Photo credit: Lakruwan Wanniarachchi/AFP/Getty Images Tamil political prisoners must be released immediately (WASHINGTON, DC; October 23, 2015): Tomorrow marks the 15th anniversary of the Bindanuwewa massacre, in which over 27 Tamil political detainees were killed by a Sinhala mob in a premeditated attack. Sinhalese villagers stormed the Bindanuwewa detention center in the south of Sri… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Human Rights
Rep. Engel Statement on Latest UNHRC Sri Lanka Resolution
Oct 2, 2015 Press Release WASHINGTON, DC—Representative Eliot L. Engel, the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today made the following statement welcoming the adoption of the UN Human Rights Council resolution on reconciliation, accountability, and human rights in Sri Lanka: “The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Investigation… Read more »
BBC: Sri Lanka Judge Says War Crimes Claims are ‘Credible’
Sri Lanka judge says war crimes claims are ‘credible’ 21 October 2015 A government-appointed Sri Lankan judge says allegations the army committed war crimes during the long conflict with Tamil Tiger rebels are “credible”. He was leading the first government inquiry into the atrocities, one month after the UN released its own findings. President… Read more »
The Geneva Resolution & Politics
by Niran Anketell, ‘Groundviews,’ Colombo, October 10, 2015 The recent Human Rights Council resolution on Sri Lanka is a remarkable document. Crafted in the immediate aftermath of the devastating OISL Report on Sri Lanka whose central recommendation was that a ‘special hybrid court’ be established in Sri Lanka, and despite some hiccups during negotiations, a… Read more »
Inescapable Truth
The adoption of a UNHRC consensus resolution on the UN report into Sri Lanka’s atrocities (OISL) has been welcomed by many as the first step in a long process to move Sri Lanka towards an era of justice and reconciliation through genuine accountability, together with the Sri Lankan foreign minister, Mangala Samaraweera’sopening address to the… Read more »
A More Robust Democracy will Safeguard Peace in Sri Lanka
by Richard Armitage & Karen Bue, ‘South China Morning Post,’ Hong Kong, October 9, 2015 The horrors of the conflict in Sri Lanka were laid bare in a report issued last month by the UN Human Rights Council. Unlawful killings, enforced disappearances, sexual violence and the use of child soldiers were among the parade of… 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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »