Call to confront Sri Lanka's 'authoritarian turn'

23 Feb 2013, 5:09 pm   -   Source: Ron Sutton, SBS
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This aerial photo shows part of the former conflict zone on the north east coast on the Jaffna peninsula of Sri Lanka in 2009. (AAP)

This aerial photo shows part of the former conflict zone on the north east coast on the Jaffna peninsula of Sri Lanka in 2009. (AAP)

A 2012 United Nations review concluded as many as 40,000 civilians were killed in the final months of Sri Lanka's civil war in 2009, Ron Sutton reports.

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(Transcript from World News Australia Radio)

A 2012 United Nations review concluded as many as 40,000 civilians were killed in the final months of Sri Lanka's civil war in 2009.

The UN review found credible allegations of war crimes by both government forces and the rebel Tamil Tigers.

Now, the International Crisis Group has issued a new report calling on the world to act to force an investigation into those matters and the restoration of the rule of law in the country.

The International Crisis Group has called for strong international action against Sri Lanka's government and is urging Australia and others to reject certain Sri Lankan diplomats.

Sri Lanka's High Commissioner to Australia, Thisara Samarasinghe, would fit into the group of diplomats the independent, non-governmental organisation wants barred.

The report comes almost four years after the end of the civil war in Sri Lanka spanning three decades and comes ahead of a meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council.

The report, entitled 'Sri Lanka's Authoritarian Turn: The Need for International Action', says Sri Lanka has made no meaningful progress on reconciliation or accountability.

"The government has conducted no credible investigations into allegations of war crimes, disappearances or other serious human-rights violations. Rather than establish independent institutions for oversight and investigation, the government has, in effect, removed the last remnants of judicial independence through the impeachment of the chief justice."

The report calls on Australia and a range of other countries to look further into the war against the separatist Tamil Tigers, or LTTE, to:

"Investigate, gather and share evidence regarding alleged war crimes and human-rights abuses by government forces and the LTTE where possible."

And to:

"Refrain from accepting the diplomatic credentials of Sri Lankan military officers against whom there are credible allegations of serious crimes."

The High Commissioner to Australia, Thisara Samarasinghe, was cited in a 2011 submission by the International Commission of Jurists' Australian section.

It recommended the retired admiral be investigated for war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed by the navy under his command in 2009.

Mr Samarasinghe has dismissed the International Crisis Group report, calling it one more report timed to come out before the Human Rights Council meeting each year.

"This is the action of people with a vested interest trying to give oxygen to defeated terrorists who are crying for a separate state from outside Sri Lanka."

The report says the Sri Lankan government is becoming increasingly authoritarian.

The International Crisis Group says the recent impeachment of the country's chief justice completes what it calls a constitutional coup.

The group says that began with an amendment in 2010 that revoked presidential term limits and the independence of government oversight bodies.

The Crisis Group says what it calls the government's attacks on the judiciary and political dissent threaten Sri Lanka's long-term stability and peace.

Thisara Samarasinghe says the claim is baseless and argues Sri Lanka has created stability in three-plus years as other troubled countries around the world have failed.

"Long-term stability and peace is very much established in Sri Lanka. After the trauma of conflict, death and destruction by terrorists -- a brutal terrorist organisation, which international leading countries termed invincible or most ruthless -- evidence and runs on the board,** Sri Lanka has put. Three years after defeating the terrorists, there has been no death or destruction from terrorist activities. You just have to compare this to the rest of the world."

Among other charges, the International Crisis Group says the Sri Lankan government has conducted no credible investigations into war-crimes and human-rights violations.

It says there has been no progress toward a lasting and fair constitutional settlement of the concerns of the country's ethnic Tamil minority through devolution of power.

The report claims the military still controls virtually all aspects of life in the Tamil-dominated north and has intimidated and sidelined the civilian administration.

The Crisis Group says more than 90-thousand people remain displaced in the north and east of the island, amid continued land seizures by the military with no effective right of appeal.

Australian Tamil Congress spokesman Bala Vigneswaran says that figure itself belies any idea the country is stable.

"We had nearly 360,000 people in camps immediately after the war. It shouldn't take more than three-and-a-half years for one-fourth of them still finding themselves in the wrong place. The Sri Lankan government has built a fence around the so-called high-security zone in the north particularly and the south as well. People are not allowed to leave, they're not allowed to go back to their traditional homeland, the place they lived for centuries and generations."

Mr Vigneswaran says he welcomes the Crisis Group's push for sanctions until the government restores the rule of law, investigates abuses and devolves power to areas where Tamils and Muslims are in a majority.

"We welcome this particular report by the International Crisis Group recommending the Sri Lankan government to listen to the international community and the UN Human Rights Council to come up with a stronger resolution, with a time frame, within a year. (The government) can't keep going, saying that 'we are improving and we are developing.'"

Christian clergy from northern Sri Lanka have also written a letter to the UN Human Rights Council, asking it to push for an independent international inquiry into alleged war atrocities.

Sri Lanka , Civil War

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Your Comments

Call to confront Sri Lanka's 'authoritarian turn'

Nims - from Hornsby, Sydney, 3 months ago

This is a very good suggestion by the International Crisis Group. Similarly the ICG must summon US, UK, France and other members of NATO for the War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity they committed in Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan and other countries. Why Ms Navi Pillai keep an absolute silence on these killings? Also killing of unarmed Osama Bin Laden and Gadaffi too needs to be investigated. If not ICG's request will look just another clear bullying on an independent nation.

mr

bala - from colombo, 3 months ago

the government of sri lanka done very limited and they havie beenabsuing the minorities also ethnic cleaning ahs started with the muslims and christian now with the support of the government and racsit groups jathika hela urumaya and bodu bala sena ..they groups are terrorist of sinhala. we need the help of the international body safeguard all human values in sri lanka before these extremist start killing people mercilessly. how they killed more than 40.000 tamil civilians and they have been

Mr

Donald - from London, 3 months ago

The world collectively let the culmination of Genocide on Tamils. This has begun since independence from British rule 1948. World powers are doing lib service in current new information age as the pressure groups become active and more vocal about injustice all over the world. Australian and western governments knew this recent opposition leader Bishop's visit to Sri Lanka try to portray different story to stem flow of refugees in to Australia. Structural genocide still continues un checked

Mr

A. Amarasekara - from anilrsa@hotmail.com, 3 months ago

Sri Lanka being one of the oldest democracies in the Asia Pacific region, the people are wise enough to select the leaders and a Government of their choice. Unlike the ignorant foreign commentators, the SriLankans do not fall for the false propoganda spread by the Tamil separatists who have escaped to Western nations. Even this article blindly give publicity to the imaginary 40,000 deaths, first created by Gordon Weiss, an employee in the Colombo UN office whose position was not extended.

Ms.

Faizal - from Melbourne, 3 months ago

I dont undersand why the media here acts as though these calls to investigate genocide are new, they've been going on for over 5 years now....

Dr

Hanson - from Katoomba, 3 months ago

Rajapaksa is one of the worst war criminals in the ranks of hitler, polpot etc. he is still strangling Sri Lankan citizens and trying to scare the international community with his fear tactics. Even our government fears him. He sends sri lankan intelligence for revenge killings to Europe, Australia and USA. He knows how to control our leaders.

UN did what?

HAM - from Kyoto, 3 months ago

The author of this article has been asleep since 2009. This article is a poor excuse for journalism, and is sorely lacking in facts to be read as nothing more than a piece payed for by the LTTE propagada machine. There was no such UN review, it was a private report for the DG Moon, that was voted down by the UN before it got off the ground, and thus was nothing more than a personal document to guide the Moon. The UN has never recognized those figures of 40,000, and a recent census has shown t

Crocodile tears

Banda - from Colombo, 3 months ago

I think the photo shows one of the buses the tigers bombed, with civilians , one of many to show the world the army was responsible. This was one of many and they sacrificed their own unsuspecting people in those brutal acts when the whole world kept quiet and where was these NGO at that time who are crying for Prabhakaran s son.

Total baloney and comedy

Banda - from Colombo, 3 months ago

Tell us which Navy in the world be sitting ducks to brutal suicide bombers. And which navy in the world would just be spectators to arms shipments to the country to fight the legitimate government and which navy will escort the big tiger and his family when they decide to flee the country when they realize the end is near. Make all these allegations at the UNHRC the road show and the comedy of the western world on behalf of the defeated Tamil Diaspora.

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