“Arbour’s recent visit to Sri Lanka is welcome by the peace loving civil society”

(October, 21, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) Tamil Democratic Congress welcomes the process initiated by the United Nations to establish rule of law in the island state of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka has escaped scrutiny in an international level for too long on its appalling record of ongoing human rights violations. Violation of human rights by the government forces and the armed groups fighting the government has reached an alarming situation.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) Louise Arbour’s recent visit to Sri Lanka is welcome by the peace loving civil society representing all the communities. Her findings during her visit must further strengthen the resolve of the international community to bring sufficient pressure on the government of Sri Lanka and the violent armed group fighting a war of terror against it to adhere to international standards to protect human rights in the country.

Nepotism, corruption, lack of good governance, using violence as means to achieve political ends etc have strained Sri Lanka for too long. The current predicament has reached an alarming state and the civil society has become natural victims to the on-going systematic human rights violations in the country.

The habit of torture by the state forces against persons arrested, kidnappings and covert killings of individuals for unknown and petty reasons have become established practices in Sri Lanka. The law enforcement agencies are unable to investigate these violations and the non-independent judiciary too is unreachable for very many people.

The minority Tamils are the main victims of the callous campaign of the state security machinery and the weaker judicial system, due to inefficiency and racial prejudices embedded in the government machinery.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on the other hand, is further contributing towards serious human rights violations against its own people. Its appalling record of disrespect for human rights is continuing behind the culture of secrecy that it had successfully implemented for many years and is preventing the Tamil civilian society peaceful existence. There are many skeleton cupboards to be opened on the LTTE front. Torture and secret detention centers operating in the LTTE controlled areas together with extensive human rights violations practiced by various means for it to continue with its draconian hold on the Tamil civilian society must be brought under international scrutiny.

We appeal to the international community to take a cohesive approach to make Sri Lanka a party to the Rome Treaty. Subscribing to the covenants of this treaty will help introduce accountability on human rights violations by the state and the violent LTTE.

Sri Lankan judicial system lacks independence and far-sight due to political interference and is unable to cope with the pressures that are faced by the country for many years now.

Ratifying the Rome Treaty will pave the way for Sri Lanka to bring an end to the culture of unaccountability that has become inherent part of the government to regulate the civilian society.

Respect for human rights must be a pre-requisite for Sri Lanka to engage in the process to go through the transformation necessary for good governance, tolerance and transparency in its dealings.

We appeal to the international community and in particular India to play their due role to help establish a tolerant, stable and just society in Sri Lanka.

We also appeal to the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights to strenuously work to establish a strong international Human Rights mission in Sri Lanka. It is also important that United Nations undertake a full review of the human rights predicament facing the Tamil people in the north and in the LTTE controlled Vanni area.

It is long overdue for the Tamil people to be free from the ongoing oppression of the state military machinery and the terror campaign of the LTTE which has reduced them to people of no hope in the island nation.

The Statement released by the well known political organization within a Tamil Diaspora the Tamil Democratic Congress based in London.