As part of a campaign calling on Commonwealth members not to allow Sri Lanka to become chair of the organisation, Amnesty International New Zealand produced the video below.
They also had written this letter for delegates attending next week's CHOGM summit.
"Dear Commonwealth delegates,
Welcome to Sri Lanka, the Pearl of the Indian Ocean.
Sri Lanka is a country famous for tea, gemstones and spices, a land where journalists can be disappeared for speaking out against the Government and where human rights abuses are commonplace.
Visit some of the most beautiful beaches in the world or take a drive to the sites of some of the worst atrocities committed during the 26 year civil war.
See some of the island’s amazing wildlife or visit the hospital where Sri Lankan women gave birth as bombs fell around them.
Take a trip to the area east of the Nanthi Lagoon where thousands of innocent civilians were killed believing they were safe in Government declared No Fire Zones.
Pay a visit to the mother-in-law of refugee Vanni Magal who waits by the gate every day for her husband who went missing on a business trip to Colombo in 1992 to return.
We hope you enjoy your visit, and to make your trip a little more comfortable we’ve provided you with a Sri Lanka travel pack to help keep you safe. In your kit you will find:
⦁ An eye mask – perfect to help you sleep off your jet-lag and shut out the gross human rights violations taking place around you.
⦁ Earplugs – again to help you sleep – but also useful to block out the screams of those who speak out against the Sri Lankan Government as they are arrested and tortured.
⦁ Tourist Map complete with plenty of local information – find out where to see wildlife like tigers or elephants or or where the best surf beaches are, also visit the sites of some of the worst scenes of the civil war, such as the safe zones where at least 40,000 innocent civilians were killed during the final months of the civil war, and Trincomalee where five students were allegedly beaten and executed by military forces.
⦁ Some crucial holiday reading – as you relax on your sun lounger cast your eye over some must-read press releases from Amnesty International.
REMEMBER if you approve of Sri Lanka as Chair of the Commonwealth you are approving its crimes."
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