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PSG CALLS FOR STRENGTHENING OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND
RESPECT FOR HUMANITARIAN STANDARDS
The Peace Support Group is deeply concerned by the continuing cycle
of killings, violence and counter-violence that is fast taking our
country backwards into an era of lawlessness and widespread human
rights abuses.
Over 40 people in the North and East have been assassinated in the
four months from April to July 2004 as a consequence of their political
affiliation. There may be many more whose names and deaths have gone
unrecorded. In addition, this number does not reflect those from the
two contending factions of the LTTE who were killed in battle during
the fierce fighting in Vakarai in early May and in and around Thoppigala
jungles in mid-June.
Among the names available to us are members of the LTTE, members of
the LTTE breakaway group led by 'Karuna', members of the EPDP, and
members of the intelligence units of the security forces. Tragically,
those killed also include elected officials such as the Chairperson
of the Alayadivembu Pradesheeya Sabha, V. Ravindran, public officials
such as K. Sivarasa, Grama Sevaka of Karadiyanaru, academics such
as Prof. K. Thambiah, Head of the Economics Department of the Eastern
University and media persons such as G. Nadesan, journalist and broadcaster.
In July, the tensions also manifested in the south, with the attempted
assassination of Minister and EPDP leader Douglas Devananda on July
7 that saw four Police officers and the suicide bomber herself killed
while over twenty others in the Kollupitiya (Colombo 3) Police Station
at the time of the explosion were injured. On July 24, 8 youths alleged
to be Karuna supporters were murdered as they slept in Kottawa and
on July 31, former PLOTE member Kandiah Yogarasa (Mohan) was assassinated
on the streets of a very residential part of Colombo in broad daylight.
We strongly feel that these killings constitute a gross violation
of the right of all Sri Lankans to hold and express a political opinion,
and to live free of violence and intimidation.
We are very clear in our understanding that these assassinations reflect
the growing deterioration of respect for human rights and democratic
processes in Sri Lanka. They have a grave impact on the peace process
and on the continuation of the Ceasefire Agreement, and in fact constitute
a violation of the terms of the CFA. Both the Sri Lankan Monitoring
Mission that oversees the implementation of the Ceasefire as well
as the Deputy Foreign Minister of Norway during his recent visit to
the island have expressed concern regarding the situation in terms
of its negative consequences for the peace process. Amnesty International
and Human Rights Watch issued a joint Statement on July 27 expressing
their grave concern regarding the deterioration of the situation in
the East.
In this context, we note with concern a reluctance on the part of
all concerned within the country, the government of Sri Lanka and
the LTTE, as well as the international community as a whole, to address
these incidents as human rights abuses.
In addition, we note with concern that allegations of military involvement
in certain incidents have not been dealt with any degree of transparency
and accountability by the authorities. While security considerations
and the need to maintain some degree of secrecy over the present peace
process can be taken into account in some instances, the government
must see that the perception of collaboration between the army and
armed groups that violate the Ceasefire Agreement pose a threat to
the peace process.
The fact that all the killings take place in public spaces such as
the road, bus stands, and markets, in prison where inmates are under
the custodial protection of the state, even at religious festivals
has meant that they instill a high sense of fear among ordinary civilians
as they go about their day to day life. In addition, the slowness
to acknowledge that there is a real crisis in the law and order situation
in the east creates an environment of impunity with which we are grimly
familiar.
There is almost no public condemnation of these killings coming from
civil society whether in the south or in the north and east. This
in turn sends a clear message to all those responsible for this spate
of killings that they may strike again and again with no fear of punishment
within the law. The killings, we are told, have been carried out by
'unidentified' gunmen. In most of the cases, Police have not made
any arrests. Nor are they conducting investigations in a manner that
could satisfy the public that the law and order situation is under
control, and that the police are carrying out their task of law enforcement
without prejudice.
This situation could lead to a very grave breakdown of law and order
as well as a serious erosion of people's confidence in the ability
of the law enforcement mechanisms to protect ordinary citizens of
this country. In addition, it leads to a lack of confidence in the
political leadership of Sri Lanka to be able to resolve crises within
a democratic framework and through the processes of consensus building
and negotiation that we have valued so highly as we endeavour to emerge
from the ethnic conflict.
In these circumstances:
1. We appeal to the government and the LTTE, as signatories to the
CFA, to take immediate steps to initiate discussions among the law
enforcement agencies operating in their areas regarding the obstacles
to pursuing investigations into these killings which have taken place
in both LTTE controlled areas as well as in government controlled
areas.
2. We ask for a public affirmation of the commitment by the two parties
to the CFA that they will respect minimum humanitarian standards,
as contained in Article 3 common to the four Geneva Conventions of
1949, that prohibit violence to life and person, the taking of hostages
and summary executions of those not actively engaged in the conflict.
3. We call on the international community to support an initiative
to send out a high level fact finding team consisting of representatives
of the four Co-Chairs of the Tokyo Conference and with the participation
of Ian Martin, the Human Rights Advisor to the peace process, to work
in close collaboration with the Peace Secretariat in Colombo and with
the newly created NorthEast Secretariat on Human Rights in Kilinochchi.
This becomes necessary because the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, in
its recent statements, has indicated its inability to pursue investigations
regarding these killings.
4. We also call on the international and national agencies working
in the North and East to explore possibilities of establishing human
rights monitoring mechanisms at the local and community level with
the participation of international and local monitors using personnel
and structures that could be agreed upon with the Peace Secretariats
in Colombo and in Kilinochchi.
Signatories:
Sunila Abeysekera (sgn)
Sunanda Deshapriya (sgn)
Rohan Edrisinha (sgn)
Kethesh Loganathan (sgn)
Jehan Perera (sgn)
Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu (sgn)
Jeevan Thiagarajah (sgn)
Joe William (sgn)
Javid Yusuf (sgn)
10th August 2004
All Peace Support Group (PSG) statements could be accessed at: www.cpalanka.org/psg/psg.html
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