Human Rights and Internally Displaced People (IDPs): An International problem

"Small-arms conflicts are known to kill an estimated 500,000 individuals each year; approximately one death every minute. Moreover, a similar number of people are getting injured due to mines that are manufactured by the same countries plus China. Each mine sold, however small it is, has the capability of killing and maiming one or more people."
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By Prof. Sunil J. Wimalawansa

(October 15, Washington, Sri Lanka Guardian) United Nations celebrates its 60th year since adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In September 2004, then Secretary General Kofi Annan invited Walter Kalin from Switzerland, a professor of law at Berne University to take the directorship of UNO-Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons; responsibility was to be supported by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. This was the first time that these two roles were combined inadvertently, creating an inherent conflict of interest within this organization.

Human Rights:

The UN Commission on Human Rights in 1992 acknowledged that internal displacement was a serious human rights problem. Sri Lanka (one of the smallest countries) was one of the signatories to the original Guiding Principles. However, there was no convention or treaty to guarantee these rights. Despite this mandate, since 2002 nothing has been done in Iraq where there are over 4.2 million refugees, approximately 1.0 million IDPs in Afghanistan, or thousands in the Palestine territories. Nevertheless, for some unknown reason, currently there is an unprecedented outcry to punish Sri Lanka with reference to its IDPs, based on unproven, false, and misguided data on human rights violations. This demonstrates another double standard and discrimination against the underdog.

Worldwide IDP statistics:

According to the records of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), there are approximately 12 million refugees and 26 million Internally Displaced people (IDPs) worldwide at this time. In 2004, the Darfur crisis itself affected 4.2 million people and displaced 2.0 million. After five-years, approximately half a million people are still living in these IDP camps. In Chad, where 700,000 have had to flee fighting, there continues to be approximately 185,000 people displaced and living in camps. Another example can be found in the Congo, where approximately 1.4 million people were displaced due to its internal conflicts, while apparently 25,000 appear to be dying each month from poverty-related illnesses.

In many instances, the international community has failed in its mission to help these displaced people. Historically, UNO or other foreign peace keeping forces have never been (and perhaps, never will be) able to satisfactorily provide answers to safeguard or to return IDPs back to their homes. It is the sole responsibility of the government of the country that is affected to do this. The prime mission of the international community should be to assist the governments of affected countries to efficiently carry out this mandate as quickly as possible with the least possible degree of human suffering. For the most part, this should be accomplished by providing material (i.e., food, housing/tents, transportation, medical supplies, sanitation, etc.) and by finances to the affected country, thus enabling it to carry out the mission successfully. It is counter productive and sheer wastage of resources to send foreign personnel to handle such local situations including observers. None of these folks contributes anything positive to the cause, but many have their hidden agendas making things worse. Historically, the latter has created more problems than solutions.

A study published in the medical journal The Lancet estimated that over 600,000 Iraqis had been killed as a result of the recent invasion of Iraq. Moreover, approximately a million Iraqis have been estimated to have died over the past four years (British polling agency in September 2007). Another estimate from the Opinion Research Business stated that 1.2 million Iraqis have been killed due to violence since the invasion. Thus far no investigations are held on the human rights point of view.

More examples are available from the Middle East. There are over 1.5 million Iraqi refugees living in Syria, Jordan and other neighboring countries. Moreover, since the invasion in 2003, approximately 2.9 million IDPs in Iraq have been uprooted from their homes. Most of these people have little access to food rations and are unemployed, and live in dangerous and unpleasant conditions. Many of these IDPs are thought to be dying due to starvation, malnutrition, and associated diseases. Ironically, the government of Iraq has access to large sums of money, but has done little to address these humanitarian needs. Nonetheless, the international community does very little to alleviate the sufferings of those who are affected. Many of these IDPs are not only displaced from their homes, but also mentally and physically harmed due to relentless terrorism-related violence and injuries from small arms and mines.

Worldwide small arm sales and consequent casualties:

It is estimated that worldwide, over 1 trillion dollars are spent annually on military issues. Military related activities are one of the most profitable and the largest industries in the world. Over two-thirds of the small arms used in the world conflicts are manufactured in the west, namely USA, Britain and a couple of other EU countries. These countries desperately need continuation of armed struggles and conflict elsewhere to sell their arms, which itself is also a multi-billion dollar business. Unfortunately, significant portions of the GDP of these developing countries are spent on purchasing arms, instead of spending on education, economic issues, and the infrastructure development.

Small-arms conflicts are known to kill an estimated 500,000 individuals each year; approximately one death every minute. Moreover, a similar number of people are getting injured due to mines that are manufactured by the same countries plus China. Each mine sold, however small it is, has the capability of killing and maiming one or more people. While many suffer, there are others who profit from these human miseries. The US supplies nearly 36 percent of sales of weapons to the developing world making it the number one supplier globally. This is followed by Britain and Germany, and then China. This seems an unstoppable market due to its massive profit margins; no treaty has even touched the worldwide sales of these weapons. It is no coincidence and a no-brainer to understand that the countries that manufacture these killing-tools have vested interests in having wars in others, since this enables them to sell their weapons unabated.

IDP status in Sri Lanka;

As of September 2009 there were approximately 230,000 persons living in temporary welfare camps in the North of Sri Lanka. Within the first four months since the end of the war in May 2009, in spite of horrific situations created by the Tamil-Tiger Terrorist group (LTTE terrorists), the Sri Lankan government was able to resettle over 80,000 of IDPs in their own homes. None of the above-mentioned countries including Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Balkans were able to resettle even half of this amount within the comparable period following ending of their conflicts.

In spite of the escalating corruption, nepotism, media-control, and the political squabbling in Sri Lanka, a tremendous improvement in the wellbeing, and the conditions in these temporary IDP welfare villages in the North, and the infrastructure that supports these IDPs are been achieved. The defense scholar James Clad of the National Defense University mentioned in a recent terrorism seminar at George Washington University that, “no one in the world clears mines more quickly than the Sri Lankans.” Sri Lanka definitely deserves more praise than it is currently getting.

If Sri Lanka is a “small fry”, then why hammer it?

In Sri Lanka over the past two decades, the LTTE terrorists led brutalities thought to have killed over 125,000, the majority of these being innocent civilians (the 75,000 figure quoted by many was only true going back several years ago). Due to a concerted effort, in May 2009, the Sri Lankan government was able to defeat these terrorists militarily. Perhaps, the only country that was successful of eliminating terrorism militarily. More importantly, it was thought that this liberation from terrorism was accomplished with the minimum possible casualties.

In war situations, it is inevitable to make mishaps and have casualties of innocent people. We have witnessed these over and over again, throughout the world. Nevertheless, it is believed that the proactive government actions of Sri Lanka to-date have saved many thousands of lives. Among others, Mrs. Clinton recently stated that violations of the Human Rights including rape have been used as a “tool in wars”. This is applicable directly to the LTTE, for example that was how they brain washed innocent young men, women and children to become suicide bombers.

Moreover, it has also been estimated that LTTE terrorists were responsible for over 95% of these atrocities and brutalities in Sri Lanka. In spite of these, in recent days the West is forcing an inquiry against the Sri Lankan government based on fabricated statistics of human right violations. It is not known whether this action is due to the exceptional lobbying and enticements by the LTTE sympathizers on Western governments, or simply to cover up their own sins.

Regarding the issue of Human Rights, specifically with reference to the West, what is apparent is that the lack of principled conduct by high office bearers in both US and UN administrations will only result in further erosion of their own credibility. In addition, the lack of principles sends a message to miscellaneous terror groups that influence can be bought, and bought cheaply. The world as a whole needs an ethical and moral revival. There is too much exploitation of the poor by the rich, too much violence, and widespread discrimination and intimidation against the vulnerable. Human ethics cannot be governed only by religious teachings. Now more than ever, the World needs an ethical code that will lead us towards peace, and away from the Western aggression and intimidation.

-Sri Lanka Guardian