Action Alert ArchiveExcuses for systematic anti-Tamil murders wearing thinNovember 15, 2006 The assault on human rights in Sri Lanka has continued unabated in the last few weeks with attacks on Tamil civilians, international monitors and Tamil officials taking place. In each case government forces were either directly involved or implicated in the attack. However, what is most startling about each of these incidents is not that they occurred, sadly enough, but that incidents similar to these have happened before and will continue to happen until the International Community rises from its silence and takes action in Sri Lanka. At Kathiraveli, a small village in eastern Sri Lankan, refugees living at a camp set up on school grounds came under direct artillery fire resulting in the death of 45 civilians and the injury of over 100. The government, while admitting to the attack, claimed that the area was the launching point of Tamil Tiger attacks and that the Tigers were using the refugees as human shields. Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission spokeswoman Helen Olafsdottir refuted this, saying, "Our monitors saw there were no military installations in the camp area, so we would certainly like some answers from the military regarding the nature and reasons of this attack." This attack bears startling similarities to the bombing of the Sencholai children's home on Aug. 13. In the aftermath of that incident, in which 61 schoolgirls were wounded and 129 were injured, the Sri Lankan government claimed the site was a Tamil Tiger training camp. Once again the SLMM refuted these claims with the Head of the Sri Lankan monitoring mission at that time, Ulf Henricsson, saying, "We couldn't find any sign of military installations or weapons. This was not a military installation, we can see." Clearly, these attacks are not just government mistakes; they are part of a larger campaign against the Tamil minority. Even international ceasefire monitors have not escaped the government's relentless assault on human rights. While inspecting a road at Pooneryn, Head of the Sri Lankan monitoring mission Lars Johan Solvberg and his delegation came under direct artillery fire from Sri Lankan government forces. The delegation was in clear sight and had informed the government of its plans beforehand. Similarly, on July 29 when the head of the SLMM met with local residents to discuss the opening of the Mavilaru dam issue, bombs landed within 750m from the meeting. Attacking neutral parties is nothing new for the government, however, on August 17 aid workers from the French organization Action Against Hunger (ACF) were shot dead point-blank at their office in Muttur. The government denied involvement in the attack, but relatives placed the blame squarely on the government's shoulders. These incidents clearly demonstrate the Government of Sri Lanka's disdain even for those who are only seeking to help civilians. Those advocating for human rights through the government have not been free from harm, either. Nadarajah Raviraj, a Jaffna district Parliamentarian from the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), was shot and killed near his home in Colombo. The previous day he had participated in a protest against the attack on refugees in Kathiraveli that appealed to the United Nations to stop the Genocide against Tamils let loose by the Sri Lankan Government. His killing is only the latest in a series of assassinations of Tamil Political figures. In December of last year Joseph Pararajasingham, a senior Tamil Politician and a man devoted to human rights in Sri Lanka, was killed while attending Christmas mass at a church in his home district of Batticaloa. Vanniasingam Vigneswaran, who was selected by the TNA to replace Pararajasingham, was also shot and killed on his way to work in Trincomalee. The Government of Sri Lanka's brazen attacks on civilians, monitors and parliamentarians should alarm many in the international community. We welcome the immediate condemnations from Amnesty International, United Nations, and certain foreign governments. The United States, however, hesitated to condemn the Sri Lankan government despite the recent punctuation of the most heinous crimes yet seen since the ceasefire. We call on the United States government to resolutely join the international community and take action against the Sri Lankan government's abuse of human rights and their disregard for even the most basic of freedoms. |
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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.
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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.
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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.
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