The South Asia Director of Human Rights Meenakshi Ganguly has called on the United Nations Human Rights Council to demand the release of detained human rights activists in Sri Lanka in a piece written earlier today. Extracts from her piece entitled ‘Silencing Sri Lanka’s Rights Advocates’ have been reproduced below. See the full piece here . “There’s a grim irony in the timing of the arrests that come just as a resolution on Sri Lanka’s failure to address accountability is under discussion and will be voted on soon at the ongoing United Nations Human Rights Council sessions in Geneva. In spite of council resolutions in 2012 and 2013, Sri Lanka has taken no meaningful steps towards ensuring justice for the victims of abuses during its civil war, and has instead launched an aggressive campaign against those Sri Lankans who advocate for accountability. Human rights defenders, activists, journalists, and civil society members who are critical of the government have regularly been threatened and harassed. Those who have an international profile, such as Fernando, face particular government hostility.”
In the aftermath of the Muttur massacre, French aid organisation Action Contre la Faim (Action Against Hunger) has called on the UN Human Rights Council to protect aid workers, in a new campaign launched this week. The organisation stated that, “As the United Nations Human Rights Council is gathering for the 25th session until March 28th, ACF International calls to put an end to impunity in Sri Lanka. We ask for a strong resolution allowing an international and independent inquiry into the murder of 17 aid workers in Muttur in 2006.”
19:12 GMT Unconfirmed reports suggest that two of the recently detained human rights activists, Ruki Fernando and Father Praveen, are due to be released by the Sri Lankan magistrate. The fate of Balendran Jeyakumari, who was moved to the Boosa detention centre, remains unclear. Ms. Jeyakumari's daughter, Vipoosika, is detained in a child facility according to Sri Lankan authorities.
19:24 GMT A Tamil woman who was recruited into the Sri Lankan Army has reported repeated instances of sexual assault against her and other Tamil women by army officials. According to the Uthayan , the 23 year old victim said she was forced to have sexual intercourse with over 10 high ranking officials in the army, as well as other soldiers in lower ranks. Outlining her ordeal she said that she, along side a number of other Tamil women, were forced to fulfill the sexual demands of higher ranking officials at night. Women who fell pregnant were taken to hospital for an abortion. Women who refused were attacked said the young woman, adding that one Tamil woman who tried to escape was later caught and tortured, before she was disappeared. These allegations are the latest in a string of reports of sexual assault against Tamil women recruited into the army.
The British Foreign Secretary, William Hague, writing in the Hindu this week, urged the international community to support a resolution on Sri Lanka at the United Nations Human Rights Council that looks to establish an international mechanism to address violations of international law and establish true reconciliation in Sri Lanka. Opinion reproduced below.
Photos courtesy: Tamil Mirror ‘An International Women’s Day (IWD) Celebration & Conference’ was held in Toronto earlier this month, highlighting the various achievements of women globally and examining the social and economic issues faced by Tamil women in the North-East and the diaspora.
The third week of the UN Human Rights Council's 25th session begins today with palpable sense of renewed impetus towards the need for concrete action. The second draft of the resolution calling for accountability in Sri Lanka has evidently been strengthened. The High Commissioner's office is called upon to establish a stand alone investigative mechanism. The strengthening of the text is without doubt welcome however ambiguity remains around the core issue of an international investigation into mass wartime atrocities. As the continued calls from international and Tamil voices for a Commission of Inquiry highlight, questions remain over the nature and scope of the investigation envisaged in this latest text - will it have the necessary mandate, sufficient resources and right direction to go beyond mere fact-finding but gather evidence towards a judicial process and prosecutions.
A new interactive map reveals the extent of militarisation and Sinhalisation across the North-East, providing details of military installations, Sinhala colonisation and Buddhist Viharas. See here . Launched by the US based Tamil rights group, USTPAC, the map remained yet to reach full completion due to the on-going campaign of intimidation and terror by military, map developers told Tamil Guardian.
Two activists, Father Praveen the Director of the Centre for Peace and Reconciliation, and the Sri Lankan human rights campaigner, Ruki Fernando, detained yesterday in Kilinochchi were detained by officials from the Terrorism Investigation Department (TID), Human Rights Lawyer S. Ratnavale told BBC Tamil. Mr. Ratnavale said, "According to reports that we have received they were reportedly not arrested for their work, however, they are being interrogated. This is likely to be connected to the incident that happened yesterday [Thursday] - the arrest of a mother and daughter [Balendran Jeyakumari and Vipoosika]."
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Jaffna has called for the early release of Rev. Fr. Praveen Mahesan and the Sri Lankan human rights activist Ruki Fernando, who were detained by TID officers on Sunday evening in Kilinochchi. In a statement released Monday, the Jaffna Diocesan Laity Council said, "We understand that this priest and Ruki were involved in mercifully investigating into the circumstances surrounding the plight of that defenceless mother and child. As a further threat to such HR Defenders these two too have now been arrested and detained.