This urgent briefing aims to address the British Members of Parliament and Peers on the impact of proscribing the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) under the Terrorism Act 2000. The contents should be viewed in conjunction with current developments to achieve peace and find a permanent solution to the conflict in Sri Lanka.
The ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka is essentially a post-colonial phenomenon. The inability – or unwillingness- of the Sinhalese ruling class to come to terms with the multi-ethnic, multi lingual, multi religious character of the island’s society has been at the root of the growing ethnic and social divide on the country. While Ceylon (later Sri Lanka) has been limping from crisis to crisis, with worsening relations between communities, it was the July 1983 pogrom against the Tamils that became the defining factor in shaping the subsequent history of the Island.
Tamils in Colombo and other southern areas are living in fear as a result of government restrictions, search operations and arrests by security forces. The fear among the Tamil community has heightened since the introduction of new Emergency regulations on 3 May 2000, widening the powers of the President, state officers and the security forces. Substantial numbers of Tamils have fled the country as refugees and the number continues to rise. More than 208,800 Sri Lankans, made applications for asylum worldwide between 1989 and 1998, most of whom are Tamils, and 56,400 (27%) were granted UN Convention refugee status and 18,000 (8.8%) were allowed to remain on humanitarian grounds
The Tamil Information Centre condemns the killing of Journalist Mylvaganam Nirmalarajan at his Jaffna home on 19 October and calls for swift action by the government to investigate the killing, publicize its findings, bring to justice those responsible for the killing, curb the powers of armed groups and refrain from interference with the media’s right to inform the public. The horrific killing of Nirmalarajan indicate the dangerous conditions under which journalists and human rights activists continue to operate in Sri Lanka.
As the war in Sri Lanka shows no sign of abating, the fighting in Jaffna has resulted in more suffering for the civilians of the north who have endured years of displacement and threatens to bring about a humanitarian crisis. Communications and transport to the Jaffna peninsula are totally disrupted and supplies of food and other essentials have been cut off. More than 50,000 people are displaced in Maruthankerni, Thenmaratchy and Palai areas and 20,000 are said to be accommodated in refugee camps established by the Government Agent and provided dry rations. These camps are in Point Pedro in northeastern Vadamaratchy and Chankanai, Kokkuvil, Manipay and Thirunelveli in western Valikamam.
The tragic death of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress leader M H M Ashraff on 16 September has deeply distressed the Tamil speaking people of Sri Lanka. His sudden demise is a tremendous and irreparable loss to the entire community. Mr Ashraff was a charismatic leader in the Sri Lankan political scene. He associated himself in the 1970s with the Federal Party and later the Tamil United Liberation Front and clearly and fully understood the political complexities involved in the promotion of the aspirations of the Tamil speaking people. He realized that the Muslims, despite holding important positions in political parties, needed an organization to emphasize the history and the distinct identity of the Muslim people and to promote their aspirations.
The Tamil Information Centre (TIC) expresses deep concern over the rapidly deteriorating human rights situation in Sri Lanka. Insecurity and violence are spreading fast. The Killing of Kumar Ponnambalam, president of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress and a leading human rights lawyer on 5 January 2000 has shocked the Tamil community. The brutal and callus murders of Kumar Ponnambalam and chief editor of Tamil weekly, Thinamurasu and Tamil Member of Parliament Ramesh Nadarajah on 2 November l999 have posed further threats to the freedoms of expression, assembly and association.
The capture of the strategic military complex Iyakachchi and Elephant Pass bases – in Jaffna by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on 22 April has generated widespread debate within and outside Sri Lanka on the current peace initiatives and the future of the island. The Sri Lankan government, led by President Chandrika Kumaratunge has failed to win the confidence of the people to achieve peace. Its cavalier attitude towards Tamil rights and peace negotiations in 1995 and the importance given to military aspects, led to the collapse of the peace talks, resulting in a drawn out war, causing heavy destruction of life and waste of human and economic resources.
The international human rights community is shocked and distressed over the massacre of 31 young Tamils in the Bindunuwewa Rehabilitation Centre situated three miles north-east of Bandarawela in Sri Lanka on 25 October. The gruesome massacre has shattered the feeling of security of the Tamil people in Sri Lanka. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and Amnesty International have called on the Sri Lankan authorities to conduct an impartial inquiry to bring those responsible to justice. In a statement issued through his spokesman Manoel De Almediae Silva, says he is “profoundly distressed†over the massacre and has appealed to everyone in Sri Lanka to refrain from any escalation of violence.
Refusing Sanctuary-Ethical Ambiguities in Refugee Determination and Repatriation of Tamil Refugees
Uploaded Date: 21/04/2013
This report attempts to redress the imbalances and respond to the justification of Western governments for repatriation of Tamil asylum seekers based on the claim that the government of Sri Lanka has taken serious steps to address abuse of human rights by the security forces, hat there are adequate “improvements†in the human rights situation and that the Sri Lankan government has taken measures to protect the human rights of all its citizens.
