Action Alert ArchiveRelief workers are subtly being evicted from places of needOctober 28, 2006 As the suffering of civilians in Sri Lanka reaches shameful heights, the international community continues its silence. A humanitarian travesty is unfolding before our very eyes in a predictable fashion. Jaffna, the northern peninsula and heartland of Tamils, is being starved out by the government using a calculated economic embargo. Although civilians across the Northeast are in trouble, those in Jaffna are in serious danger. Renewed fighting in the region surely has a devastating effect, but the situation has been seriously exacerbated by the government's actions concerning the region. More than 10 weeks ago the government of Sri Lanka closed A9, which is the only trunk road to Jaffna from the rest of island. This simple move has stopped the flow into Jaffna of the bulk of direly needed food and medical supplies, effectively starving the populace. According to NGOs in the area, residents suffer from malnutrition and are facing imminent starvation; to make matters worse, the lack of medicine and doctors has crippled and already weak health care infrastructure. Of course, it is the children who suffer the most, and widespread malnutrition has led to school disruptions and even a pattern of fainting. Child specialists at the Jaffna Hospital document that the SL government's provisions could only address 25% of Jaffna's hunger crisis. It is not simply administrative issues that are preventing aid from reaching its target, however. Local NGOs suspect that severe corruption in the relief supply chain has contributed to the current situation, where for example, nearly half of the milk sent to Jaffna was deemed inedible years ago. Sadly, this may be the least worrisome of the SL government's shortfalls. The Consortium of Jaffna NGOs directly blames the government for indifference over the transport of essential items to its own people. What is frightfully worse, is that NGO officials are scared of spreading the truth about the ground situation, for fear of reprisal by the army and paramilitaries. The Aug. 5 assassination of the 17 NGO workers of Action Against Hunger, which still lacks any genuine investigation to date, serves to substantiate the continual death threats against NGO workers who have chosen to stay in the Northeast. In addition to deliberately watering down and even subverting the truth about Jaffna's needs, government official have actually been instructed not to set up refugee camps and organize relief efforts! It is a central duty of the GoSL to provide for the basic material needs of all its people. However, it is also the duty of international relief organizations, as the authority on humanitarian issues, to expose unchecked problems such as child malnutrition and starvation. In a time when tens of thousands of civilians are displaced by the fighting in Jaffna and elsewhere, all concerned parties must call the reality as it is, and then work to improve it. We emphasize with the utmost urgency the need to pressure the SL government and international NGOs into exposing the true humanitarian situation in Jaffna -- more importantly, they must provide all the aid Sri Lanka's innocent victims deeply need. |
|
Jun 20, 2008 - Aftenposten
Peace brokers from around the world will once again gather for the annual Oslo Forum next week, to swap experience in conflict mediation. Participants include Mohammad Khatami, former president of Iran; Jonathan Powell, former chief of staff for ex-British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Gareth Evans, president of the International Crisis Group. Read this article
As Sri Lanka's civil war escalates, so do attacks on its journalists
Jun 19, 2008 - AP
With civil war raging in Sri Lanka, the journalists trying to cover the conflict find themselves increasingly under siege. They have been hounded by the government, attacked by unknown assailants and accused of aiding the rebels. Many reporters have been arrested or fled the country, while others have resorted to self-censorship, journalists said.Read this article
Review of Sri Lanka under the Universal Periodic Review
Jun 14, 2008 - Amnesty International
Themes raised by member states participating in the review of Sri Lanka under the UPR dialogue included concerns related to the lack of protection of civilians caught in the internal conflict; enforced disappearances, unlawful/extrajudicial killings; torture and other forms of ill treatment, threats to freedom of expression, the need to strengthen national human rights institutions, attacks on dissent and ongoing impunity for human rights violations.
Read this article
Press freedom in Sri Lanka continues to deteriorate
Jun 13, 2008 - CPJ
The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by government’s policies toward journalists who write critically about the conflict between Sri Lanka’s military forces and Tamil secessionists. We have seen an increase in harassment, intimidation, and detention of reporters, many of whom are columnists in senior positions with well-established careers.
Read this article
S.Lanka says peace brokers can't visit rebel area
Jun 12, 2008 - Reuters
Sri Lanka has refused requests by Norwegian peace mediators to visit rebel territory, and said fresh peace talks hinged on Tamil Tiger guarantees to lay down arms and stick to a negotiation timetable. Nordic ceasefire monitors quit the country this year after the six-year Norway brokered truce disintegrated.
Read this article