Wake up call
to the UN Human Rights Council
Appel la prise de conscience du
Conseil des Droits de l'Homme - Nations Unies
Llamado para reaccin urgente del
Consejo de Derechos Humanos-Naciones Unidas
Website : www.tchr.net
6th session / 6me session / 6 perodo de sesiones
10/09/2007 -- 28/09/2007
LOGO
Tamil Centre for Human Rights - TCHR
Centre Tamoul pour les droits de l'Homme - CTDH
Centro Tamil para los Derechos Humanos
(Established in 1990)
Controversey between the UN and Sri Lanka
"34 humanitarian staff killed in Sri Lanka since January 2006"
Sir John Holmes, United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator and
Under Secretary General of Humanitarian Affairs
"Aid agencies say 34 humanitarian staff have been killed in Sri Lanka since January 2006, including 17 local staff of Action Contre La Faim shot dead in the restive northeast a year ago in a massacre Nordic truce monitors blamed on security forces. There is a concern ... about the safety of humanitarian workers themselves and the record here is one of the worst in the world from that point of view." (Reuters in an interview on 8 August 2007)
* * * * *
"I would say Holmes is completely a terrorist,......"
Chief Government Whip and a Minister, Jeyaraj Fernandopulle
"I would say Holmes is completely a terrorist, a terrorist who supports terrorism. We consider people who support terrorists also terrorists. So Holmes, who supports the LTTE (Tamil Tigers), is also a terrorist. This person tries to tarnish the image of Sri Lanka internationally." He added. "I think the LTTE has bribed Holmes." (Reuters, 15 August 2007).
* * * * *
"UN Secretary-General fully supports the work of his
Emergency Relief Coordinator, John Holmes"
UN Secretary General's Spokesperson Michle Montas
"....There was a statement made in the press and, you know, giving accusations against Mr. Holmes. We believe them to be unwarranted and unacceptable. The Secretary-General fully supports the work of his Emergency Relief Coordinator, John Holmes. So thats what I can say at this point concerning those comments." (Daily press briefing - 16 August 2007)
* * * * *
Chief Government Whip and a Minister, Jeyaraj Fernandopulle
I dont give a damn about what this UN boss has to tell me or Sri Lanka. He can say whatever he wants, but I will still go by what I said and that is, John Homes is a terrorist who takes bribes from the LTTE.... I do not care what the UN Secretary General says. We cannot allow any foreigner to come to our country and work against us" (The Nation - August 19, 2007)
Tamil Centre for Human Rights - TCHR
Centre Tamoul pour les droits de l'Homme - CTDH
Centro Tamil para los Derechos Humanos
(Established in 1990)
Website : www.tchr.net
TCHR participation in United Nations
World conferences and other meetings
* The Tamil Centre for Human Rights (TCHR) officially participated in the United Nations 7th Global Forum, Re-instating good governance, in Vienna, Austria 26-29 June 2007.
* Members of TCHR participated in the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA) seminar in Geneva, Switzerland, 29-31 July 2007.
* TCHR officially accredited to participate in the United Nations Conference on Anti-corruption Measures, Good Governance and Human Rights, in Warsaw, Poland 8–9 November 2006.
* A meeting was held on 7 March 2006, in the European Parliament – titled "EU contribution to the peace process in Sri Lanka". This was jointly organised by TCHR and Mr. Robert Evans, a member of European Parliament of Labour Party in UK.
* Accredited by the United Nations to participate in the World Summit on the Information Society – WSIS in Tunisia, 16 – 18 November 2005.
* Officially participated in the NGO forum of the UN World Conference Against Racism – WCAR in Durban, South Africa, from 28 August to 1 September 2001. TCHR held an information stall including an exhibition at the forum. The TCHR representatives also attended the main WCAR conference held in Durban, 31 August to 7 September 2001.
* A meeting was held on 14 October 1998, in the European Parliament – titled "Press censorship in Sri Lanka". This was jointly organised by the Tamil Centre for Human Rights (TCHR) and Ms. Anita Pollack, a member of European Parliament of Labour Party in UK.
* In 1993, held an information stall and a photo exhibition on human rights violations, in the United Nations 2nd World Conference on Human Rights held in Vienna, Austria, from 14-25 June.
* TCHR participates in meetings of Treaty bodies and submits reports to the same.
Fact finding missions to the North East of the Island of Sri Lanka
* May 2003 (http://www.tchr.net/report_studymission_2003.htm)
* December 2003 – addendum report (http://www.tchr.net/report_studymission_2003add.htm)
* July-August 2004 (http://www.tchr.net/reports_visite_2004.htm)
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Table of Contents
Appeal 03
History in a nutshell 05
Peace talks between Tamil and Singhala leaders since 1927 09
Colonisation 10
Since 1827 - Tamil and Sinhala populations in the Eastern province
Since 1827 - Tamil and Sinhala populations in Batticaloa district
Since 1963 - Tamil and Sinhala population in Amparai district
Since 1827 - Tamil and Sinhala populations in Trincomalee district 11
Sri Lanka police send Tamils back to their villages
Ranil on forced eviction of Tamils 12
Send Tamils to India – UNP!
Mahinda 'dividing' Sri Lanka
The United States condemns the forced removal of Tamils 13
Norway condemns enforced removal of Tamils from Colombo
Canada condemns the forced removal of citizens of Tamil
Indian PM concerned over eviction of Sri Lankan Tamils 14
BJP slams move to evacuate Tamils from Colombo
Eviction is not winning hearts and minds
Recorded figures 16
Arrests, killings, disappearances, rapes, displacements and Injuries
to the Tamils in the North East, Colombo and other regions
Journalists and other staff
Killed, attacked and harassed 1990 - 2000 17
2001
2002 18
2003 19
2004 20
2005
2006 21
2007 22
Humanitarian workers
46 Humanitarian staff killed in Sri Lanka 24
Humanitarian staff injured 25
Attack on NGO's office
Killing of religious dignitaries and laymen 26
Arrest & injury
Recent killing of academics and parliamentarians 27
Death threats to parliamentarians
Massacres and killings of Tamils 28
Killings by the IPFK in the North East 32
Massacres and killings - Amparai district 33
Batticaloa district
Trincomale district 34
Mullaitivu district 35
Vavuniya & Mannar district
Kilinochchi district 36
Jaffna district
Colombo and other districts 37
1
Military occupation of
Civilian dwellings/land, schools, place of worship and public buildings 38
Amparai District – Division 1
Batticaloa District :
Division 1 Division 2 39
Division 4 40
Trincomale District :
Division 1 41
Vavuniya District :
Venkalachcheddikkulam Division 43
Vavuniya Division
Mannar District :
Mannar Division 44
Nanattan Division 45
Madhu Division
Adampan Division 46
Jaffna District :
Valikamam East Division
Valikamam West Division 47
Valikamam Division
Vadamaradchi Division 48
Islands Division
Thenmaradchi High Security Zone 49
Schools within the High Security Zone in Valikamam North 51
Temples within High Security Zone in Valikamam North 52
Christian Churches damaged/destroyed
by aerial bombing and shelling in the North 55
Hindu Temples / Kovils damaged/destroyed by aerial bombing and shelling
Amparai 64
Batticaloa 66
Jaffna 69
Killinochchi 82
Mullaitivu
Trincomalee 95
Vavuniya 99
Annexes
NGOs Intervention in the UN Human Rights Forum
Are the Tamil people not as fashionable as the Bosnians? IED 103
There is no hope for the Tamils within a united Sri Lanka – LIDLIP
Many people in civil society are asking, Security – for whom? – IADL 104
17 humanitarian aid workers were brutally massacred - IED 105
Human rights defenders are killed by the Armed forces - Interfaith International 106
The rule of law situation in Sri Lanka is deteriorating – IMADR 107
Government hand in abductions racket bared 108
Cafe d APRC 109
The APC smokescreen
Long walk to freedom 110
TCHR summary, March 2007 – August 2007 (Names, Dates, Place of incidents etc)
Arbitrary arrest / detention 112
Extra judicial killings / summary executions 118
Enforced or involuntary disappearances 128
2
10 September 2007
Distinguished Sirs / Mesdames,
First of all, we extend our congratulations to you for your appointment as the Chairperson of the 6th session. We regularly report on the human rights violations taking place in the Island of Sri Lanka. Our reporting is based on indisputable facts, the authentic details of which we receive from our sources directly from the North East and other parts of the Island. The United Nations human rights monitoring bodies have appreciated the veracity of our reporting.
In our submission to the 6th session, we will be high-lighting the human rights violations perpetrated against the people in the North East and other parts by successive governments that ruled the island since independence in 1948.
Our report includes the history in a nutshell, colonisation & ethnic cleansing in the East, recorded figures of violations from 1956 to 2007, killing and harrassment of journalists, humanitarian workers, religious dignitaries, academics, parliamenterians - and major massacres and killings. Also the report includes details of military occupation of civilian dwellings/land, schools, places of worship and public buildings. We have also included details of cultural genocide in the North East with a list of 299 Christian churches and 1348 Hindu/Saiva temples/kovils which were fully or partially damaged by aerial bombing and shelling in the North East.
The incidents we have mentioned in our report since 1956, have never been subject to an independent inquiry - nor have the perpetrators been arrested and punished nor have the victims been compensated. There are many more incidents to be added to those we have in this report.
Impunity is a very serious problem in Sri Lanka. Many notorious human rights violators in the Security forces especially in the Army, Police and the Paramilitary have received the best promotions and appointments as Ministers and to high profile jobs in the government. The government of Sri Lanka encourages and allows the perpertrators to move freely in society - and the violations continue.
In the Northeast the human rights situation has been deteriorating for many long years. Genocide, cultural genocide, multiple displacements are occuring and a systematic economic embargo to the North East is starving the people.
First hand witnesses to these Crimes against humanity - cemeteries full of murdered bodies, hospitals full of child and adult casualties, camps full of displaced people, people starving due to the economic embargo and buildings destroyed in all parts of North East. The security forces have created High Security Zones in the densily populated residential areas of the Northeast and are occupying civilian homes and public buildings.
Sirs / Mesdames,
The Sinhala constitution denies fundamental and political rights to the Tamil people. The introduction of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) in 1979 and 27years of emergency rule (ER) have inflicted terror upon the Tamil people in the island. ER and the PTA permit the Sri Lanka security forces to arrest, torture, rape and kill the Tamils with impunity. Only a few cases have attracted international news coverage - and international human rights and humanitarian organisations are paying attention to these.
Press freedom and freedom of expression are in peril in Sri Lanka. Journalists are arrested, tortured, abducted, disappeared and killed over-night. Misinformation is heavily used internally and internationally by the government of Sri Lanka to distort the real picture of what is happening in the conflict areas.
Ethnic cleansing of Tamils and Singhalisation in the North East continues with foreign help. As part of the ethnic cleansing, the murdering of religious leaders and laymen inside and outside places of worship has also been taking place over the years.