Sri Lanka: war on media

(March 19, Chennai, Sri Lanka Guardian) Joint oral statement delivered by  Sunanda Deshapriya on behalf of Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) and Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC), supported by International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR)

10th Session of the UN Human Rights Council
Item 4: General Debate

Tuesday, 17 March 2009

Thank you, Mr. President.

FORUM-ASIA and ALRC would like to call for the attention and urgent action of the Human Rights Council on the human rights catastrophe in Sri Lanka. As the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms. Pillay expressed in her press statement dated Friday 13 March 2009, “we know enough to be sure that the situation is absolutely desperate. The world today is ever sensitive about such acts that could amount to war crimes and crimes again humanity.”

The grave concern of the international community is not only limited to the current situation of civilians in northern Sri Lanka. The core problems of discrimination and impunity have been allowed to go unabated throughout the country in the past years.

We have witnessed a sharp increase of the uninvestigated killings and disappearances against human rights defenders and prominent religious personalities. Since 2006, 18 journalists and media workers have been killed. The most recent case was in January 2009 Lasantha Wikramatunge, the editor of the popular English weekly Sunday Leader. A series of attacks on those lawyers appearing for the rights of victims and the Tamil detainees manifest a collapse of the rule of law in the country.

The conflict in Sri Lanka has reached a critical juncture, and whilst noting that military gains to counter-terrorism have been made, it is however at the expense and undermining of the rule of law. In order to strengthen the rule of law, it is absolutely essential to de-politicize the public service as well as the institutions of law and order and human rights protection. In this regard, we call upon the Government of Sri Lanka to:

· Sincerely implement the 17th Amendment to the Constitution and appoint the independent commissions; and

· Immediately halt all threats, harassments, abductions and attacks against human rights defenders including media practitioners and outlets, and undertake complete, transparent and timely investigations into the murders and death threats against human rights defenders and their families.

Mr. President,

We call upon this Human Rights Council to include the human rights situation of Sri Lanka into its agenda on a regular basis and immediately send an international mission to assess the needs of those civilians in the conflict affected areas with any unhindered access. On the same front, FORUM and ALRC strongly urge the Human Rights Council to hold a Special Session on the current human rights situation in Sri Lanka. As recognized by the High Commissioner for Human Rights in her latest press statement, 2,800 civilians have been killed, more than 7,000 injured since 20 January 2009, and currently a total of 150,000 to 180,000 civilians remain trapped in the Vanni region. The grave situation and plight faced by the civilians has been further intensified with the lack of access and independent monitors, humanitarian workers and the media. It is of paramount mandate for the Council to respond promptly to human rights emergencies. The crisis in Sri Lanka has been repeatedly highlighted by the UN Secretary-General, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Special Procedures mandate-holders and Nobel Laureate Jose Ramos Horta, President of Timor Leste as well as by the various UN agencies, and by the ICRC.[3] What further grounds does the Human Rights Council still require in order to convene its Special Session?

I thank you, Mr. President.

-Sri Lanka Guardian