The State of Human Rights in the North of Sri Lanka 2012
Published Date: 25/02/2013 (Monday)
A new report published with the support of the Sri Lanka Advocacy Network, Germany says that Repression and human rights violations in the North remained under-reported throughout 2012. This report does not provide a comprehensive account of all incidents and trends happened in 2012, nevertheless it attempts to highlight some key human rights violations facing the Tamils in the North. At the same time it has to be recognized that violations and repressions are faced by all communities across the country, such as in the East and in the plantation sector.
Forty five months following the end of the war (May 2009 to date), Sri Lanka is still unsafe for the minority Tamil community and dissidents of the State. With abductions arrests and intimidation still continuing, there exists a general sense of lawlessness rampant across the country. This is much worse in the North, with heavy military presence and control. To date, people are asked the question “are you Sinhala or Tamil” at military checkpoints in the North.
Despite of repeated assurances to the International Community that devolution of power envisaged by the 13th amendment to the constitution will be fully implemented and there by a long awaited political solution to the conflict will be materialized, GoSL has not shown any commitment towards this end.
The attitude of “Victor” vs. the “Vanquished” is quite evident in every sphere of live. People are not permitted to speak or assemble freely, some have no access to their homes as the military and their families are occupying their lands and they still have no security with the security forces still being able to pick people up from off the street or from their homes on the “suspicion” of being linked to a terror outfit that the President himself has claimed to have annihilated in May 2009.
Militarisation and imposition of the Sinhala Buddhist culture in the north has continued unabated. In the words of veteran Tamil politician V. Ananada Sangaree ” During the past three years, hundreds of mini .Army camps and many Major camps had been set up in the midst of Tamil people who had suffered in many ways during the past thirty years and lost several lives and valuable properties more particularly during the last lap of the war; I am convinced more than anybody else that the minorities now feel discriminated more than ever before.” (Letters to the President, 24 July & 8 Dec 2012)
Freedom of expression, Right to association and Right to peaceful assembly and protest has been violated all through out the year. On several occasions burnt oil, which h has become the symbol of state sponsored terror against dissent, was thrown at the peaceful protests in the North.
The recent spate of arrests of Jaffna University students, former LTTE combatants[1] by the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) and attacks on media workers has heightened tension in the area, and fear amongst locals in the North. Dozens of disappearances has been reported form the North and majority of them remains unresolved. Two Tamil prisoners have been killedand many others subject to brutal torture whilst in custody, earlier this year.
Ironically it was also the current President, who made the following statement at Sri Lanka’s 59th Independence Day Celebrations, on 4 February, 2007. He said “it is our duty to protect the lives and property of the Tamil and Muslim people and bring sanctity to the future world of their children.” That being said, the State has not even been able to fulfil the recommendations made by their own Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC).
The report compiled by the Brief Team concluded that the incidents and trends described in this report, is an indicator of the government‘s unwillingness to implement some of the more constructive recommendations of the LLRC. Continuing disappearances, sexual abuse, arrests under the prevention of terrorism act, restrictions, intimidations, assaults on journalists and human rights defenders, restrictions and attacks on peaceful protests, remembrance events for those killed, religious events, singing of the national anthem
in Sinhalese only, continuing occupation of land by the military and refusal to hand over occupying land or even provide alternative land and compensation, continuing military involvement in civil administration, shops, restaurants, farms, tourist resorts, teaching in schools etc. - all clearly indicate the lack of progress in implementing LLRC recommendations. On the other hand, the government has been unwilling to ensure independent investigations into allegations of violations of international law during the last phase of the war and all other past abuses.
Despite of repeated assurances to the International Community that devolution of power envisaged by the 13th amendment to the constitution will be fully implemented and there by a long awaited political solution to the conflict will be materialized, GoSL has not shown any commitment towards this end.
