In two letters sent to the Guardian today, Britain's decision to go to the Commonwealth Heads Of Government Meeting in Colombo,and the Commonwealth's decision to allow Sri Lanka to host it, came under fire yet again.
Michael Ellmanfidh, Officer for the Commonwealth, International Federation for Human Rights, wrote to the Guardian stating,
Michael Ellmanfidh, Officer for the Commonwealth, International Federation for Human Rights, wrote to the Guardian stating,
"The Commonwealth is making a major mistake in holding its heads of government meeting (CHOGM) in Sri Lanka (Report, 9 October), when that country is in serious breach of the values set out in the Commonwealth charter, and has even failed to comply with the recommendations of its own "Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission"."Margaret Owen, Director for Widows for Peace Through Democracy, also wrote saying,
"This meeting will show the world that the Commonwealth, which has hitherto had a good reputation for not tolerating human rights abuses, no longer cares about them. The secretary-general, recently empowered to speak out against human rights abuses (as he did in Kenya earlier this year) has signally failed to do so in Sri Lanka."
"Across the world women's organisations are appalled at the systematic sexual torture, rape, and trafficking for sex slavery of Tamil women and girls living in the north-east of Sri Lanka, both during the conflict, and continuing after its brutal end in 2009. And at the inability of the international community to prevent it, and bring the perpetrators to account.... we are deeply shocked that David Cameron has refused to boycott the forthcoming CHOGM when it is clear that the government of Sri Lanka is guilty of gross human rights violations."See the full letters here.
"Tamil women are victims of rape, rape in detention, and sexual as well as economic exploitation (for example, in the garment factories and army brothels) on a massive scale, but we now have evidence of forced sterilisation of Tamil women in a city in the north-east. Any measure intended to prevent births within in a particular group is defined as an act of genocide under article II of the genocide convention."