Extra judiciary killings, Abductions of People...!!! As a result Sri Lanka’s Image has been Damaged in the International Arena.!!!

It's time all suppressive laws are abolished and democracy established – Intellectuals for Human Rights (IHR)

Saturday, 12 December 2009 11:53

All suppressive laws such asemergency regulations and Suppression of Terrorism Act should be abolished forthwith to re-establish democracy and human rights in the country states Intellectuals for Human Rights (IHR).

Addressing the 61st International HumanRights Day Celebration held in Colombo on the 10th of this month the Secretary of Civil and Political Rightsof the IHR Dr. Anura Karunatilake said the war had restricted all forms of freedomof the people but with the end of the war thesituation has to be changed by restoring alldemocratic rights of the people.

Dr. Karunatileke in his speech on ‘Human rights in postconflict situation in Sri Lanka’ said even after the war the HR situation in the country has beendeteriorating. Media freedom is under serious threat. Sri Lanka has become one of thedangerous places for journalists. Journalists have been killed, abducted and some havefled the country. Media institutions have been destroyed. The Police and the securityforces and all sectors of the society are working under the same mentality prevailedduring the war. Extra judiciary killings abductions of the people have been taking place.As a result Sri Lanka’s image has been damaged in the international arena,

He said, “With the end of the internal civil conflict, after nearly 30 years, a new era has begun. Torebuild Sri Lankan nation with unity among ethnicities the country should restoredemocracy and human rights which have been suppressed in all forms during this longperiod of time.

The society has used to define everything relative to the war. We have used to analyzeeverything in the environment created by the war. The society had been broadly dividedinto two; those who support the war or against the war or so-called patriotic or nonpatriotic. All parameters that we measured social values; from art review to politics, hadbeen changed accordingly. So the subject Human Rights too had been dividedHuman Rights in Post Conflict SL, Lectureby the Secretary of Civil & Political Rightsaccordingly and some local and international HR organizations that worked extremelywere labeled a s pro LTTE.

From the inception IHR analyzed the HR situation in the country under the politicalsituation prevailed in the ground. Accepting reasonable grievances of the minority ethnicgroups, IHR opposed LTTE terrorism and considered it as one of the main suppressors ofhuman rights in the country and believed that the LTTE should be defeated militarily. Asthe terrorist outfit was violating the right to life of the people in mass scale we stressedthat the ensuring the security of the people is a responsibility of the government. We alsostressed that such a war against terrorism should be done according to internationalhumanitarian law and all other accepted principles and norms and we raised our voiceagainst any of such violation.
After the conclusion of the war with total defeat of the LTTE, today the situation hasproved that our stance is correct. For instance in our annual reports in the past few yearsthe most serious HR violation took place in the country was discussed under the chapter“Deliberate attacks on civilians”. There were large number of incidentsX that killedthousands of civilians by deliberate attacks on civilians by the LTTE and in our 2008 report it was the longest chapter. However, in 2009 after May there were no suchincidents reported and even in the early part of the year where the LTTE was suppressedsubstantially, the number of incidents reported was limited.

However, new human rights challenges have emerged and the future of the country willbe largely dependent on the way the society address these issues. Hundreds of thousandInternally Displaced People (IDPs) and refugees created by the war, humanitarian issuesfaced by them, resettlement of them in their original places are the most serious issuestoday. On the other hand the fate of the LTTE suspects, rehabilitation of them is also aserious concern. The way the government handles the issue, discriminating the persons,cannot be acceptable. Government provide all perks to the LTTE leaders who arepolitically allied with them while punishing the LTTE carders who did hard labour, childsoldiers or others obeyed the orders of the LTTE. This discrimination should be stoppedforth with and arrest, detention and rehabilitation of the LTTE suspects should be doneaccording to the law of the country and in a transparent manner.”

Dr. Karunatilake further said that even after the war the HR situation in the country has beendeteriorating. Media freedom is under serious threat. Sri Lanka has become one of thedangerous places for journalists. Journalists have been killed, abducted and some havefled the country. Media institutions have been destroyed. The Police and the securityforces and all sectors of the society are working under the same mentality prevailed during the war. Extra judiciary killings abductions of the people have been taking place.As a result Sri Lanka’s image has been damaged in the international arena.

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