HUMAN RIGHTS IN SRI LANKA
Major human rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch,as well as the United States Department of Stateand the European Union,have expressed concern about the state of human rights in Sri Lanka. Both the government of Sri Lanka and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) are accused of violating human rights. Amnesty International stated in 2003 that there was a considerable improvement in the human rights situation attributed to the peaceful context of a ceasefire and peace talks between the government and the LTTE. However LTTE continued with its terrorist activities by continuing in killing it's opponents, innocent civilians, as well as unarmed members of government forces. A rebel leader named Karuna left LTTE as he opposed to this violation of ceasefire agreement and other terrorist activities.In its 2006 report, however, they stated that "escalating political killings, child recruitment, abductions and armed clashes created a climate of fear in the east, spreading to the north by the end of the year", whilst also outlining concerns with violence against women, the death penalty and "numerous reports of torture in police custody". Although Sri Lanka has not officially practiced the death penalty since 1976 well-documented cases of state-sponsored 'disappearances' and murders by non-partisan humanitarian organizations, notably Human Rights Watch, contradict official statements.
Background
Sri Lanka has been embroiled in a civil war for more than two decades. More than 64,000 people have been killed and more than one million have been displaced since 1983. In July 1983, the most savage anti-minority pogrom in Sri Lanka's history, known as the Black July riots, erupted. Government appointed commission's estimates put the death toll at nearly 1,000 whereas other groups have put the death toll at 2,000 - 3,000, mostly minority Sri Lankan Tamils. At least 150,000 Tamils fled the island. Another major event was the repression of Marxist revolutionaries known as the JVP in Southern Sri Lanka by government security forces. 10,000 - 60,000 Sinhalese, including many students,died or 'disappeared' over the course of the three-year government crackdown.
Abuses by the government
There have been numerous massacres of civilians and political prisoners since 1983.
1990
The Eastern province of Sri Lanka was taken over by Sri Lankan Forces after heavy fighting in 1990. Even after government forces moved in early 1990 large number of disappearance and extrajudicial execution were continued. By October 1990, 3,000 people were estimated to have been killed or to have disappeared in Amparai district. Further Many of the disappeared people were believed to have been killed as a result of extrajudicial execution. Likewise in Batticaloa another 1,500 people were reported to have disappeared. The LTTE terrorists continued to kill innocent people in the Eastern Province. They killed Muslims gathered in two mosques, for Friday prayers. Also more than 700 unarmed policemen were murdered, cold blood. A bus full of Buddhist monks were killed at Aranthalawa. How ever the true perpetrators of the dispearances are yet to be determined with the Sri Lankan government and the rebels both accusing each other.
2000
Sri Lanka has the second highest number of disappearances in the world, ranking only behind Iraq, according to the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances in 1999. The report states that across the country since 1980, 12,000 people have gone missing after being detained by Sri Lankan security forces, only Iraq having more, with 16,384 missing people. The United States government has also raised concerns over the level of disappeared people in Sri Lanka with concerns over an increase due to an escalation in fighting.This is in addition to the US State Department's publication in 2001 on human rights practices, wherein disappearances are outlined as a problem.
In the January 2002 Amnesty International Report stated, "frequently reported torture in police custody. Lack of accountability for the perpetrators of human rights violations, including “disappearances” and torture" were cited as "serious human rights concerns".
Torture, including rape, in police custody continued to be reported frequently. Among the victims were women and children. In late October, the UN Committee against Torture submitted the findings of its visit to Sri Lanka in 2000 to the UN General Assembly. The Committee reported that it found a “disturbing number of cases of torture and ill-treatment”, the two cases presented to the U.N were that of Nandini Herat, a young woman, who was sexually assaulted by police at Wariyapola police station, Kurunegala district, in March and ten-year-old T.K. Hiran Rasika and 12-year-old E.A. who was tortured at Hiniduma police station in July while being questioned about a theft. Both required hospital treatment as a result.
The European Union also condemned Sri Lankan security forces in the year 2000 concerning human rights, after fighting displaced 12,000 civilians.
The US State Department has stated that "The civilian authorities generally maintained effective control of the security forces, although some members of the security forces committed serious human right abuses".
Human Rights Watch has accused the Sri Lankan government of being "responsible for unlawful killings, enforced disappearances and other serious human rights violations since the resumption of major hostilities with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam", in a report released on August the 6th 2007 entitled "Killings, Abductions and Displacement Soar as Impunity Reigns".Brad Adams, Asia Director, Human Rights Watch later added, "The Sri Lankan government has apparently given its security forces a green light to use ‘dirty war’ tactics".
Human Rights Watch also released the 129 page dossier "Human Rights under Siege" in which it outlines through the "use (of) accounts by victims and eyewitnesses to document the shocking increase in violations by government forces." The report states "Ethnic Tamils have borne the brunt of these violations" but also mentions that "members of the Muslim and majority Sinhalese population are not immune to government abuse".
Abuses by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam have repeatedly been accused of attacks on civilians during their separatist guerrilla campaign. The US State Department reported several human rights abuses in 2005, but it specifically states that there were no confirmed reports of politically motivated killings by the government. The report states that, "they [LTTE] continued to control large sections of the north and east and engaged in politically motivated killings, disappearances, torture, arbitrary arrest and detention, denial of fair public trial, arbitrary interference with privacy, denial of freedom of speech, press, of assembly and association, and the recruitment of child soldiers". The report further accused the LTTE of extra-judicial killings in the North and East.Several members of the Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) and the Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) were illegally detained by the LTTE.
The LTTE committed massacres in the Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka. The number of civilians massacred were as high as 144 (Anuradhapura massacre). Some of the major attacks resulting in civilian deaths include the Kebithigollewa massacre, the Gonagala massacre (54 dead), the Dehiwala train bombing (56 dead), the Palliyagodella massacre (109 dead) and the bombing of Sri Lanka's Central Bank (102 dead). Further a claymore antipersonnel mine attack by the LTTE on June 15, 2006 on a bus carrying 140 civilians killed 68 people including 15 children, and injured 60 others.
- OUTLINE
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)
Country Location: An island in the Indian Ocean off the southeast tip of India, Sri Lanka is about half the size of Alabama.
Country population: Over 21 million people
1. Brief History. What cause the civil war? Why the upsurge in violence?
Sri Lanka won it’s independence from Britain in 1983. Tamil minority's mounting resentment toward the Sinhalese majority's monopoly on political and economic power due to cultural and religious differences erupted in bloody violence within same year. And The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam emerged who began a civil war to fight for a separate nation.
The brief cease-fire agreement in 2001 was not sustainable due to intense political rivalries in parliament which made negotiations with rebels difficult and continuation of the 25 year war until now.
Both the Sri Lanka military and the separatist Tamil Tigers accused each other of continuingly killing innocent civilians which resulted in increase of violence from both sides.
2. Casualties. How serious is the violence?
The Red Cross said that at least 4,500 civilians have been reported killed since mid-January. Rebels accused the military of killing 1,000 people and injuring twice the number but the Sri Lankan military suggested that rebel fighters had shot and killed civilians trying to flee.
Leader of the Tamil Tigers Vellupilai Prabhakaran formed a special force known as ‘Black Tigers’ consisted mostly of women being forcefully recruited to carry out mass terrorist killings such as suicide bombing and target assassinations. This is similar to the feminist critique of human rights where there is an ongoing oppression from men to have full control in society without giving women any.
3. What kinds of International responses have taken place?
The International Committee of the Red Cross said it managed to evacuate about 10,000 people on boatlifts from the no-fire zone in recent months.
United Nation Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and other leaders called for the 48 hour cease-fire initiated by the Sri Lanka government to continue. Although the Sri Lanka government have rejected to make another pause in fighting claiming that Tigers will use the duration to regain its military power.
Furthermore the cease-fire is to allow time for civilians to leave the war zone safely. The UN has tried sending a humanitarian team to northern Sri Lanka where 50,000 people are trapped fighting but the call to allow more aid agencies into Sri Lanka have been rejected. Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, quote “ It’s not a sensible thing at the moment”.
4. Breach of humanitarian law.
In the January 2002 Amnesty International Report stated, " frequently reported torture in police custody. Lack of accountability for the perpetrators of human rights violations, including “disappearances” and torture" were cited as "serious human rights concerns".
The LTTE has been responsible for deploying their forces within densely populated areas and deliberately firing on civilians to prevent them from escaping. There is also evidence that the LTTE has used civilians as "human shields " which is a violation to the laws of war. Furthermore LTTE continued to control large areas of the north and east and engaging in politically motivated killings, disappearances, torture, arbitrary arrest and detention, denial of fair public trial, arbitrary interference with privacy, denial of freedom of speech, press of assembly and association, and the recruitment of child soldiers with no classical political rights whatsoever.
Sri Lanka has one of world’s most unstable government and under its Directorate of Human Rights and Humanitarian law it has not fully fulfilled its obligations to aid the needs of the war-affected population.
