Sri Lanka is faced with a situation of lawlessness of epidemic proportions. Such lawlessness is manifested by the continuing abductions, arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances and large scale killings. In a climate of relentless violence, entire families have been wiped out. The law enforcement authorities have become dysfunctional and many policemen, including some high ranking officers have become partners in crime. UN officers estimated the number of killings in Sri Lanka in 2005 alone at 500. Between January 2006 and May 2007, human rights agencies estimated that 4,000 people were killed. In Jaffna alone, 13 people were shot dead between 8 July and 31 July 2007.
The people of Sri Lanka have been ruled by Emergency Regulations for almost 30 out of the 58 years of independence and their rights have been systematically crushed. The land is now under Emergency rule, and the current draconian Emergency Regulations, which are primarily used against the Tamil community, have removed every tenet of democratic governance.
In a letter to Secretary General of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Juan Somavia on 11 May 2007, the Tamil Information Centre (TIC) expressed extreme concern over the deterioration in the situation of trade union leaders and other fundamental rights activists in Sri Lanka. The TIC said that trade union representatives increasingly faced threats, intimidation, abduction and disappearance and these indicated the suppression of trade unions, the freedom of expression and the freedom of association. Intimidation, threats, abduction and disappearances have been used to deal with opponents, including political opponents, trade union members and others speaking out justifiably for the rights of the people.
More than 80,000 people have been displaced in fighting following an offensive launched on 16 January 2007 in the Vaharai area of Batticaloa District by the Sri Lankan government forces against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Parliamentarians say that indiscriminate aerial bombardment and shelling, including the continuous use of multi-barrel rocket launchers, by the security forces in populated areas of Vaharai as well as Paduvankarai area has resulted in the death of some 300 civilians. Over 1,000 others have sustained serious injuries. Homes, public buildings and temples have been damaged or destroyed.
The Tamil Information Centre (TIC) is extremely concerned over the plight of human rights defenders in Sri Lanka, who are facing persecution and threats to life from government authorities. In recent years, the number of reported attacks on human rights defenders has increased dramatically in the island, requiring urgent intervention by the international community.
Tamil Information Centre (TIC) strongly condemns the attack on Muddiappa Remedious, the legal officer of the Centre for Human Rights and Development (CHRD) and the legal advisor of the Jaffna Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission (SL-HRC) on Friday, 02 February 2007. Mr Remedious was threatened and assaulted by a group of SLA soldiers near Stanley Road in Jaffna town despite him presenting his credentials as the Legal Officer for the SL-HRC.
The large-scale killings that are taking place in the north-east and southern parts are of grave concern to the people of Sri Lanka. The main concern here is arbitrary execution of Tamil civilians. It also concerns the execution of individuals without a right to trial, and disappearances. The security forces, Tamil paramilitary groups aligned to the security forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) are accused of carrying out the attacks on civilians. The Sri Lankan government is using the Tamil paramilitary groups to target Tamil civilians whom the intelligence services believe are supporters of the LTTE or have links to the LTTE ((See Annex 1 for details of some the killings from 1 November to 12 December 2006).
The recent decision by the Sub-Committee on Accreditation of the International Co-ordinating Committee of National Human Rights Institutions (ICC) to downgrade the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission (SLHRC) from Status A to Status B is an unequivocal message to Sri Lanka from the international community that its human rights conduct is unacceptable and if it wishes to remain part of the civilized nations, then it must respect the universal issues of human rights and democracy.
The Tamil information Centre (TIC) is pleased that a joint Press Release issued by the Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) and the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Puligal (TMVP) on 9 July 2007 states that both parties have agreed to bring an end to their rivalry and work towards a meaningful political solution that benefits the Tamil speaking people.
The Tamil Information Centre (TIC) welcomes the appointment of Ms Selvy as the spokesperson of the LTTE on humanitarian and human rights issues and the announcement of her contact details. This paves the way for effective and productive engagement with the LTTE on human rights and humanitarian issues and concerns.
