by Daily News**, Colombo, October 24, 2015 The truth, justice, reparation and non-recurrence are the crucial words in the process in achieving true reconciliation, Opposition Leader R. Sampanthan said in Parliament yesterday. Participating in the adjournment debate, he welcomed the initiative of the All Party Meeting chaired by the President. “All political party leaders and… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Politics
What Do Constitutions Do?
by Sumit Bisarya, Lawyers for Justice in Libya, December 24, 2015 Sumit Bisarya International IDEA www.idea.int/ Constitutions cannot build roads or bridges. They cannot cure disease, educate children or put food on the table (at least directly). A few countries, such as the United Kingdom, seem to get by perfectly well without a written Constitution… Read more »
ICES: Political Economy of Post-War Sri Lanka
ICES Political Economy of Post-War Sri Lanka There are three main conceptual flaws in this discourse. First, it wants to forget the war as a historical event. It wants to forget the war, how it ended and the implications of these events especially on the nature of the state in Sri Lanka. It ignores the… Read more »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
Joint Statement of Tamil Political Parties, Civil Society & Trade Unions
Joint Statement of Tamil Political Parties, CS Orgs and Trade Unions ——————– JOINT STATEMENT OF TAMIL POLITICAL PARTIES, CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS & TRADE UNIONS ON THE DRAFT RESOLUTION ON SRI LANKA 29 September 2015 We release this statement in response to the draft resolution titled… Read more »