2012 Human Rights Watch Report on Sri Lanka

HRW Sri Lanka – World Report 2012

The aftermath of Sri Lanka’s quarter century-long civil war, which ended in May 2009 with the defeat of the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), continued to dominate events in 2011. In April United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon released a report by a panel of experts that concluded that both government forces and the LTTE conducted military operations “with flagrant disregard for the protection, rights, welfare and lives of civilians and failed to respect the norms of international law.” The panel recommended the establishment of an international investigative mechanism. Sri Lankan officials responded by vilifying the report and the panel members.

The government has failed to conduct credible investigations into alleged war crimes by security forces, dismissing the overwhelming body of evidence as LTTE propaganda. The government’s Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), characterized as a national accountability mechanism, is deeply flawed, does not meet international standards for such commissions, and has failed to systematically inquire into alleged abuses.

In August the government allowed emergency regulations in place for nearly three decades to lapse, but overbroad detention powers remained in place under other laws and new regulations. Several thousand detainees continue to be held without trial, in violation of international law.

Human Rights Groups say SL current Govt will not uphold rule of law

The Nation – War crimes whitewashed: Why human rights groups reject Sri Lanka’s reconciliation commission

By Louise Arbour, Kenneth Roth, Salil Shetty

While we would welcome the opportunity to appear before a genuine, credible effort to pursue accountability and reconciliation in Sri Lanka, the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) falls far short of such an effort. It not only fails to meet basic international standards for independent and impartial inquiries, but it is proceeding against a backdrop of government failure to address impunity and continuing human rights abuses. Our three organisations believe that the persistence of these and other destructive trends indicates that currently Sri Lanka’s government and justice system cannot or will not uphold the rule of law and respect basic rights.

Louise Arbour is president and CEO of International Crisis Group; Kenneth Roth is executive director of Human Rights Watch; Salil Shetty is secretary general of Amnesty International.

HRW responds to Aus govt's asylum seeker policy

HRW – Letter to Australian Minister of Immigration Chris Evans on Processing New Asylum Claims from Sri Lanka and Afghanistan

Dear Mr. Evans,

We write to you to express our deep concerns that changes to Australia’s asylum processing system announced on April 8, 2010 violate Australia’s obligations under the 1951 Refugee Convention and the 1967 Protocol not to discriminate in the treatment of refugees. As Article 3 of the Refugee Convention states: “The Contracting Parties shall apply the provisions of this Convention to refugees without discrimination as to race, religion or country of origin.” More

Latest report from HRW

Human Rights Watch –Sri Lanka: End Indefinite Detention of Tamil Tiger Suspects

The Sri Lankan government should end its indefinite arbitrary detention of more than 11,000 people held in so-called rehabilitation centers and release those not being prosecuted, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.

The 30-page report, “Legal Limbo: The Uncertain Fate of Detained LTTE Suspects in Sri Lanka,” is based on interviews with the detainees’ relatives, humanitarian workers, and human rights advocates, among others. The Sri Lankan government has routinely violated the fundamental rights of the detainees, Human Rights Watch found. The government contends that the 11,000 detainees are former fighters or supporters of the defeated Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). More

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Click here to read ‘LegalLimbo-The Uncertain Fate of Detained LTTE Suspects in Sri Lanka’

News 24 – S Lanka violating human rights

Sri Lanka’s government is violating the rights of some of the 11 000 Tamil Tiger suspects currently in its custody, a leading rights group said on Tuesday.

Post-Election crackdown on journos

Human Rights Watch (29/01) – Sri Lanka: End Harassment, Attacks on Journalists

The Sri Lankan government should immediately end its post-election harassment of media outlets and ensure protection of journalists from attack, Human Rights Watch said today.

SMH – Sri Lanka ‘expels Swiss reporter’

Swiss Info – Swiss journalist told to leave Sri Lank

The Straits Times – Sri Lanka expels Swiss reporter

SRI Lankan authorities have withdrawn the visa granted to a Swiss reporter covering the island’s fiercely fought presidential vote and asked her to leave the country within 48 hours.

Sify – Anti-government newspaper shuttered in Sri Lanka

Times of India – Police seal office of ‘Lanka‘ newspaper

In other news

The Guardian – ‘Cruel, illegal, immoral’: Human Rights Watch condemns UK’s role in torture

The attorney general was under intense pressure tonight to order a wider series of police investigations into British complicity in torture after one of the world’s leading human rights organisations said there was clear evidence of the UK government’s involvement in the torture of its own citizens.

After an investigation spanning more than a year, Human Rights Watch (HRW) today condemned Britain’s role in the torture of terror suspects detained in Pakistan as cruel, counter-productive and in clear breach of international law.

Critically, a report published today by HRW – entitled Cruel Britannia: British Complicity in the Torture and Ill-treatment of Terror Suspects – draws upon corroborative evidence received from the Pakistani torturers themselves. More

Al Jazeera – US-India commit to nuclear deal

The US president and Indian prime minister have pledged to fully implement a nuclear accord after talks in Washington, in addition to reaching agreements on issues as diverse as international security, job creation and climate change.

In a White House news conference on Tuesday, Barack Obama said that he and Manmohan Singh had reaffirmed both their administrations’ desire to push ahead with the civilian nuclear deal.

The deal allows Washington to authorise selling advanced nuclear related technology to India, reversing more than 30 years of US policy banning the export of nuclear material.

“My administration is committed to fully implementing the US-India civil nuclear agreement which increases American exports and creates jobs in both countries,” Obama said.

Singh said he was also confident Obama would “operationalise the nuclear deal as early as possible”.

“There are a few ‘i’s and ‘t’s that have to be crossed, but I am confident and I have the assurance that that process can  be completed without much further loss of time.” More

World leaders should pressure SL

Human Rights Watch : Sri Lanka: World Leaders Should Demand End to Detention Camps

Internally displaced people (IDPs) stand near temporary structures in the Arunachalam camp at Manik Farm in northern Sri Lanka on August 19, 2009. © 2009 Reuters

 World leaders in New York for the United Nations General Assembly and the G-20 economic summit in Pittsburgh should call on the Sri Lankan government to immediately release more than 260,000 displaced persons illegally confined in detention camps, Human Rights Watch said today.
Read full report here.

AFP : Rights groups urge Sri Lanka over war refugees