A worker at the Kabul Housebuilding Factory tests a machine from the Soviet era. The factory continues to produce walls for prefabricated housing. (Lorenzo Tugnoli/For The Washington Post)
KABUL — Lorenzo Tugnoli For The Washington Post A worker at the Kabul Housebuilding Factory tests a machine from the Soviet era. The factory continues to produce walls for prefabricated housing. To the white-bearded Afghan machinists, it felt like the Cold War era had suddenly returned.
Asia will face new challenges over food security because of climate change. Photograph: Jiang Kehong/AP
People in coastal regions of Asia, particularly those living in cities, could face some of the worst effects of global warming, climate experts will warn this week. Hundreds of millions of people are likely to lose their homes as flooding, famine and rising sea levels sweep the region, one of the most vulnerable on Earth to the impact of global warming, the UN states.
The report – Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability – makes it clear that for the first half of this century countries such as the UK will avoid the worst impacts of climate change, triggered by rising carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. By contrast, people living in developing countries in low latitudes, particularly those along the coast of Asia, will suffer the most, especially those living in crowded cities.
A final draft of the report, seen by the Observer, will be debated by a panel of scientists set up by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) this week at a meeting in Yokohama, Japan, and will form a key part of the IPCC's fifth assessment report on global warming, whose other sections will be published later this year.
According to the scientists who have written the draft report, hundreds of millions of people will be affected by coastal flooding and land loss as global temperatures rise, ice caps melt and sea levels rise. "The majority of it will be in east, south-east and south Asia. Some small island states are expected to face very high impacts."
In addition, the report warns that cities also face particular problems. "Heat stress, extreme precipitation, inland and coastal flooding, as well as drought and water scarcity, pose risks in urban areas with risks amplified for those lacking essential infrastructure and services or living in exposed areas." The report adds that this latter forecast is made with very high confidence.
In addition, climate change will slow down economic growth, further erode food security and trigger new poverty traps, particularly "in urban areas and emerging hot spots of hunger," it is argued.
This combination of a high-risk region and the special vulnerability of cities make coastal Asian urban centres likely flashpoints for future conflict and hardship as the planet warms up this century. Acrid plumes of smoke – produced by forest fires triggered by drought and other factors –are already choking cities across south-east Asia. In future, this problem is likely to get worse, say scientists.
The authors warn that some other climate change effects will be global. "Climate change throughout the 21st century will lead to increases in ill-health in many regions, as compared to a baseline without climate change," the report states. "Examples include greater likelihood of injury, disease, and death due to more intense heatwaves and fires; increased likelihood of under-nutrition resulting from diminished food production in poor regions; and increased risks from food-borne and water-borne disease."
Other potential crises highlighted by the report include the likelihood that yields of major crops such as wheat, rice and maize are likely to decline at rates of up to 2% a decade, at a time when demands for these crops – triggered by world population increases – are likely to rise by 14%. At the same time, coral reefs face devastating destruction triggered by increasing amounts of carbon dioxide dissolving in sea water and acidifying Earth's oceans.
The report makes grim reading. "This comprehensive scientific assessment makes clear that climate change is having a growing impact in the UK and around the world, and that the risks of catastrophic consequences increase every day as more greenhouse gas pollution is pumped into the atmosphere. I hope David Cameron will read this report and understand the huge dangers of delaying the bigger cuts in emissions that are required to protect our children, grandchildren and future generations against this devastating threat," said Bob Ward, policy and communications director at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change.
KABUL — Hamid Karzai was in the midst of negotiating a security agreement with the United States when he met a 4-year-old girl who had lost half her face in an American airstrike.
The military says a new video leaked and circulating on YouTube showing some soldiers harassing a group of female recruits is authentic, and promised strict action against them.
Army spokesman, Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya said that Army Commander Daya Ratnayake had ordered an investigation into the video after it first surfaced earlier this month.
The investigation carried out by the Sri Lanka Army Corps of Military Police had revealed that the video in question is an authentic one, the army spokesman said.
He said the incident depicted in the video had taken place in October 2012 at a camp in Anuradhapura where some female recruits were being trained.
“According to a preliminary report the instructors have punished the recruits for an act in violation of military discipline. However, the method adopted is not in accordance with standard procedures prescribed for such corrective punitive actions. It has been found that the individuals who carried out this excessive action had over stepped their mandate and acted in their own volition. Being disciplined organizations the Armies all over the world have standing procedures when it comes to disciplining the soldiers especially during formative period of initial training. Such actions are designed as corrective measures and have to be authorized by appropriate authorities. In this instance no such authorization had been obtained. Further, the punitive methods employed by the instructors were not in line with prescribed procedures,” the army spokesman said.
He said that considering these observations the Commander of the Army has ordered the authorities to follow up on this case and take strict disciplinary action against all those who had violated the military code of conduct.
He has further reiterated that there would be zero tolerance for conduct prejudicial to good order and military discipline throughout the Army. (Colombo Gazette)
வட்டுக்கோட்டை பகுதி நேற்றிரவு முதல் இராணுவத்தினரால் சுற்றிவளைக்கப்பட்டு தேடுதல் நடத்தப்பட்டு 300 க்கும் மேற்பட்ட இளைஞர்கள் இன்று காலை முதல் வட்டுக்கோட்டை பொலிஸ் நிலையத்திற்கு அருகிலுள்ள திடலுக்கு கொண்டு செல்லப்பட்டு விசாரணைகள் மேற்கொள்ளப்பட்டது.
தருமபுரத்தில் ஜெயக்குமாரியின் வீடு சுற்றி வளைக்கப்பட்டு தேடுதல் நடத்தப்பட்ட போது பொலிசாரை துப்பாக்கியால் சுட்டுவிட்டு தப்பியோடிய நபர் வட்டுக்கோட்டையில் மறைந்திருப்பதாக இராணுவத்தினருக்கு கிடைத்த இரகசிய தகவலையடுத்து நேற்றிரவு தொடக்கம் இராணுவத்தினரும் பொலிசாரும் இணைந்து அப்பகுதியில் சுற்றிவளைப்பில் ஈடுபட்டுள்ளதாக பொதுமக்கள் கருதுகின்றனர்.
இரவிரவாக நடைபெற்ற தேடுதலில் இராணுவத்தினர் மதில் பாய்ந்தும் , வேலிகளை வெட்டியும் வீடுகளுக்குள் உள்நுழைந்து உரிமையாளர்கள் இல்லாத வீடுகளின் கதவுகளை உடைத்தும் சோதனைகளை நடத்தியுள்ளனர்.
600 க்கும் அதிகமான இராணுவத்தினர் குவிக்கப்பட்டு 300 க்கும் மேற்பட்ட இளைஞர்கள் அழைக்கப்பட்டு இன்று காலை 6 மணி முதல் விசாரணைகள் மேற்கொள்ளப்பட்டுவருகிறது.
குறித்த பிரதேசத்தைச் சேர்ந்தவர்கள் வெளியிடங்களுக்கு செல்ல இராணுவத்தினர் தடை விதித்துள்ளதாகவும் வெளியிடங்களிலிருந்து செல்லும் வாகனங்களின் போக்குவரத்துக்கு அனுமதிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளதாகவும் தெரிவிக்கப்படுகிறது.
இதேவேளை பெண்கள் தனியாக இருக்கும் வீடுகளுக்குள் இராணுவத்தினர் திடீரென நுழைந்து சோதனை மேற்கொள்வதால் அப் பகுதி மக்கள் பெரும் பீதியுடன் காணப்படுவதாக தெரிவிக்கப்படுகிறது.
சம்பவத்தை கேள்வியுற்ற நாடாளுமன்ற உறுப்பினர் ஈ.சரவணபவன் வட்டுக்கோட்டைப் பகுதிக்கு சென்று நிலைமையை அவதானித்ததுடன் பொலிஸ் நிலையத்திற்கு சென்று தடுத்து வைக்கப்பட்டுள்ள இளைஞர்களை விடுக்குமாறு தெரிவித்தார்.
தற்போது தடுத்து வைக்கப்பட்டுள்ள இளைஞர்கள் அனைவரும் விடுவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளனர்.
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Crimea Leads The Way For Other Ethnic Minorities To Invoke The Principle Of Self-Determination
These days newspaper pages are filled with news stories related to two different subjects at two different parts of the world. One is the annexation of Crimea as part of the Russian Federation by President Vladimir Putin last Friday (March 21, 2014). Russian President signed into law bringing the Crimea region into Russia, a move that has met with strong condemnation by the West and by threats of further sanctions against Russia. The United States and European Union have already targeted dozens of Russian and Ukrainian officials linked to Crimea’s unrest with far reaching assets freezes and travel bans.
The other news is about the disappearance of Malaysian Boeing 777 Airlines Flight 370 that evaporated into thin air on March 10, 2014. Twelve days later the missing plane has not been located despite air and sea search by ships and planes belonging to 26 countries covering thousands of sq. miles of land and sea. Former pilots and aviation experts are having a field day expounding a multitude of theories about the plane’s fate.
The full-blown 4 year old civil war in Syria that began in 2010 has killed over 100,000 people, half of whom are believed to be civilians. Bombings are destroying crowded cities and horrific human rights violations are widespread. Basic necessities like food and medical care are sparse.
India is okay with the majority and substantive part of the text of the draft resolution UNHRC.
India will vote in favour of the resolution on Sri Lanka at the United Nations Human Rights Council, the UPA government is learnt to have decided in possibly its last major foreign policy decision. The vote is expected on March 28 in Geneva.
This is the third time when Delhi has decided to vote in favour of the resolution, and sources said the decision has been taken in view of “diplomatic” as well as “political” considerations in mind.
While India is okay with the majority and substantive part of the text of the draft resolution UNHRC 25 which has been circulated in Geneva — accessed by The Indian Express — negotiators are working on softening the language of paragraph 8 of the resolution, which calls for the need for an “independent and credible international investigation” and “investigate alleged violations and abuses of human rights and related crimes”.
Sources said New Delhi has been quite favourable to the UNHRC resolution — moved by the US, the UK, Montenegro, Macedonia and Mauritius — as it highlights many of India’s concerns.
New Delhi is particularly pleased with the inclusion of the “13th amendment” in the resolution. Paragraph 6 of the motion says, “…encourages the Government of Sri Lanka to provide the Northern Provincial Council and its Chief Minister with the resources and authority necessary to govern, as required by the 13th Amendment of Sri Lanka’s constitution”.
India has been urging the Mahinda Rajapaksa government for the past five years — since the war against LTTE came to an end — that it was imperative for Sri Lanka to implement the 13th amendment to their constitution, which calls for devolution of powers to the provinces.
In fact, once Sri Lanka said it was willing to go beyond the 13th amendment, New Delhi latched on to that formulation and has been insisting on 13th amendment plus.
The draft resolution also talks about attacks on minorities in Sri Lanka, another area of growing concern in New Delhi. Paragraph 4 of the draft resolution says, “..urges the Government of Sri Lanka to investigate all attacks, by individuals and groups, on temples, mosques, and churches and to take steps to prevent future attacks; and calls on the Government of Sri Lanka to investigate and hold accountable perpetrators of attacks on places of worship, journalists, human rights defenders, members of religious minority groups, and other members of civil society.”
சாவகச்சேரி பிரதேச செயலகத்திற்கு முன்பாக உதய சூரியன் கிராம மக்கள் ஆர்ப்பாட்டத்தில் ஈடுபட்டு வருகின்றனர்.
இன்று காலை 8.30 மணியில் இருந்து நூற்றுக்கும்மேற்பட்டவர்கள் போராட்டத்தில் ஈடுபட்டுவருகின்றனர்.
பிரதேச செயலகத்தினை முற்றுகையிட்ட மக்கள் தமக்கு சொந்த காணி வேண்டும், 50 வருடங்களுக்கு மேலாக நாங்கள் ஏமாற்றப்பட்டு விட்டோம், எமக்கு தீர்வு எப்போது? , அரச அதிகாரிகளே நீங்கள் வந்து எமது குடியிருப்பை பாருங்கள் போன்ற பதாதைகளை ஏந்தியவாறு நூற்றுக்கும் அதிகமானவர்கள் போராட்டத்தில் ஈடுபட்டுவருகின்றனர்.
ஆர்ப்பாட்டத்தில் ஈடுபட்ட மக்களுடன் கலந்துரையாடிய சாவகச்சேரி பிரதேச செயலாளர் திருமதி.அ.சாந்தசீலன்,
கடற்கரை பாதுகாப்பு சட்டத்தின் படி கடலிலிருந்து 200 மீற்றர் தூரத்திற்குள் மக்கள் குடியிருக்க முடியாது. எனவே அப் பகுதிக்குள் வசிப்பவர்களுக்கு வேறு பிரதேசங்களில் காணிகள் வழங்கப்படும். 200 மீற்றருக்கு அப்பால் வசிப்பவர்களுக்கு மட்டும் அந்த இடங்கள் சொந்தமாக வழங்கப்படும். மேலும் இப் பிரச்சினை தொடர்பாக உரிய அதிகாரிகளுக்கு தெரிவித்து நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்படும் என உறுதியளித்ததையடுத்து மக்கள் ஆர்ப்பாட்டத்தைக் கைவிட்டனர்.
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The United Nations Human Rights Commissioner, Navi Pillai, has equated the government of Sri Lanka with that of North Korea during a meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister, Yun Byung-se at the onset of the ongoing 25th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
Well informed sources told The Island that Pillay had demonstrated her hostility towards Sri Lanka when the top level South Korean delegation met her during the high level segment. Sri Lankan External Affairs Minister, Prof. G. L. Peiris, too, had been in Geneva during the high level segment of the session. Sources alleged that it was a calculated move to influence South Korean government to throw its weight behind the US-led resolution against Sri Lanka scheduled to be taken up next Thursday (March 27).
South Korea is a member of the UNHRC comprising 47 countries divided into five regional groups.
Alleging that Pillay had been campaigning openly in support of the US resolution, government sources said the former South African official was pursuing an agenda of her own.
Responding to a query, sources recalled the circumstances under which Pillay compared the human rights situation in Sri Lanka with that of Russia. She declared spending more time on Sri Lanka than Russia due to deteriorating situation here.
Ms. Pillay's offensive meant that she was prejudiced and therefore Sri Lanka couldn't accept her office playing any role in an external investigation into atrocities allegedly committed during the conflict here, a high ranking Sri Lankan government official said.
External Affairs Ministry official said that Sri Lanka had never faced an attempt to compare Sri Lanka with North Korea even at the height of the northern war.
Sat, Mar 22, 2014, 09:11 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Mar 22, London: The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom said he has secured the full support of the European Union for the UN resolution on Sri Lanka UK co-sponsored with the United States.
Addressing the press conference at the close of European Council on Friday (March 21) Cameron said Sri Lankan President's failure to properly address the issues of accountability for the past and bring reconciliation in the country has necessitated the international investigation called on by the resolution.
The UK leader said he raised the situation in Sri Lanka, an issue he deeply cares about as he wants to see reconciliation in the country.
"I also raised the situation in Sri Lanka. As you know, this is an issue I care deeply about. I want to see reconciliation in the country, and that means properly addressing issues of the past. President Rajapaksa has failed to do this, so now we need an international, independent investigation into alleged war crimes," Cameron said.
He said the UN Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay has called for an international, independent investigation this, and that is what the UK co-sponsored resolution at the UN Human Rights Council supports.
"Countries will vote on that resolution next week, and today I secured the full backing of all of the European Union for that approach," the PM said.
During his visit to Sri Lanka to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in November 2013, Cameron gave an ultimatum to the Sri Lankan government to conduct a credible transparent and independent investigation into the war crime allegations by March 2014.
The UK Prime Minister warned that if Sri Lanka fails to initiate an investigation by March he will use UK's position in the UNHRC to call for a full credible independent international investigation.
The Draft Resolution HRC25/1 "Promoting reconciliation, accountability, and human rights in Sri Lanka" submitted by the US, UK and few other countries to the 25th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva calls for an international investigation into the alleged war crimes committed by both the government and the Tamil Tiger terrorist group LTTE during the armed conflict that ended in May of 2009.
(Lanka-e-News-22.March.2014, 4.30PM) The frequency of elections does not necessarily imply prevalence of “Democracy”. Even dictators such as Adolf Hitler, Saddam Hussein and Robert Mugabe held elections in which they claimed to have won almost 99.9% of the votes cast. It is a democratic principle that regular elections should be conducted for the public to elect their representatives. This purpose is not served by staggered elections as the party in power has the undue advantage of declaring elections for their convenience and political advantage. The democratic verdict of the people is inevitably distorted due to exploitation of Public Servants and misuse of State Resources by the party in power for election purposes.
The famous Kalinga war that took place in India around 262 BC had been a seminal moment in Emperor Asoka’s personal journey, in India’s history as well as in the history of Buddhism. The Maurya King Asoka waged the war to bring the province of Kalinga under the empire’s control. Thousands died and their bodies lay scattered all over with blood drooping from their limbs. This experience stirred a spiritual revolution in the psyche of Asoka. Deeply shaken by the tragedy of that war the King underwent a personal transformation that made him eschew all violence and develop sorrow and compassion for all human beings. He became a convert to Buddhism- a religion that had already gripped his subconscious for its powerful message of peace and non-violence. The futility, tragedy, waste, and immense sorrow that war brings was graphically set in his memory. From that point on, historians have recorded how the Emperor transformed his empire into a truly blessed land where compassion towards the human being became the central focus of government policy. King Asoka had already demonstrated his undoubted skill in military conquest. Now, he showed his greatness and nobility in peace as exemplified by a series of projects throughout the length and breadth of the great subcontinent that came under his sway.
An unprecedented British push for a Special Court for Sri Lanka on the lines of UN backed Special Court for Sierra Leone has surprised even those who have been calling for an international investigation into atrocities allegedly committed by the Sri Lankan military and the LTTE during Eelam War IV (August 2006-May 2009).
Authoritative government sources told The Island that the UK would have made its last move at the behest of influential LTTE activists in the UK. British Foreign Secretary, William Hague has unveiled the British plan in India amidst ongoing Western efforts to persuade Premier Manmohan Singh to announce his backing for US-led resolution scheduled to be voted next Thursday (March 27).
India voted for US-led resolutions against Sri Lanka in 2012 and 2013.
In an opinion column published in The Hindu on March 17, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said: "Seeking the truth and justice helps to put countries on the right track toward reconciliation. Sierra Leone is a good example. Special Court convictions drew a definitive line under a tumultuous period of Sierra Leone’s history and addressed impunity in response to victims’ needs to promote healing."
Asked whether what UK’s position would be on an international mechanism to investigate atrocities, including those committed by the Indian Army during its deployment here (July 1987 to March 1990), a spokesperson for the British High Commission in Colombo said: "As we have previously said and as our Prime Minister said during his visit to Sri Lanka in November last year, we are supporting a call for an independent international investigation into allegations of war crimes in Sri Lanka, in the absence of a credible, transparent and independent domestic process. The UK takes allegations of war crimes seriously including those allegations of wrongdoing by our own Armed Forces. For example, allegations relating to Iraq that have been brought to our attention are subjected to thorough examination – including through the Iraq Historic Allegations Team, independent Public Inquiries, and in the UK and European courts."
The official directed The Island to submit two others queries to British Foreign Office. One question was about Mr. Hague’s position as regards India’s culpability in causing terrorism in Sri Lanka in the 1980s against the backdrop of former Liberian President Charles Taylor being moved to a high security British jail after his sentence for aiding and abetting war crimes in the neighbouing Sierra Leone was upheld by a UN-backed tribunal. We also asked the British High Commission whether the UK had taken up the Sri Lanka issue at the UNHRC before the end of the conflict in May 2009.
Although our questions were sent to London Press Office on March 18, the Foreign Office has not answered them despite reminders. The same queries were subsequently forwarded through the British High in Colombo but there was no response.
The Special Court for Sierra Leone established jointly by the government of Sierra Leone and the UN had been mandated to try not only human rights violators in Sierra Leone but those external elements which had caused terrorism. The Appeals Chamber judges of the court on September 26, 2013 upheld Taylor’s conviction that was made by the Trial Chamber in April 2012.
Secretary to the President, Lalith Weeratunga during a recent official visit to Washington pointed out that an international investigation could upset Sri Lanka’s relationship with India. Reuters quoted Weeratunga as having said: "If there is an international investigation, the whole period has to be investigated - from the 1980s onward - which includes the two-year tenure of the Indian Peacekeeping Force, which will upset India and our relationship with India."
[ வெள்ளிக்கிழமை, 21 மார்ச் 2014, 08:05.40 AM GMT ]
2009 ஆம் ஆண்டுக்கு பின்னர், இலங்கையில் தமிழ் மக்கள் பல்வேறு வகையில் பாலியல் துன்புறுத்தல் உட்பட பல்வேறு சித்திரவதைகளுக்கு உள்ளாக்கப்பட்டுள்ளதாக இங்கிலாந்து மனித உரிமை குழு தெரிவித்துள்ளது.
போருக்கு பின்னர் தமிழர்கள் எதிர்நோக்கும் பிரச்சினைகள் தொடர்பான அறிக்கை ஒன்றை இந்த குழு ஐக்கிய நாடுகள் அமைப்பிடம் வழங்கியுள்ளது.
40 தமிழர்களிடம் நடத்தப்பட்ட விசாரணை நேர்காணல்களை அடிப்படையாக கொண்டு இந்த அறிக்கையை இங்கிலாந்து மனித உரிமை குழு தயாரித்துள்ளதாக தி காடியன் பத்திரிகை தெரிவித்துள்ளது.
புகலிடம் கோரி அவுஸ்திரேலியாவுக்கு சென்ற இலங்கையர்கள் பலர் அங்கிருந்து மீண்டும் இலங்கைக்கு திருப்பி வைக்கப்பட்டனர்.
இவ்வாறு திருப்பி அனுப்பி வைக்கப்பட்ட தமிழர்கள் இலங்கையில் பல்வேறு சித்திரவதைகளுககு உள்ளாக்கப்பட்டுள்ளதாக அந்த அறிக்கையில் சுட்டிக்காட்டப்பட்டுள்ளது.
இங்கிலாந்து மனித உரிமை குழுவின் இந்த அறிக்கையை இலங்கைக்கு எதிரான மேற்குலக நாடுகள் வெளியிட்டுள்ளன.
110 பக்கங்களை கொண்ட இந்த அறிக்கை தொடர்பில் இலங்கைக்கு எதிராக குரல் கொடுத்து வரும் தென் ஆப்பிரிக்க பேராயர் டெஸ்மண் டுட்டுவும் கருத்து வெளியிட்டுள்ளார்.
இரண்டாம் இணைப்பு
இலங்கையில் 2009 ஆம் ஆண்டு போர் முடிவுக்கு வந்த பின்னர் தமிழர்கள் பாலியல் துன்புறுத்தல்களுக்கு உள்ளாக்கப்பட்டமை தொடர்பாக புதிய அறிக்கை ஒன்றின் மூலம் ஆவணப்படுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளது.
போருக்கு பின்னர், கட்டாய வாய்வழி புணர்ச்சி, குதவழி வல்லுறவு, தண்ணீர் சித்திரவதை உள்ளிட்ட பாலியல் மற்றும் உடல் ரீதியான கொடுமைகள் தமிழர்களுக்கு எதிராக இழைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளதாக அந்த அறிக்கையில் குறிப்பிடப்பட்டுள்ளது.
நாடு கடத்தப்பட்ட புகலிட கோரிக்கையாளர்களின் சாட்சியங்களும் உள்ளடக்கப்பட்டுள்ள இந்த அறிக்கையில் அவுஸ்திரேலியா தமிழர்களை நாடு கடத்துவது தொடர்பிலும் கேள்வி எழுப்பட்டுள்ளது.
பிரித்தானியாவின் சட்டத்தரணிகள் சங்கத்தின் மனித உரிமை குழு, மனித உரிமை சட்டத்தரணி யஸ்மின் சூகா, உண்மை மற்றும் நீதிக்கான சர்வதேச திட்டம் ஆகியோர் இணைந்து இந்த அறிக்கை தயாரித்துள்ளனர்.
இரும்பு குழாய்களினால் தாக்கப்பட்ட, சிகரெட்டுக்களால் சுடப்பட்ட மற்றும் சூடான பொருட்களினால் உடலில் முத்திரை பதிக்கப்பட்டு துன்புறுத்தல்களுக்கு உள்ளாக்கப்பட்ட தமிழர்களின் சாட்சியங்கள் இதில் உள்ளடக்கப்படடுள்ளன.
இலங்கை அதிகாரிகளினால் தடுத்து வைக்கப்பட்டு சித்திரவதைகளுக்கு உள்ளாக்கப்பட்ட 40 பேரிடம் இருந்து பெறப்பட்ட விசாரணை நேர்காணல்களின் அடிப்படையில் இந்த அறிக்கை தயாரிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.
அனைத்து சித்திரவதைகளும் கிட்டத்தட்ட சில பாலியல் வடிவங்களில் மேற்கொள்ளப்பட்டுள்ளன.
பாதிக்கப்பட்டவர்களில் பலர் திருப்பி அனுப்பி வைக்கப்பட்ட புகலிட கோரிக்கையாளர்கள். இலங்கை திரும்பிய இவர்களிடம் தஞ்சம் பெறுவதற்கான முயற்சிகள் மற்றும் அவுஸ்திரேலியாவுடன் இருக்கு நெருக்கமான உறவுகள் பற்றி விசாரிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளனர்.
2012 ஆம் ஆண்டு முதல் திருப்பி அனுப்பி வைக்கப்பட்ட புகலிட கோரிக்கையாளர்களில் பலர் சட்டத்தரணிகளின் அணுகலுடனோ அல்லது சாதாரண விதிமுறைகளின் அடிப்படையிலோ அணுகப்படவில்லை.
தமிழர்களுக்கு எதிராக இழைக்கப்பட்டு வரும் சித்திரவதைகள், பாலியல் வல்லுறவுகள், பாலியல் வன்முறைகளில் இந்த அறிக்கையானது சிறிய மாதிரி மாத்திரமே என யஸ்மின் சூகா தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.
சர்வதேச சமூகம் தற்போதே செயற்பட வேண்டும். இல்லையெனில் இவ்வாறான அட்டூழியங்கள் மோதலுக்கு பின்னரான இலங்கையில் வரையறையின்றி தொடரும் என்றும் சூகா கூறியுள்ளார்.
Civil Society organisations based in 15 Southern countries call upon Southern states to play a prominent role at the 25th regular session of the Council in supporting the establishment of an independent, international investigative mechanism on Sri Lanka that is capable of producing accountability.
The 24 signatory Civil Society organisations based in Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Republic of Korea, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand and Uganda said; “From our experience we know that no amount of time will allow truth, justice and accountability to be established domestically so long as rule of law is subverted and an environment of human rights abuse and impunity prevails. In such circumstances, pursuant to its mandate to address violations of human rights, including gross and systematic violations, the Council must lose no time in instituting an international mechanism to independently investigate allegations of serious violations in Sri Lanka. Moreover, the High Commissioner’s call for investigations represents the natural progression of the Council’s efforts on Sri Lanka in the last two years. If states do not fully heed this call it will amount to lowering a threshold the body has set for itself. We fear that such a signal from the Council will only bolster ongoing human rights abuses and encourage further break down of democracy in Sri Lanka. Given this context, we call upon Southern states to play a prominent role at the 25th regular session of the Council in supporting the establishment of an independent, international investigative mechanism on Sri Lanka that is capable of producing accountability.”
Ban ki-Moon had encouraged the idea of follow-up activity and further accountability in Sri Lanka
UN SG ( UN photo)
Saturday, March 22, 2014
The following is a near-verbatim transcript of 21 March 2914 noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General
Question: On Sri Lanka and something about labour. On Sri Lanka, there’s been a report issued by Yasmine Sooka, who was on Ban Ki-moon’s panel of experts. And the report focuses on since 2009, instances of torture and sexual abuse of Tamils by the Government. And it’s been widely circulated in Geneva. At the same time, the former President Kumaratunga, has said that she lives in fear of the Sri Lankan security forces.
So I’m wondering, again, particularly since Yasmine Sooka was one of the three people named by the Secretary-General to study this issue, is the Secretary aware of this report? Do they have any comment on it? Do they have any… think that this pending resolution on accountability should be enacted by Member States or not?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, on the pending resolution, of course, that’s for the Member States to consider. You’ve seen the Secretary-General in the past, when he received his own internal report, by Ms. Sooka and the rest of the panel, that he had encouraged the idea of follow-up activity and further accountability. Of course it’s up to the Member States to determine what format that will take, and we’ll leave it in their hands, but he’s made clear his own views on that, and we don’t have any direct comment on Ms. Sooka’s current report. Yes, Oleg?
[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 March 2014, 14:29 GMT] All Tamil students from the first year have vacated the hostel of the Eastern University at Vanthaa’ru-mooalai in Batticaloa on Saturday following a brutal attack by Sinhala hostel inmates on 1st year Tamil students who were having a birth day party on Thursday midnight. More than 45 Sinhala students, armed with batons, penknives and iron-boxes, assaulted the Tamil students at the party causing serious injuries to 7 Tamil students. 2 Sinhala students were also injured in the clashes that followed. The Sinhala policemen at the police post had refused to intervene to stop the clash.
One of the Tamil students sustained serious injury on his head, news sources in Batticaloa said.
In the meantime, a student union representative told TamilNet that the Tamil students have decided to boycott the classes for the next two weeks.
Tamil students from Up-Country, Colombo, Trincomalee, Vavuniyaa, Mannaar, Mullaiththeevu, Ki’linochchi and Jaffna started leaving the hostel from Friday.
Only first year and last year Tamil students are provided hostel admission at the university while Sinhala students from all years are admitted to the hostel, making Sinhala students the majority at the hostel of the Batticaloa university.
A Sri Lankan police post was created with the intention of providing ‘security’ to the Sinhala students at the hostel.
Sinhala students have got ‘inspired’ by the occupying military as militarization, Sinhalicisation and colonization is spearheaded in the East by the occupying SL military, a Tamil student leader told TamilNet Saturday.
The Batticaloa University has been purposefully named as ‘Eastern University of Sri Lanka’ by the Sinhala State to erase the identity of Batticaloa.
In October 2013, Sinhala students opposing the election of a Muslim as leader in the student union elections clashed with Tamil-speaking Muslim students at the South Eastern University situated in Chammaathu’rai.
There have been also reports of Sri Lankan government attempting to Sinhalicise the Trincomalee campus.
The entire operations are carried out on the theoretical basis of the LLRC recommendations of the genocidal Sinhala state, which have been endorsed and further nuanced by the Washington - New Delhi Establishments at international forums such as the UNHRC.
The thrust of the LLRC-recommendation was erasing everything of exclusive Tamil identity, including land, in the island before 2020.
By Kevin Sieff, 
