo,… Read more »

ICRC: Report on the Needs of Families of the Missing Released

by International Committee of the Red Cross, Geneva, July 26, 2016 https://www.icrc.org/en/document/sri-lanka-families-missing-persons Years that have passed since the armed conflict in Sri Lanka ended in 2009, did not bring solace to the families of over 16,000 persons who, according to the ICRC’s records, remain missing. Between October 2014 and November 2015, conducting an island-wide assessment,… Read more »

July 1983: Betrayal Of The Absolute Right To Justice

by Basil Fernando, ‘Groundviews,’ Colombo, July 25, 2016 It has been 33 years since Black July, 1983. These 33 years have been part of our lifetime. We have witnessed not only the horrendously criminal acts of July 1983, but also what happened by way of justice after those serious crimes. I would like to illustrate… Read more »

Remembering Black July

More than 3000 Tamils were killed within just 10 days, then 150,000 were rendered homeless and began a refugee flight that leaves more than 800,000 Tamils scattered all around the world today.

US Asst Secretaries of State Biswal & Malinowski Visit

US Officials Insist Sustainable Peace Must Include Peace Dividend by Dharsha Bastians, ‘Daily Financial Times,’ Colombo, July 15, 2016 Visiting State Department officials insisted that accountability and reconciliation in Sri Lanka continues to be a key focus for the US Government, but defended their apparent focus on economic growth and investment on a two-day visit… Read more »

Ample Space for Sri Lanka Testing its Commitments & Credibilities

By  Thambu Kanagasabai  LLM [Lond.], FCII, July 13, 2016 In the much expected 32nd session of Human Rights Council, the UN Human Rights High Commissioner delivered his oral statement evaluating the progress made by Sri Lanka regarding the implementation of various matters outlined in the Sri Lanka-US sponsored resolution passed on October 01, 2015. Nine… Read more »

Bipartisan Group of 24 Lawmakers Calls on Secretary Kerry

2010 letter to Sec. Clinton on Sri Lanka FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 27, 2016 CONTACT: Abraham White 202-308-8430   Bipartisan Group of 24 Lawmakers Calls on Secretary Kerry to Strengthen Peace and Human Rights in Sri Lanka for War Victims     WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressmen Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Bill Johnson (R-OH) led… Read more »

Watchdog: Amendments to the OMP Bill

by Watchdog Collective, July 5, 2016 Memo to CTF – OMP Bill – 5 July 2016 Further to our memorandum to the Consultation Task Force (“CTF”), dated 1 May 2016, and our follow-up letter to the Foreign Minister, dated 16 May 2016, we write a further follow-up memorandum relating to the Office of Missing Persons (“OMP”). This memorandum… Read more »

CHRD: Oral Submission to Consultation Task Force

by K.S. Ratnavale, Centre for Human Rights & Development, Kotte, Sri Lanka, July 5, 2016 There has been a country –wide discussion about Transitional Justice. The government of Sri Lanka has appointed a Task Force who in turn appointed Zonal Task Force for consultations. There has been an avalanche of activities in the districts and… Read more »

(Re)conceptualising Reconciliation

by Dr. Sujith Xavier, ‘Groundviews,’ Colombo, July 5, 2016 Transitional justice is a popular term in present day Sri Lanka. It is the means by which the various parties to the conflict have decided to bring about justice and reconciliation. The reason behind this move to employ transitional justice is two-fold. First, the international community,… Read more »

Sri Lanka Must Stay the Course

‘The Hindu’ editorial, Chennai, July 2, 2016 The frequent human rights updates in Geneva provide an occasion for the world to discuss Sri Lanka’s post-war situation, especially the progress made in investigating the excesses during the last phase of the civil war that ended in 2009. Until last year, the country considered the process hostile… Read more »

Is Sri Lanka on the Path to Reconciliation?

by Al Jazeera, Qatar, July 3, 2016 Video at http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insidestory/2016/07/sri-lanka-reconciliation-160703174125765.html President Sirisena is under pressure to fulfill his post-cvil war promises of accountability and justice. It’s been seven years since the civil war in Sri Lanka ended. The 30-year conflict fell largely along ethnic lines. President Maithripala Sirisena has said reconciliation is one of his top… Read more »

Occupation of Land by the Military in the North

by MP Sritharan in Sri Lanka Parlimentary Hansard, June 10, 2016 Page 930: http://www.parliament.lk/uploads/documents/hansard/1466495811042632.pdf                                                           Other sources of figures for this disputed issue: British Tamil Forum: 67,427… Read more »

USTPAC Welcomes High Commissioner Zeid’s Call for Sustained International Engagement on Sri Lanka

WASHINGTON, June 30, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) member states responded yesterday in Geneva to High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al-Hussein’s midterm report on the government of Sri Lanka’s implementation of Resolution 30/1. USTPAC welcomes High Commissioner Zeid’s report and statements from member states and other countries for more… Read more »

UNHCHR: Promoting Reconciliation, Accountability and Human Rights in Sri Lanka

by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Geneva, June 28, 2016 Advance copy of UNHCHR oral report on Sri Lanka’s compliance with UNHRC Resolution 30/1  A_HRC_32_CRP_4_EN This oral update is presented pursuant to Human Rights Council Resolution 30/1 on promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka, which was adopted by consensus with the… Read more »

Bipartisan Group of 24 Lawmakers Calls on Secretary Kerry

McGovern Johnson letter to Sec Kerry with signatures Jun 27, 2016 Press Release WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressmen Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Bill Johnson (R-OH) led a bipartisan group of 24 House lawmakers calling on Secretary John Kerry to continue U.S. efforts to strengthen human rights in Sri Lanka following a 26-year civil war between… Read more »

U.N. Urges Sri Lanka to Rein in Military, Prosecute War Crimes

by Stephanie Nebehay, Reuters, London, June 28, 2016 Sri Lanka must rein in its military forces, prosecute war crimes committed during the long civil war with Tamil rebels and win the confidence of the Tamil minority, the United Nations said on Tuesday. Witnesses must be protected under an effective transitional justice mechanism that should include… Read more »

Sri Lanka Wants the World to Forget about Justice for War Victims

by Nirmanusan Balasundaram, ‘The Guardian,’ UK, June 27, 2016 With the Sri Lankan government winding back commitments to reconciliation and justice measures, it’s up to the international community to hold them to account  In October 2015 the government of Sri Lanka co-sponsored, along with the US, a resolution on promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights… Read more »