2010 Human Rights Report: Sri Lanka

2010 Human Rights Report: Sri Lanka

Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor

2010 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices

April 8, 2011 

Sri Lanka is a constitutional, multiparty republic with a population estimated at 21 million. President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was reelected to a second six-year term in January, and the parliament, which was elected in April, share constitutional power. The government is dominated by the president's family; two of the president's brothers hold key executive branch posts as defense secretary and minister of economic development, while a third brother is the speaker of parliament. Independent observers generally characterized the presidential and parliamentary elections as problematic. Both elections were fraught with violations of the election law by all major parties and were influenced by the governing coalition's massive use of state resources. There were instances in which elements of the security forces acted independently of civilian control.                                    Full Story>>>
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The government is dominated by the president's family;
3.Speaker of parliament..
    1.Defense secretary
2.Minister of economic development

Submissions and debates on 18th Amendment

by Centre for Policy Alternatives

7 months ago

  7 months ago: Sat, Sep 11, 2010 12:37pm EST (Eastern Standard Time)

Submissions and debates on 18th Amendment from Centre for Policy Alternatives on Vimeo.

Parliamentary debate on deterioration of human security in the North of Sri Lanka

 

Parliamentary debate on deterioration of human security in the North from Centre for Policy Alternatives on Vimeo.              21 Jan, 2011 Groundviews

President's family 'dominates' Sri Lanka

Last updated: 09 April, 2011 - Published 12:47 GMT

 mily 'dominates' Sri Lanka

 

	The State Department is highly crtical of Sri Lanka's rights record in 2010

The US annual report on human rights says that the government of Sri Lanka, a multi-party democracy, is dominated by the president’s family.

“Two of the brothers hold key executive branch posts as defense secretary and minister of economic development, while a third brother is the speaker of parliament,” says the report.

The elections in which President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his coalition came into power in 2010 are described as “problematic” by the report quoting independent observers.

The US has also accused the Sri Lanka government “and its agents” of serious human rights violations.

“Security forces committed arbitrary and unlawful killings,” the report said, and “disappearance continued to be a problem.”

Impunity

The report, however, noted that the total number of such incidents has declined.

The climate of fear among the minority populations as well as those marginalised such as HIV/AIDS sufferers is another serious concern raised in the report.

Official impunity was a problem; there were no public indications or reports that civilian or military courts convicted any military or police members for human rights violations   State Department report

“Official impunity was a problem; there were no public indications or reports that civilian or military courts convicted any military or police members for human rights violations,” it said.

The deterioration of the judicial independence is another serious concern, according to US State Department.

“The judiciary was subject to executive influence, and the government infringed on citizen’s privacy rights.”

The report also noted that the presidential commission chaired by retired justice Mahanama Thillekeratne is yet to hand over its final report although commission’s mandate ended on 16 March.

Judiciary

It says that there has been no progress in investigations into the killing of Sunday Leader editor, Lasantha Wickrematunga and the disappearance of LankaeNews journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda.

	The US says that the judiciary 'was subject to executive influence'

While Mr Wickremathunga was shot dead in Colombo on 08 January 2009, Mr Ekneligoda is missing since he left the office on 24 January, 2010.

The report also notes the lack of progress of investigations over the attack on Siyatha television on 30 July, burning the studios and injuring two employees.

"Witnesses reported similarities in the manner in which this attack was carried out and the January 2009 attack on MTV/MBC studios, and some local groups suspected Ministry of Defense personnel were behind the attack," it said.

The US report on Sri Lanka’s human rights record in 2010 says that academics in Sri Lanka were intimidated into practicing self-censorship.

“The administration of a university in Colombo prevented the UN from holding an event on school premises that highlighted a number of human rights defenders as part of a celebration of International Human Rights Day in December.”

Corruption

The US has also accused the government of being “not transparent” in the tendering and procurement process for government contracts.

Critics alleged that large kickbacks were paid during the awarding of certain defense contracts   State Department report

“Senior officials served as corporate officers of several quasi-public corporations, including Lanka Logistics and Technologies, which the government established in 2007 and designated as the sole procurement agency for all military equipment,” said the report.

“Critics alleged that large kickbacks were paid during the awarding of certain defense contracts.”

But a military court in Sri Lanka found former army commander Sarath Fonseka guilty of corruption in arms procurement, leading to his losing of the parliamentary seat.

It has later transpired that the military court has not kept any records of the proceedings prompting legal experts to question the legality of the court.

The inability of the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission (SLHRC) use its wide powers to pursue human rights abuses is another serious concern raised by the report.

“Rather than taking an investigative approach to determining the facts and details of human rights cases, the SLHRC instead took a more tribunal-like approach, weighing only the evidence brought to it in deciding whether to pursue a case,” it said.

Sri Lanka: Account for Wartime Disappearances

More Than 20 People Last Seen in Army Custody Remain Missing

April 7, 2011

Screengrab of a video obtained by Human Rights 

Watch shows LTTE leader Colonel Ramesh in

Sri Lankan army custody.

 

Related Materials: 

Recurring Nightmare

Legal Limbo

War on the Displaced

The Sri Lankan government needs to respond to all allegations of disappearances with more than a ritual blanket denial. Family members of the disappeared have the right to know if their loved ones are alive or dead.

Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch

(New York) - The Sri Lankan government should account for everyone who was taken into custody at the end of Sri Lanka's 26-year-long armed conflict in May 2009 and are feared to have been "disappeared," Human Rights Watch said today. Despite numerous requests from families for information about their relatives, the authorities do not appear to have conducted any serious investigations, Human Rights Watch said.
Human Rights Watch said unresolved enforced disappearances should be part of the mandate of a proposed United Nations investigation into laws-of-war violations by both government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). A Panel of Experts appointed by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to advise him on steps for ensuring accountability for laws-of-war violations in Sri Lanka is expected to hand over its report later in April 2011.                                         Full Story>>>

Proud to be Sri Lankan?

*groundviews journalism For citizens  6 Apr, 2011 Marisa de Silva  

Proud to be Sri Lankan?

Citizenship, as I know it, is a means by which citizens of a particular country are recognized as entities of that country. I feel that citizenship gives each of us a sense of “belonging” and “responsibility” towards our motherland, and also a sense of “security,” that as holders of this particular citizenship, we’re ensured of our protection and wellbeing. At least, that’s what one would hope a citizen of a country is entitled to. I guess we were called a “Land like no other” for a reason. That being, that we truly are like no other. The concept of “citizenship” as I mentioned above, is nothing but an illusion in our fair land. As citizens of one country, we hold no sense of camaraderie with one another. We’re told that a “good citizen of the State” obeys the State. That they should not question the State. That they should accept that the State only acts with their wellbeing at heart,…
Continue reading »

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*Police Registering Tamil civilians in Colombo is discriminatory: Mano Ganesan calls for president’s intervention 

*Death toll at the end of the Sri Lankan conflict was 30,000 to 40,000 - GORDON WEISS  

*UN condemns 'unacceptably high' Sri Lanka death toll

*Forces maintained zero civilian casualty rate at all times – Service Commanders

* “condemn” another country doing the exact same thing it did? Make peace MR tells Gaddafi  

*A new military headquarters in northern Sri Lanka has been built on the site of a Tamil Tiger graveyard earlier flattened by the army, it has emerged.    Camp on LTTE cemetery-BBC 
   

*Mob attack in Hatton after WC final

 

US calls for 'accountability' in Sri Lanka's war

06 April, 2011
Charles Haviland
BBC News, Colombo

There are continuing signs of strained relations between the United States and Sri Lanka, nearly two years after the South Asian country’s military ended decades of war by conquering the Tamil Tiger separatists.

A senior State Department official has said that unless there is firm progress on human rights and reconciliation, there ought to be limits on the two countries’ security cooperation.

Robert Blake, the Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia, told the House of Representatives’ Foreign Affairs Committee that Washington has a number of human rights concerns which he called “worrisome”.

He implied that some things are getting worse in Sri Lanka, saying democratic institutions were being weakened. And he said full engagement with the government was hampered by the way it concluded the war, saying there must be accountability for alleged breaches of international humanitarian law such as the death of civilians. 

Our security cooperation, in many forms, should remain limited until progress has been made on fundamental human rights, democracy and governance issues, and the concrete steps necessary for a true and lasting national reconciliation.   Robert Blake

Mr Blake said there had been some good moves on reconciliation, including the shrinking of army-occupied territory and the recruitment of some Tamil-speaking police. But he said more needs to be done.

Meeting with GTF

Last week the senior US diplomat held a meeting with a Tamil diaspora group, the Global Tamil Forum.

It believes in an independent state for Tamils in north and east Sri Lanka as the Tigers did.

And it alleges that Tamils have been subjected to genocide.

The Sri Lankan government has not commented on that meeting, but it won’t be happy about it.

The BBC was unable to get through to the minister who deals with human rights for a response to Robert Blake.

But the government denies being responsible for civilians’ deaths and regularly asks its critics to wait for the report of a reconciliation commission set up by the president.

The foreign minister is now in London where he said Sri Lanka must be given “space” to achieve reconciliation.

Nationalism, Cricket and the Religio-Politics of Sport

Doctoral candidate, Wilfrid Laurier University, Ontario, Canada

Amarnath Amarasingam 

Nationalism, Cricket and the Religio-Politics of Sport

In 1968, Avery Brundage, President of the International Olympic Committee, declared that sports, "like music and the other fine arts, transcends politics." The statement came out of a sentiment of hope rather than fact, and was, of course, incredibly naive. If Claude von Clausewitz is correct that war is merely "politics by other means," then the same can be said about sports. In 1968, the Mexican government killed several students protesting the Olympics in Mexico City. In 1972, Arab terrorists kidnapped and killed Israeli athletes in Munich. Dozens of countries boycotted the 1976 Olympics in Montreal because New Zealand insisted on maintaining "sports relations" with apartheid South Africa. Countries like Honduras and El Salvador have gone to war over soccer, and when East German athletes wanted to compete in the United States, they were denied visas for two decades. The list goes on and on, but points to one thing: sport has never transcended politics and never will.   Full Story...
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Cricket and politics in Sri Lanka

Namini Wijedasa

The Sri Lankan team lost the 2011 Cricket World Cup to India but were welcomed home like winners. Was this politics or the true Sri Lankan spirit of embracing losers as equally as they would victors?
Cricket in Sri Lanka is increasingly a political affair. While sports ministers are known to dabble freely in the affairs of Sri Lanka Cricket, it is the country’s president who recommends members to the interim board of this administrative body.
Why interim? Not since 2004 have elections been held to Sri Lanka Cricket, earlier called the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka. A small clause in the law allows the relevant minister to appoint an interim committee to administer the sport but he takes recommendations from the president. Since elections cannot guarantee members whose sympathies lie with the regime, an interim committee has become the norm rather than the exception.
In the run-up to the April 2 final with India, this was much debated within Sri Lanka’s acrimonious, divisive political arena. The row started with a comment made by Arjuna Ranatunga, who captained the team that won the 1996 World Cup. Now an outspoken opposition MP, Ranatunga was asked by an Indian TV channel what advice he would offer the Sri Lankan team. He replied that he no longer counsels the cricket team as President Mahinda Rajapaksa has assumed that role.
If Ranatunga had meant to goad the government- and the president - into a backlash, he succeeded. The state media honed in on the remark, accusing him of destroying team morale and discrediting Sri Lanka internationally. This continues even after the Cricket World Cup in what seems to be an attempt to somehow link Sri Lanka’s defeat with Ranatunga’s ill-advised, politically motivated statement.  Full Story>>>

India pressing for equal rights for Sri Lankan Tamils: Sonia

In her first campaign meeting, AICC president Sonia Gandhi said India will continue to do whatever it could for rehabilitation of Tamils displaced in the war against LTTE. »

 

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America issues signals to SL via Wikileaks cables

Wednesday, 06 April 2011 00:42

There were reports in the media that the Sri Lanka (SL) Govt. was very concerned about the meeting that took place with the participation of the US State Dept. Assist. Secretary of the Bureau of South and Central Asian affairs ,Robert Blake, the Global Tamil Forum and the British Tamil forum. The principal reason for this concern was, this meeting was being convened in the interim while the report of the UN Panel appointed by UN Secretary Gen.

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Sinhala hoodlum attack Up-Country Tamils after SL defeat in Cricket final

[TamilNet, Monday, 04 April 2011, 16:39 GMT]

Sinhala hoodlum including some Muslims were on the rampage in the several parts of the upcountry attacking Up-Country Tamils of Tamil Nadu origin following the defeat of the Sri Lanka to India in the World Cup final that was held in Mumbai in India last Saturday. The unruly mob had entered line rooms of upcountry Tamil families and damaged the household properties and causing cut injuries to three Tamil youths, according to Mr.Arumugan Thondaman, leader of the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), a constituent of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) led by Mahinda Rajapaksa. About 25 upcountry Tamil youths had been admitted in Dikkoya hospital with cut injuries caused by sharp weapons.

Arumugan Thondaman said that gangs of unidentified persons had unleashed violence to create unrest and communal disharmony in upcountry areas using the Sri Lanka defeat in World Cup final.

If the law enforcement authority fails to arrest the suspects involved in the attack, the entire workforce in estates would launch a demonstration and shut down, Mr. Thondaman said.

Meanwhile the Sri Lankan police media spokesman said that five suspects were arrested. In another report it was stated ten suspects had been taken into custody. The Hatton Magistrate had ordered remand till April 15, according to SL Police.

However Mr.Muththu Sivalingam, CWC President and a Deputy Minister in the UPFA government said he had submitted a list of 29 names alleged to be involved in the attack against upcountry Tamil families to the Sri Lankan police. If the police fail to take prompt action, entire upcountry workforce would commence a protest within Hatton town from April 5, he said.

The Hatton Police said an additional police contingent has been stationed in Hatton for security reason and to ensure law and order.

The victory that never came: Photos from Colombo during Cricket World Cup Final

groundviews

Nationalism and over the top displays of patriotism were on a crescendo, leading up to and on Saturday. There was Sarath Fonseka who said that a victory at the world cup would be akin to the victory against the LTTE two years ago. All radio stations, and most social networking site status updates (esp. Facebook and Twitter) referred to the team as ‘Lions’ that were ‘Roaring’. Many on Facebook, again like the days after war’s end, changed their profile images to the Sri Lankan flag, tellingly cropping it to focus on the Lion – never the two stripes. Unsurprisingly, corporate marketing also took a nationalist twist. As we observed on Twitter,

“Dialog keeps referring to Sri Lanka as ‘Lion nation’. Revolting & racist. We support #cricket as Sri
 Lankans

.”The politics of a cricket final  Saturday, 02 April 2011 00:00 

 A news report said a 30-member government delegation had asked Indian World Cup organizers to set aside VIP seating accommodation for today’s final between Sri Lanka and IndiaSaturday, We do not know who these 30 government leaders or officials are. But one thing is certain. Even before the winner of today’s match is known, the politicians in true Sri Lankan style will be sharpening their spurs to ride on the Sri Lankan team. 

LLRC on its final lap

Requests govt. to releasenames of detainees
By Rathindra Kuruwita

The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) members met the Chief Incumbents of the Malwathu and Asgiri Chapters last week to seek guidance before preparing the final report scheduled to be presented by May 15.
They are processing the oral submissions made, and analyzing thousands of pages of transcriptions, said Media Advisor Lakshman Wickremesinghe.
“I think we have 300-400 pages of transcription from the last (outstation) session in Ampara. We have started cataloguing and analyzing thousands of pages of transcripts that have accumulated in the last year,” he said.

LLRC has already issued an interim report and has insisted that the government release the names of those who are detained in camps around the country.
In the final report, it is to address the most urgent issues faced by the residents in the North and East, the abductions, disappearances and financial aid.  The LLRC which was appointed in May 2010 obtained evidence from close to 100 civil, political, religious and military leaders in Colombo, and visited the North and the East to meet those who were directly affected by the war.
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Rajapaksa's LLRC seeks Buddhist Prelates guidance to prepare final report

[Sun, 03 Apr 2011, 13:34 GMT]

Members of Rajapaksa appointed Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) had met the Mahanayaka Theras of the Malwatte and Asgiriya Chapters last week to seek guidance before preparing the final report scheduled to be presented by May 15, according to a news report published in English weekly Lakbima on Sunday. The Buddhist prelates exercise a dominant influence on the Sri Lankan regime.
LLRC is in the process of oral submissions made and also analyzing thousands of pages of transcriptions, according to LLRC’s Media Advisor Lakshman Wickremasinghe.
Lakbima news report further quoted LLRC sources stating that in the final report, it is to address the most urgent issues faced by the residents of the North East, the abductions, disappearances and financial aid.
Several civilians have appeared before the LLRC demanding the Rajapaksa's commission to locate the whereabouts of their missing kith and kin. Several journalists were blocked from witnessing the hearings.
Leaders of Sinhala dominated government and other political parties obtain advice from Mahanayake Theras on key issues.
Meanwhile, three prominent Human Rights watchdogs of the West, the International Crisis Group, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, in November 2010 blamed the LLRC of failing to meet basic international standards for independent and impartial inquiries, and for proceeding against a backdrop of SL government's failure to address impunity and continuing human rights abuses.
The Rights groups further pointedly attacked the island's legal system saying, “Sri Lanka’s government and justice system cannot and will not uphold the rule of law and respect basic rights.”
Buddhist prelates who reach the position of Mahanayake Theras of Malwatte and Asgiriya Chapters play a vital role in the thinking of the government in power.
Full story >>

Ganadeviya (deity) statue at Anurapura burnt down using tires

The picture herein shows the statue of Ganadeviya (the deity) within the Temple burnt down by setting fire to it using a tire.  (Lanka-e-News -16.March.2011, 11.00PM) According to reports reaching Lanka e news, a Hindu Temple situated at Devanam piyatissa Mawatha, Anuradhapura had been set on fire by a violent marauding group on the 14th night. This Temple which had been in existence since 1983, are visited by Tamil as well as Sinhala people for religious activities. --------------------------------------- Sri Lanka: Jaffna Public Library  destroyed by Sinhala Police   ------------------------------------------------ Bishop's House appeals to Vatican to urge  Colombo torenovate Vanni churches Jaffna Bishop inspecting the desecrated statue at one of the churches in Mullaiththeevu, occupied by the Sri Lanka Army                                                                                                               Full Story>>> ----------------------------------------------------- Sri Lanka website's office torched after government criticism    -----------------------------------------------------------                    51 Division New Headquarters In Cemetery *JDS                                                                                     - --------------------------------- Sri Lanka builds army HQ on Tamil Tiger cemetery B B C  NEWS SOUTH ASIA