A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
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Thiranjala Weerasinghe sj.- One Island Two Nations
?????????????????????????????????????????????????Thursday, June 30, 2016
SLOW PROGRESS OF RECONCILIATION PROCESS WORRYING – IMDAR
( Dr Nimalka Fernando who heads IMDAR ©sunanda deshapriya)
In a oral statement made after the High Commissioner Zeid’s report on
progress made by Sri Lanka in implementing the Unhrc resolution 30/1
IMDAR headed by Dr nimalka Fernando said that ” The slow progress in
returning of lands, failure to facilitate security sector reform
including the dismantling of units and structures allegedly responsible
for grave violations in the past, continuing culture of impunity and
surveillance, existence of the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act
(PTA), harassment of Tamils returning home, the delay in releasing
political prisoners, failure to initiate a public campaign to support
its transitional justice process continue to challenge the political
commitment of the Government.”
The statement follows:
IMADR Oral Statement: 32nd session of the Human Rights Council/ 29 June 2016.
Thank you Mr. President,
Together with Rights Now Collective for Democracy, Association for
Family Members of the Disappeared (FOD), Right to Life, Campaign for
Free & Fair Election (CaFFE) and other networks in Sri Lanka, we
appreciate the continuing engagement of the High Commissioner and his
office for the implementation of the Human Rights Council resolution
30/1.
We congratulate the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) for co-sponsoring
this resolution which addresses issues related to reconciliation,
accountability and grave human rights violations. Their engagement with
the UN, the international community and the civil society both inside
and outside the country demonstrates a new departure from the past.
We recognise the progress enunciated in the High Commissioner’s oral
update. In a country which has a long drawn legacy of involuntary
disappearances, the ratification of the International Convention for the
Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (ICPPED) together
with the efforts taken to draft corresponding legislation and to
establish the Office of Missing Persons (OMP) provide an enabling
environment. On the other hand, the recent emergence of ‘white vans’ and
the prevailing surveillance culture in the North and East pose real
threats to witnesses and victims including local NGOs.
The slow progress in returning of lands, failure to
facilitate security sector reform including the dismantling of units and
structures allegedly responsible for grave violations in the past,
continuing culture of impunity and surveillance, existence of the
draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), harassment of Tamils
returning home, the delay in releasing political prisoners, failure to
initiate a public campaign to support its transitional justice process
continue to challenge the political commitment of the Government.
We endorse the call by the High Commissioner to pursue a comprehensive
strategy for a better coordination within the Government and to further
facilitate a concerted public information campaign.
We call upon the Government to adopt a national policy on NGOs to affirm
principles of freedom of association and assembly, and swiftly remove
practices of reporting and checking of NGO activities by the Criminal
Investigation Department (CID) especially in the North, East and
plantation sector.
Constitutional reform process should address a lasting
political solution to the ethnic problem by envisioning a power sharing
model.
Last but not least, we call upon the Government to abide by
the recent promise made by the Foreign Minister that the level of
international participation in transitional justice mechanisms to be
decided upon in consultation with victims and affected communities. We
request the international community to continue their engagement for the
successful implementation of the resolution 30/1.
Thank you Mr. President.