Addressing the final day of the 2009 Labour party conference, former Labour whip Siobhain McDonagh MP draws attention to Channel 4 News's coverage of events in Sri Lanka.
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1184614595?bctid=42951590001
The Labour party conference in Brighton turned its attention to the aftermath of the civil war in Sri Lanka today.
In his speech, Foreign Secretary David Miliband said –
"In those democracies, like Sri Lanka, where civil war claimed lives and liberty, we say governments have a duty to uphold the civil, social and political rights of all their citizens, whatever their ethnicity or religion."
The conference went on to debate – and pass – a resolution which condemned "the detention by the Sri Lankan government of 300,000 men, women and children" as inhumane.
The resolution also called for journalists to be allowed to enter Sri Lanka and report what is happening in the camps, and for the withdrawal of Sri Lanka’s favoured trading status.
Debating the resolution, former Labour whip Siobhain McDonagh described Sri Lanka as "a country where we can see on Channel 4 News young men, naked and bound, shot at close range."
On 25 Augusthttp://www.channel4.com/news/articles/world/asia_pacific/execution%20video%20is%20this%20evidence%20of%20war%20crimes%20in%20sri%20lanka/3321087which appeared to show Sri Lankan forces executing Tamils.
The footage allegedly dated from January of this year, several months before Sri Lanka declared victory over the Tamil Tigers after a civil war that had lasted more than a quarter of a century.
Sri Lanka’s government disputed the authenticity of the footage, but it nonetheless http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/politics/international_politics/un+probing+sri+lanka+aposexecutionsapos/3328212
UN rapporteur Philip Alston remarked: “This videotape seems to have most of the characteristics of a genuine article.”
On 7 September http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/world/asia_pacific/footage+reveals+sri+lanka+camp+conditions/3335367
which appeared to reveal the victims of Sri Lanka’s war, suffering poor conditions in UN-funded camps.
Four days later, on 11 September, Professor Rajiva Wijesinha, spokesman for Sri Lanka’s ministry of disaster management,http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/politics/international_politics/interview
appeared on Channel 4 News, questioning the authenticity of the film shown on 7 September and of the earlier footage.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Sri Lanka accepts UN criticism of camps
Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe pledged the government would address recommendations made by Walter Kaelin, a representative of the United Nations secretary-general, who last week toured the detention facilities.
"It is a very positive statement. We take these things in the right spirit."
The government has vowed to re-settle all people displaced during the decades of war by January, but international aid and human rights groups have questioned its commitment to the welfare of Tamil civilians.
Kaelin spent five days visiting the overcrowded camps and holding talks with officials.
Sri Lanka has resisted repeated calls to close the camps, saying it needed more time to weed out former Tamil Tiger rebel fighters.
UN Security Council Calls for Appointment of Special Representative on Sexual Violence
Secretary Clinton said that during her July trip to Africa, she met victims of sexual violence in the eastern province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where more than a 1,100 rapes are reported each month.
"The physical and emotional damage to individual women and their families from these attacks cannot be quantified nor can the toll on their societies," said Hillary Clinton. "The dehumanizing nature of sexual violence doesn't just harm a single individual or a single family or even a single village or a single group. It shreds the fabric that weaves us together as human beings. It endangers families and communities, erodes social and political stability, and undermines economic progress. We need to understand that it holds all of us back."
Clinton said that despite two earlier Security Council resolutions, sexual violence in conflict situations has not diminished, and in some cases has escalated.
She noted that new resolution - 1888 - aims to give the U.N. and member states new tools to prevent conflict-related sexual violence and end impunity.
"It [the resolution] calls on the secretary-general to appoint a special representative to lead, coordinate and advocate for efforts to end sexual violence," said Secretary Clinton. "It also calls on the secretary-general to rapidly deploy a team of experts to work with governments to strengthen the rule of law, address impunity and enhance accountability."
The resolution also raises the possibility of sanctions, as it requests Security Council sanctions committees to consider patterns of sexual violence when adopting or targeting sanctions.
Sexual violence against women and girls has been widespread in Africa, where U.N. statistics show that as many as a half a million women were raped during the Rwandan genocide of the 1990s; some 64,000 women were victims of violence during Sierra Leone's 10-year long conflict; and today in Darfur and the Democratic Republic of Congo, thousands more suffer. But the problem is not limited to Africa. Rape has been used as a weapon of war in the Balkans, Burma and Sri Lanka.
Human rights groups, which have criticized the United Nations and the Security Council for not doing enough to protect women against violence, welcomed Wednesday's resolution and urged the secretary-general to move swiftly to appoint the new special representative.
Supreme Court to decide terrorism support law
The justices agreed to review a U.S. appeals court ruling that struck down as unconstitutionally vague a law that makes it a crime to provide support to a foreign terrorist group.
The law, first adopted in 1996, was strengthened by the USA Patriot Act supported by then-President George W. Bush and approved by Congress right after the September 11 attacks in 2001. It was amended again in 2004.
Convictions under the law, which bars knowingly providing any service, training, expert advice or assistance to a designated foreign terrorist group, can result in sentences of 15 years to life in prison.
The law does not require any proof that the defendant intended to further any act of terrorism or violence by the foreign group.
"We don't make the country safer by criminalizing those who advocate nonviolent means for resolving disputes. Congress can and should draw a clear line between assistance that further terrorism and that which does not," Cole said.
Since 2001, the United States has charged about 120 defendants with the material support of terrorism and about half have been convicted, the Justice Department said.
The challenge had been brought by groups and individuals who want to provide support to the Kurdistan Workers Party in Turkey and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka. The State Department designated both as foreign terrorist groups.
The Humanitarian Law group and others sued in 1998 in an effort to renew support for what they described as lawful, nonviolent activities overseas.
Extension of GSP Plus status to be decided next month
GSP Plus gives Sri Lanka the right to export more than 7,200 products duty-free to the EU, which last year accounted for 36 percent of Sri Lanka's US $8.1 billion in total exports. Countries receiving GSP Plus must have ratified and implemented 27 international conventions on rights, labour, development and good governance.
The biggest export revenue generator; apparels is fully dependent on the GSP Plus status being given a extension, since most of the exports from the sector are destined for Europe and losing the status would mean competing with other countries like China, India and Vietnam on a equal footing.
At UN, Ban Cannot Stop Sri Lanka's Shooting, Blake's Visit, Report Mid-October
In the wake of the Sri Lankan Army shooting at least two children on the margins of the Manik Farm "Internally Displaced Persons" camp in Vavuniya, Inner City Press on Tuesday asked UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon if, in his September 28 meeting with three Sri Lankan ministers, he sought or gained any commitment for non-use of lethal weapons on unarmed IDPs. Mr. Ban rattled off "three points" -- in essence, resettlement, reconciliation and accountability -- and said "they committed that they will do as we have agreed. But we have to have a close watch and monitor this process."FULL STORY
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Transferring IDPs, instead of releasing them, must stop: Anglican Bishop
If [IDP] persons said to be released [from the internment camps in Vavuniyaa] are in fact being transferred to camps in different regions, this is misleading and must stop, says Anglican Bishop of Colombo Rev. de Chickera. The Bishop has urged Rajapaksa government to allow media access to areas in the North and provide public updates on the work regarding resettlement of displaced persons.
Extracts from the statement by the Bishop follow:
"If the decision [to release persons in the camps] has been put on hold it must be reactivated. If the response of relatives has been slow, more time and wider publicity should be given. If persons said to be released are in fact being transferred to camps in different Regions, this is misleading and must stop. Reports of the lack of co-ordination amongst State Authorities are disappointing, and all those responsible for implementing this decision should be required to ensure co-ordination, compassion and speed.
"The decision to release, should however be clearly seen as an interim measure. The much more urgent task is to expedite the process of resettlement. Once the ‘home areas” of the Displaced are cleared of mines and the required infrastructure built, persons displaced, whether in the camps or with relatives, should be resettled in their original homes.
"I finally urge the Government to provide the Media with access to areas being de-mined and reconstructed, (subject to their safety and security precautions) and to also make regular public updates on this work. This will in turn provide information to all Sri Lankans, whether displaced or not, on the progress being made in this regard. In doing so the Government will demonstrate transparency in its management of the crisis and State Ministries and Officials will quite rightly be held accountable by the people."
Extracts from the statement by the Bishop follow:
"If the decision [to release persons in the camps] has been put on hold it must be reactivated. If the response of relatives has been slow, more time and wider publicity should be given. If persons said to be released are in fact being transferred to camps in different Regions, this is misleading and must stop. Reports of the lack of co-ordination amongst State Authorities are disappointing, and all those responsible for implementing this decision should be required to ensure co-ordination, compassion and speed.
"The decision to release, should however be clearly seen as an interim measure. The much more urgent task is to expedite the process of resettlement. Once the ‘home areas” of the Displaced are cleared of mines and the required infrastructure built, persons displaced, whether in the camps or with relatives, should be resettled in their original homes.
"I finally urge the Government to provide the Media with access to areas being de-mined and reconstructed, (subject to their safety and security precautions) and to also make regular public updates on this work. This will in turn provide information to all Sri Lankans, whether displaced or not, on the progress being made in this regard. In doing so the Government will demonstrate transparency in its management of the crisis and State Ministries and Officials will quite rightly be held accountable by the people."
SLA shoots 6 including women, children in Cheddiku'lam camp
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) on Saturday around 6:00 p.m. opened fire and injured six civilians including two women and three children in Cheddiku'lam internment camp, according to initial reports reaching from Vavuniyaa. One 8-year-old child, seriously wounded in the episode, was transferred to Anuradhapura hospital from Vavuniyaa hospital, medical sources in Vavuniyaa said.
The unfortunate group of six is said to have gone for collecting firewood in the surroundings of the camp.
World Food Programme (WFP) has stopped supplying cooked meals from 17 September. The inmates are dependent on dry rations (rice, sugar and dahl), but they lack proper facilities to cook the meals.
Civilians inside the camps are forced to get other materials, firewood, salt, tamarind etc., from external sources.
The civilians who tried to cross over the camps to get firewood were shot by the SLA.
Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan military officials in Colombo said the SLA opened fire when civilians who tried to 'escape' started to stone the SLA soldiers when they were blocked from leaving the camp. The military officials put the number of wounded civilians at three.
The unfortunate group of six is said to have gone for collecting firewood in the surroundings of the camp.
World Food Programme (WFP) has stopped supplying cooked meals from 17 September. The inmates are dependent on dry rations (rice, sugar and dahl), but they lack proper facilities to cook the meals.
Civilians inside the camps are forced to get other materials, firewood, salt, tamarind etc., from external sources.
The civilians who tried to cross over the camps to get firewood were shot by the SLA.
Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan military officials in Colombo said the SLA opened fire when civilians who tried to 'escape' started to stone the SLA soldiers when they were blocked from leaving the camp. The military officials put the number of wounded civilians at three.
‘Paranoid Colombo machinates IDP human shield’
A whole world is duped in what Colombo is machinating in the name of resettlement of IDPs, Tamil circles in Jaffna commented, citing Sri Lanka Navy’s new internment camps around its installations in the island sector of Jaffna. Colombo’s aim is threefold: a human shield of civilians for its occupying forces, prevention of rightful owners reoccupying houses and lands around its military installations and eventually confiscating those lands in strategic areas for its expansion and other demographic conspiracies in the very heart of Tamil homeland, pointed out Tamil circles adding that a paranoid Sri Lankan state can never deliver justice to Tamils. The core truth is that the barbed-wire camps came up because the world powers wanted it. But some powers by not directly taking responsibility and some others like India by sitting on international action continue injustice, Jaffna circles said.
The SLN ‘resettled’ nearly 2000 civilians brought from the internment camps of Vavuniyaa in new internment camps created by using abandoned houses around its naval installations in Kaarainakar and in Kayts, this week.
For nearly two decades now, Colombo’s armed forces are occupying vast tracts of potential civilian land along the northern coast of the peninsula in the name of High Security Zone. A so-called ‘development model’ for Jaffna that is now being circulated shows that this tract is not going to be returned to people, but is going to be used for resource exploitation and a new city for the occupiers, with harbour, airport and military installations, as a joint venture of Colombo and New Delhi. Reviving the cement factory in Kaankeasanthurai is the biggest environmental crime that is going to affect hundreds of thousands of civilians, discouraging them from inhabiting the northern part of the peninsula, academic circles in Jaffna said.
Meanwhile, the SLA installed landmine blast that seriously injured three recently resettled civilians in the Ariyaalai tract is alleged to be another trick of Colombo to discourage the call for expediting resettlement. Unless the international community takes direct responsibility and removes Colombo’s occupying armed forces, peace and ‘reconciliation’ is a mirage in the island, opined a veteran Tamil politician in Jaffna.
The SLN ‘resettled’ nearly 2000 civilians brought from the internment camps of Vavuniyaa in new internment camps created by using abandoned houses around its naval installations in Kaarainakar and in Kayts, this week.
For nearly two decades now, Colombo’s armed forces are occupying vast tracts of potential civilian land along the northern coast of the peninsula in the name of High Security Zone. A so-called ‘development model’ for Jaffna that is now being circulated shows that this tract is not going to be returned to people, but is going to be used for resource exploitation and a new city for the occupiers, with harbour, airport and military installations, as a joint venture of Colombo and New Delhi. Reviving the cement factory in Kaankeasanthurai is the biggest environmental crime that is going to affect hundreds of thousands of civilians, discouraging them from inhabiting the northern part of the peninsula, academic circles in Jaffna said.
Meanwhile, the SLA installed landmine blast that seriously injured three recently resettled civilians in the Ariyaalai tract is alleged to be another trick of Colombo to discourage the call for expediting resettlement. Unless the international community takes direct responsibility and removes Colombo’s occupying armed forces, peace and ‘reconciliation’ is a mirage in the island, opined a veteran Tamil politician in Jaffna.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Civilians clash with SLA in Vavuniyaa internment camp
Additional police and Sri Lanka Army troops were brought into the College of Education internment camp in Vavuniyaa after clashes erupted between civilian inmates and Sri Lankan forces following the arrest and assault of a Tamil youth in the camp. Several civilians and armed personnel sustained minor injuries, sources in Vavuniyaa said.
On Monday, a 31-year-old Tamil youth Paranchami Chandramohan, was taken by force by the SLA. He was severely assaulted and taken away. The inmates of the camp were inquiring the SLA and police on his whereabouts for the last two days.
The civilian protestors who did not get any positive reply from the Sri Lankan forces tried to breach the fences and attempted to come out Wednesday morning. They were throwing stones.
In return, the Sri Lankan forces also reacted in the same manner. The matter was brought to the notice of Vavuniyaa Magistrate A.G.Alexraja. He personally visited the camp and brought the situation under control.
The youth is presently being treated at the Vavuniyaa hospital.
On Monday, a 31-year-old Tamil youth Paranchami Chandramohan, was taken by force by the SLA. He was severely assaulted and taken away. The inmates of the camp were inquiring the SLA and police on his whereabouts for the last two days.
The civilian protestors who did not get any positive reply from the Sri Lankan forces tried to breach the fences and attempted to come out Wednesday morning. They were throwing stones.
In return, the Sri Lankan forces also reacted in the same manner. The matter was brought to the notice of Vavuniyaa Magistrate A.G.Alexraja. He personally visited the camp and brought the situation under control.
The youth is presently being treated at the Vavuniyaa hospital.
US leadership in rights issues questioned
Noting that the "[Obama] Administration has pursued a low profile approach to Sri Lanka, where a military offensive against rebels is believed to have killed thousands of civilians," Washington Post in an article in Tuesday edition says that rights advocates have been frustrated by several episodes and said US's new approach has undercut U.S. leadership on human rights issues. Responding to U.S.'s assertion
Excerpts related to Sri Lanka from the article follow:
Silence on Sri Lanka?
The other major concern of human rights advocates monitoring developments at the United Nations is Sri Lanka.
When the government launched its final offensive this year against the country's Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), it was Mexico and Austria that first raised the alarm in the Security Council. France and Britain sent their foreign ministers to the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, to press the government to show restraint.
The United States supported those efforts to draw attention to the crisis in the Security Council, which China and Russia opposed. It backed a compromise that allowed for discussion on the Sri Lanka conflict in the U.N. basement.
"The U.S. government remained relatively silent on the Sri Lankan crisis, especially in the early stages of the fighting," said Fabienne Hara, vice president for multilateral affairs at the International Crisis Group. Its response to Sri Lanka "did not seem to match the commitment to preventing mass human rights abuses stated during the presidential campaign," she said.
Rice challenged that assessment, saying "my perception is that we spoke out very forcefully."She said that the United States had a strong ambassador on the ground in Sri Lanka, conveying American concerns, and that the assistant secretary of state for refugees traveled there to conduct an assessment mission. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Rice said, had been personally focused on the issue.
"I think that is an instance where our stand was clear, consistent and principled," she said.
Excerpts related to Sri Lanka from the article follow:
Silence on Sri Lanka?
When the government launched its final offensive this year against the country's Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), it was Mexico and Austria that first raised the alarm in the Security Council. France and Britain sent their foreign ministers to the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, to press the government to show restraint.
The United States supported those efforts to draw attention to the crisis in the Security Council, which China and Russia opposed. It backed a compromise that allowed for discussion on the Sri Lanka conflict in the U.N. basement.
"The U.S. government remained relatively silent on the Sri Lankan crisis, especially in the early stages of the fighting," said Fabienne Hara, vice president for multilateral affairs at the International Crisis Group. Its response to Sri Lanka "did not seem to match the commitment to preventing mass human rights abuses stated during the presidential campaign," she said.
Rice challenged that assessment, saying "my perception is that we spoke out very forcefully."She said that the United States had a strong ambassador on the ground in Sri Lanka, conveying American concerns, and that the assistant secretary of state for refugees traveled there to conduct an assessment mission. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Rice said, had been personally focused on the issue.
"I think that is an instance where our stand was clear, consistent and principled," she said.
Tamils protest in New York, say Ban ineffective, lacks leadership
Several dozen American Tamils assembled near the United Nations building between 1st Avenue and 47th Street Tuesday around noon and protested against UN inaction, particularly the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, for first failing to prevent the bloodbath in May when more than 20,000 Tamil civilians were allegedly killed by Sri Lanka Army using heavy weapons, and now for allowing Sri Lanka to continue to incarcerate nearly 300,000 in military supervised internment camps with little freedom of movement. Protesters urged the UN to take swift action to pressure Sri Lanka to allow civilians to return to their villages and resume normal life, attendees to the rally said.
"Sri Lanka is attempting to destroy the Tamil community on the island, and this crime is not being effectively stopped by the UN," a protester said reflecting the frustration among Tamils to witness the premier institution which is supposed to speak for the voiceless minorities, lay paralyzed.
"While Western nations call for an investigation of war crimes, the Sri Lankan government continues to deny independent investigators and journalists’ access to war-torn areas. Sri Lankan government continues to expel aid workers who dare to speak up. The UN is unable to free its own staff members from the camp," a leaflet distributed at the protest said of UN.
While UN action against Sri Lanka remained dormant with China and Russia opposing any moves, human rights advocates faulted the mixed messages of the US and its low profile approach to Sri Lanka where the military offensive "is believed to have killed thousands of civilians."
While UN action against Sri Lanka remained dormant with China and Russia opposing any moves, human rights advocates faulted the mixed messages of the US and its low profile approach to Sri Lanka where the military offensive "is believed to have killed thousands of civilians."
HRW: World leaders should demand end to Sri Lanka detention camps
Human Rights Watch (HRW), a New York-based rights group, in a press release issued Tuesday, expressed concern "about a lack of protection mechanisms in the camps and the secret, incommunicado detention - and possible enforced disappearance - of suspected combatants. Poor conditions, overcrowding, and inadequate medical care increases the risk of serious health problems during the coming monsoon season," and noting that "the authorities are not being open and honest with camp residents about when they may go home, keeping them in a state of uncertainty and anxiety," urged the world leaders to demand an end to Sri Lanka 'detention camps."
Full text of the press release follows:
World leaders in New York for the United Nations General Assembly and the G-20 economic summit in Pittsburgh should call on the Sri Lankan government to immediately release more than 260,000 displaced persons illegally confined in detention camps, Human Rights Watch said today.
Human Rights Watch said it was concerned about a lack of protection mechanisms in the camps and the secret, incommunicado detention - and possible enforced disappearance - of suspected combatants. Poor conditions, overcrowding, and inadequate medical care increases the risk of serious health problems during the coming monsoon season. Human Rights Watch also said that the authorities are not being open and honest with camp residents about when they may go home, keeping them in a state of uncertainty and anxiety.
Last week, Human Rights Watch sent a letter to European Union states outlining problems and urging governments to intervene forcefully with the Sri Lankan government.
"The civilians locked up in these detention camps have a right to liberty now, not when the government gets around to it," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "World leaders should support calls from the UN to restore full freedom of movement to these people, who already have suffered mightily from war and displacement."
Since March 2008, the Sri Lankan government has confined virtually everyone displaced by the war between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to detention camps, depriving them of their liberty and freedom of movement in violation of international law. As of September 15, 2009, the government was holding 264,583 internally displaced persons in detention camps and hospitals, according to the UN, while fewer than 12,000 have been released or returned home.
Human Rights Watch said that recent government claims that a large number of camp residents had been released were false. A statement published on the website of the Ministry of Defence on September 12, claimed that the government released nearly 10,000 persons from the camps to their hometowns the previous day. However, it later emerged that they had been transferred to camps in their home districts, where they are undergoing further screening by the authorities. The Sri Lankan armed forces have indicated that the additional screening could take from several days to up to six months, even though each individual had already been registered and screened several times and cleared for release.
Sri Lanka has repeatedly promised to release the displaced persons from the camps as early as possible, including in a joint statement on May 23 by the UN secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, and President Mahinda Rajapaksa. But four months after the end of the fighting, there has been little progress.
During a visit to Sri Lanka last week, the UN under-secretary-general for political affairs, B. Lynn Pascoe, issued a strong statement calling on the government to allow internally displaced persons who have completed the screening process to leave the camps and to allow those who choose to remain to go out during the day and to meet freely with family and friends elsewhere. In response, Rajapaksa said that arrangements would be made to complete the return of the displaced civilians by the end of January, but that the return depended on the progress of demining in areas to which some would return.
"Demining is crucial, but the presence of landmines is not a valid basis for keeping people locked up," said Adams. "Many of the displaced can stay with relatives and host families far from any mined areas."
A delegation of high-level Sri Lankan officials will be in New York this week to attend the high-level segment of the UN General Assembly. Prime Minister Rathnasiri Wickramanayake will address the General Assembly on September 26 on, "Strengthening of Multilateralism and Dialogue among Civilizations for International Peace, Security and Development."
Human Rights Watch called upon world leaders to keep the plight of Sri Lanka's displaced persons at the forefront of discussions with the Sri Lankan delegation and to raise the following additional issues:
Arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance: The government has announced that it has detained more than 10,000 displaced persons on suspicion of having been involved with the LTTE. The government has separated them from their families and transferred them to separate camps and regular prisons. Human Rights Watch documented several cases in which individuals were taken into custody without regard to the protections provided under Sri Lankan law. In many cases, the authorities have not informed family members about the whereabouts of the detained, leaving them in secret, incommunicado detention or possible enforced disappearance, and, as a result, especially vulnerable to abuse.
Inability to trace missing relatives: Families in the detention camps have no access to mechanisms for finding missing relatives who might be in other camps or in unofficial detention centers. Individuals with access to the camps report that a significant number of people still do not know the whereabouts of their detained relatives, weeks and months later. Although the authorities have reportedly finished registering camp residents, the authorities are not making the lists available to people with missing relatives or organizations that do tracing. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which often traces family members, has been barred from the main camps since mid-July.
Lack of protection mechanisms in the camps: The military camp administration is preventing humanitarian organizations, including the UN and the ICRC, from undertaking effective monitoring and protection in the camps. In most cases, the military insists on being present during conversations with camp residents, preventing confidential exchanges of information about camp conditions. Even the Sri Lankan Human Rights Commission, a government entity, can only gain access to the camps with military permission.
Conditions in the camps and expected deterioration during the monsoon: The camps are severely overcrowded, exacerbated by the government's refusal to release civilians. Conditions will continue to deteriorate with the onset of the monsoon season, causing additional hardship and suffering. Heavy rains in mid-August caused serious flooding, as water destroyed tents and other shelter, made cooking impossible for many, and caused roads to collapse, preventing delivery of crucial aid, such as drinking water. Water also flooded latrine pits, causing raw sewage to flow among the tents. Aid agencies are particularly concerned about the threat of disease due to flooding during the monsoon season.
Lack of access to proper medical care: Camp residents do not have access to adequate medical care. Health facilities are rudimentary, understaffed, and under-resourced. Residents have reported that they have to wait in line for hours to see a doctor and, when they do, language barriers between Sinhalese-speaking doctors and Tamil-speaking patients often prevent effective communication. Many camps have no doctors at night, leaving residents without access to medical care in emergencies. Camp doctors' referrals to hospitals outside the camp are subject to approval by the military. On several occasions documented by Human Rights Watch, the military has rejected doctors' referrals, leading to a worsening of a patient's condition.
Lack of transparency and information: The authorities are keeping the camp residents in a state of uncertainty by failing to provide them with information about the reason for their continued detention, the whereabouts of their relatives, or the criteria and procedure for their return home. In some cases the authorities seem to have misled the displaced deliberately, such as on September 11, when they told several hundred camp residents that they would release them, when in fact they just transferred them to other detention camps for further screening.
"Sadly, the Sri Lankan government has a track record of lying, deceiving and breaking promises to civilians displaced by the conflict," said Adams. "The UN, donors, and bilateral partners should demand immediate, concrete progress and not let themselves be fooled again by empty government promises."
Full text of the press release follows:
World leaders in New York for the United Nations General Assembly and the G-20 economic summit in Pittsburgh should call on the Sri Lankan government to immediately release more than 260,000 displaced persons illegally confined in detention camps, Human Rights Watch said today.
Human Rights Watch said it was concerned about a lack of protection mechanisms in the camps and the secret, incommunicado detention - and possible enforced disappearance - of suspected combatants. Poor conditions, overcrowding, and inadequate medical care increases the risk of serious health problems during the coming monsoon season. Human Rights Watch also said that the authorities are not being open and honest with camp residents about when they may go home, keeping them in a state of uncertainty and anxiety.
Last week, Human Rights Watch sent a letter to European Union states outlining problems and urging governments to intervene forcefully with the Sri Lankan government.
"The civilians locked up in these detention camps have a right to liberty now, not when the government gets around to it," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "World leaders should support calls from the UN to restore full freedom of movement to these people, who already have suffered mightily from war and displacement."
Since March 2008, the Sri Lankan government has confined virtually everyone displaced by the war between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to detention camps, depriving them of their liberty and freedom of movement in violation of international law. As of September 15, 2009, the government was holding 264,583 internally displaced persons in detention camps and hospitals, according to the UN, while fewer than 12,000 have been released or returned home.
Human Rights Watch said that recent government claims that a large number of camp residents had been released were false. A statement published on the website of the Ministry of Defence on September 12, claimed that the government released nearly 10,000 persons from the camps to their hometowns the previous day. However, it later emerged that they had been transferred to camps in their home districts, where they are undergoing further screening by the authorities. The Sri Lankan armed forces have indicated that the additional screening could take from several days to up to six months, even though each individual had already been registered and screened several times and cleared for release.
Sri Lanka has repeatedly promised to release the displaced persons from the camps as early as possible, including in a joint statement on May 23 by the UN secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, and President Mahinda Rajapaksa. But four months after the end of the fighting, there has been little progress.
During a visit to Sri Lanka last week, the UN under-secretary-general for political affairs, B. Lynn Pascoe, issued a strong statement calling on the government to allow internally displaced persons who have completed the screening process to leave the camps and to allow those who choose to remain to go out during the day and to meet freely with family and friends elsewhere. In response, Rajapaksa said that arrangements would be made to complete the return of the displaced civilians by the end of January, but that the return depended on the progress of demining in areas to which some would return.
"Demining is crucial, but the presence of landmines is not a valid basis for keeping people locked up," said Adams. "Many of the displaced can stay with relatives and host families far from any mined areas."
A delegation of high-level Sri Lankan officials will be in New York this week to attend the high-level segment of the UN General Assembly. Prime Minister Rathnasiri Wickramanayake will address the General Assembly on September 26 on, "Strengthening of Multilateralism and Dialogue among Civilizations for International Peace, Security and Development."
Human Rights Watch called upon world leaders to keep the plight of Sri Lanka's displaced persons at the forefront of discussions with the Sri Lankan delegation and to raise the following additional issues:
Arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance: The government has announced that it has detained more than 10,000 displaced persons on suspicion of having been involved with the LTTE. The government has separated them from their families and transferred them to separate camps and regular prisons. Human Rights Watch documented several cases in which individuals were taken into custody without regard to the protections provided under Sri Lankan law. In many cases, the authorities have not informed family members about the whereabouts of the detained, leaving them in secret, incommunicado detention or possible enforced disappearance, and, as a result, especially vulnerable to abuse.
Inability to trace missing relatives: Families in the detention camps have no access to mechanisms for finding missing relatives who might be in other camps or in unofficial detention centers. Individuals with access to the camps report that a significant number of people still do not know the whereabouts of their detained relatives, weeks and months later. Although the authorities have reportedly finished registering camp residents, the authorities are not making the lists available to people with missing relatives or organizations that do tracing. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which often traces family members, has been barred from the main camps since mid-July.
Lack of protection mechanisms in the camps: The military camp administration is preventing humanitarian organizations, including the UN and the ICRC, from undertaking effective monitoring and protection in the camps. In most cases, the military insists on being present during conversations with camp residents, preventing confidential exchanges of information about camp conditions. Even the Sri Lankan Human Rights Commission, a government entity, can only gain access to the camps with military permission.
Conditions in the camps and expected deterioration during the monsoon: The camps are severely overcrowded, exacerbated by the government's refusal to release civilians. Conditions will continue to deteriorate with the onset of the monsoon season, causing additional hardship and suffering. Heavy rains in mid-August caused serious flooding, as water destroyed tents and other shelter, made cooking impossible for many, and caused roads to collapse, preventing delivery of crucial aid, such as drinking water. Water also flooded latrine pits, causing raw sewage to flow among the tents. Aid agencies are particularly concerned about the threat of disease due to flooding during the monsoon season.
Lack of access to proper medical care: Camp residents do not have access to adequate medical care. Health facilities are rudimentary, understaffed, and under-resourced. Residents have reported that they have to wait in line for hours to see a doctor and, when they do, language barriers between Sinhalese-speaking doctors and Tamil-speaking patients often prevent effective communication. Many camps have no doctors at night, leaving residents without access to medical care in emergencies. Camp doctors' referrals to hospitals outside the camp are subject to approval by the military. On several occasions documented by Human Rights Watch, the military has rejected doctors' referrals, leading to a worsening of a patient's condition.
Lack of transparency and information: The authorities are keeping the camp residents in a state of uncertainty by failing to provide them with information about the reason for their continued detention, the whereabouts of their relatives, or the criteria and procedure for their return home. In some cases the authorities seem to have misled the displaced deliberately, such as on September 11, when they told several hundred camp residents that they would release them, when in fact they just transferred them to other detention camps for further screening.
"Sadly, the Sri Lankan government has a track record of lying, deceiving and breaking promises to civilians displaced by the conflict," said Adams. "The UN, donors, and bilateral partners should demand immediate, concrete progress and not let themselves be fooled again by empty government promises."
“No IDPs but FDDPs, in Vavuniyaa camps” - Mangala Samaraweera
“Today barbed wire internment camps are euphemistically called “Welfare Camps” and the 280,000 people incarcerated there are called IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) while in actual fact that these people should be called FDDPs (Forcibly Displaced and Detained Persons)”, Mangala Samaraweera, the leader of the dissident group of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), said.
Samaraweera said so during the debate on a supplementary estimate of Rs 350 million for the Ministry of Resettlement for the welfare of the IDPs Tuesday, according to parliamentary sources.
Samaraweera, one time Foreign Minister under the incumbent President Mahinda Rajapakse, further said that the only ‘crime’ these unfortunate persons have committed is to have been born in an area, which was under LTTE control for nearly two decades.
The MP said the President must recognize the right to return of the people and the people must be allowed to go to their original place or the place of their choice.
“The resettlement must start immediately and it must be done under the supervision of an all-party committee of Parliament,” Mr.Samaraweera said.
Samaraweera, one time Foreign Minister under the incumbent President Mahinda Rajapakse, further said that the only ‘crime’ these unfortunate persons have committed is to have been born in an area, which was under LTTE control for nearly two decades.
The MP said the President must recognize the right to return of the people and the people must be allowed to go to their original place or the place of their choice.
“The resettlement must start immediately and it must be done under the supervision of an all-party committee of Parliament,” Mr.Samaraweera said.
In Owellian Sri Lanka 40 civilians disappear from camps daily - Samaraweera
“In George Orwells 1984, the Ministry of Peace dealt with war, and the Ministry of Love with torture. Likewise we witnessed in Sri Lanka how the Peace Secretariat justified excesses carried out in the name of war against terrorism. And the so-called welfare camps are virtual prisons,” Daily Mirror said quoting Mangala Samaraweera's charge against the Sri Lanka in the parliament Tuesday, adding that about 30 to 40 persons are abducted on a daily basis from IDP camps in the North,
In response to denial of the Chief Whip Dinesh Gunawardena of the allegations, Samaraweera said, the government must be transparent regarding the IDPs, and “[i]f the government allows Opposition MPs to form a committee and visit the camps then such claims can be verified. The government should act in a transparent manner."
Stating that most of the more than 280,000 IDPs had relatives in Sri Lanka who are prepared to look after them, Samaraweera added, “[t]hey are not economic refugees. They have opened 21,000 bank accounts and deposited Rs. 500 million in banks after coming out of LTTE areas. They are government servants, teachers and farmers. All they want is to go home,” the paper said quoting Samaraweera.
The MP also charged that the IDPs were being resettled from one camp into another. “The government is denying these people the right to speech, choice, movement and livelihood,” according to the paper.
In response to denial of the Chief Whip Dinesh Gunawardena of the allegations, Samaraweera said, the government must be transparent regarding the IDPs, and “[i]f the government allows Opposition MPs to form a committee and visit the camps then such claims can be verified. The government should act in a transparent manner."
Stating that most of the more than 280,000 IDPs had relatives in Sri Lanka who are prepared to look after them, Samaraweera added, “[t]hey are not economic refugees. They have opened 21,000 bank accounts and deposited Rs. 500 million in banks after coming out of LTTE areas. They are government servants, teachers and farmers. All they want is to go home,” the paper said quoting Samaraweera.
The MP also charged that the IDPs were being resettled from one camp into another. “The government is denying these people the right to speech, choice, movement and livelihood,” according to the paper.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
IMF warns Sri Lanka over borrowing
The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday warned Sri Lanka against building foreign currency reserves by borrowing from foreign investors.
Sri Lanka's central bank announced this month that foreign reserves hit a historic high of four billion dollars, sufficient to cover over four months of imports.
"We don't want Sri Lanka to borrow its way to build reserves," head of the IMF mission to Sri Lanka, Brian Aitken told reporters here after a two-week review of the island's economy.
The bank said reserves were boosted by foreign investors buying rupee-denominated treasury bills and bonds and the government selling dollar bonds.
"The central bank has been building a war chest of reserves lately through debt. We would prefer if Sri Lanka built up reserves from exports and from remittances and not by borrowings," Aitken said.
Central bank governor Nivard Cabraal said the bank raised more than 1.2 billion dollars in cash by selling government debt to foreigners.
Sri Lanka's reserves fell to cover just over one month's imports earlier this year as security forces pushed their final offensive against separatist Tamil Tiger rebels.
The island's reserves were also boosted by 322.2 million dollars, the first tranche of a 2.6 billion dollar IMF loan, in July, higher remittances and donor funds for ongoing development work.
The dangerously low reserves earlier this year pushed the Sri Lankan government to ask for the IMF bailout to help stave off its first balance-of-payments deficit in four years.
Colombo's foreign reserve stock depleted last year during the height of the global financial meltdown when foreigners withdrew over 600 million dollars invested in government bills and bonds.
Aitken said it was encouraging that foreigners were back investing in government treasuries, especially long-term bonds.
He said the second tranche of IMF funding was due by the end of October once the fund's executive board approved it.
The Washington-based lender is also re-opening its offices in Colombo in October to keep a close watch on its lending programme there, after shutting down the office in January 2007 when there was no lending to the island.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090922/wl_sthasia_afp/srilankaimfeconomyreserves_20090922115118
Sri Lanka's central bank announced this month that foreign reserves hit a historic high of four billion dollars, sufficient to cover over four months of imports.
"We don't want Sri Lanka to borrow its way to build reserves," head of the IMF mission to Sri Lanka, Brian Aitken told reporters here after a two-week review of the island's economy.
The bank said reserves were boosted by foreign investors buying rupee-denominated treasury bills and bonds and the government selling dollar bonds.
"The central bank has been building a war chest of reserves lately through debt. We would prefer if Sri Lanka built up reserves from exports and from remittances and not by borrowings," Aitken said.
Central bank governor Nivard Cabraal said the bank raised more than 1.2 billion dollars in cash by selling government debt to foreigners.
Sri Lanka's reserves fell to cover just over one month's imports earlier this year as security forces pushed their final offensive against separatist Tamil Tiger rebels.
The island's reserves were also boosted by 322.2 million dollars, the first tranche of a 2.6 billion dollar IMF loan, in July, higher remittances and donor funds for ongoing development work.
The dangerously low reserves earlier this year pushed the Sri Lankan government to ask for the IMF bailout to help stave off its first balance-of-payments deficit in four years.
Colombo's foreign reserve stock depleted last year during the height of the global financial meltdown when foreigners withdrew over 600 million dollars invested in government bills and bonds.
Aitken said it was encouraging that foreigners were back investing in government treasuries, especially long-term bonds.
He said the second tranche of IMF funding was due by the end of October once the fund's executive board approved it.
The Washington-based lender is also re-opening its offices in Colombo in October to keep a close watch on its lending programme there, after shutting down the office in January 2007 when there was no lending to the island.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090922/wl_sthasia_afp/srilankaimfeconomyreserves_20090922115118
Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General
Philippe Bolopion – Hello. Welcome to this edition of The Interview on FRANCE 24. Our guest today is UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, taking time off his very busy schedule to talk to us. Hello, Sir.
Ban Ki-moon – How are you? It’s a great pleasure.
PB: Thank you very much. Thank you for having us here in the UN’s General Assembly. This is where everything is going to happen this week and the eyes of the world are going to be on you this week. And let’s face it: it’s been a rough couple of weeks (or months) for you. You’ve been the target of a lot of criticism in the press, saying that you are not active enough in your job, for example. Do you feel that you need to prove yourself this week?
BKM: I’ll do my best to address all the challenges which we are facing together with the world leaders: to address climate change, international financial crises, food crises, pandemic of flu crises and energy crises. I’ll do my best to prove by results.
PB: Some of the criticism against you is pretty harsh. I’m going to read a few headlines, which come at the time you are entering the second half of your mandate. The Financial Times said “UN disquiet raises doubt over Ban's second term”, The Economist graded you 3/10 when it comes to speaking truth to power, the Times of London headlined “Whereabouts Unknown”, Foreign Policy magazine “Nowhere Man. Why Ban Ki-moon is the world's most dangerous Korean.” Some of this is obviously perhaps over-the-top but can they all be wrong?
BKM: As a Secretary General, as a public servant, I know that I am not above criticism. I would welcome any such criticisms when they are fair and constructive. That makes me look back at how I can improve my performance as a Secretary-General. But what is more important is that the difference of consensus... maybe quite a different leadership style. I have my own leadership style. At this stage, with the World Body, composed of 192 countries, bringing all different national interests and agendas, it is extremely difficult. If you look at the broader perspectives, all these crises – climate change, international financial crises, food crises, and the pandemic crises – they are hitting us all at one time. Not in the history of the United Nations have you ever seen all these crises hitting us all. We need global coordination rather than criticising. This is very important.
PB: Are you actually tired of people comparing you to Kofi Annan, saying that Kofi Annan was much more recognisable, that he was a rock-star diplomat, that people knew him, respected him? Are you tired of these comparisons?
BKM: Again, everybody brings different strengths, different leadership styles. I have my own leadership style. That is why, based on my capacity and leadership style, member states have elected me unanimously as Secretary-General. So it would be proper and desirable that they wait and see how I bring all these results.
PB: So you want more time before people judge you...
BKM: Of course.
PB: We’ve talked to a few people about how you are handling your job and here is what Ken Roth, the executive director of Human Rights Watch, said. He said, and I quote him, that you were “so eager to meet with tyrants that you give up all leverage and get nothing in return.” Is that fair?
BKM: I think there is quite a misunderstanding and misconceptions in such kind of assessment. I have been meeting almost all the leaders, including those quite difficult leadership people. I have been very straight and direct to all those in... When it comes to universally accepted principles, human rights, and basic rights of many vulnerable people, whose rights and whose wellbeing must be protected by the leaders, the first and primary responsibility rests with the leaders of that country. That is why I have been urging them to take necessary action. I have been vocal and there should be no misunderstanding on my commitment.
PB: Let’s look into it, actually. For example, you went to Sri Lanka right after the war, when the Tamil Tigers’ rebellion was defeated by the government, and many people felt that your trip, in a way, was used by the Sri Lankan regime, that they saw it as part of a victory dance. And it’s true that, several months after you went there, you still have something like 300,000 people, Tamils, who are still in what people call ‘detention camps’. Most of what the president told you at the time has not come true. Do you feel that he played you, in a way?
BKM: I was the first leader in Sri Lanka. I was the first leader to visit Myanmar, the two places nobody visited or nobody could visit. I made a strong case, first, on internally displaced persons. Those 300,000 people must be returned to their homes without further delay. And their human rights... And humanitarian assistance should be given without any delay or any conditions and restrictions. That’s what I am doing. I have despatched my Undersecretary General Lynn Pascoe. He got assurance from President Rajapaksa, just recently, that all 300,000 displaced persons will be returned to their homes by the end of January next year. This is a great encouragement. Now I got his commitment and it is a matter of his integrity. And his trust is at stake if he doesn’t keep his promise. Now, on the case...
PB: I’m sorry to interrupt you but, do you feel that President Rajapaksa is stringing you along, saying he is going to do all these things and never delivering on them?
BKM: In Sharm El Sheikh, on the margins of a non-allied summit meeting last July, I made a very strong case to President Rajapaksa: “You must keep your promise”. Last week, I spoke over the telephone, I wrote my letter. That is why I have sent my envoy...
PB: Let’s take another example: your trip to Burma - a pretty controversial trip, again. Some people advised you against going there, you went there, you were able to meet with the military junta, with Than Shwe, the number one of the junta, but you were not able to even meet with Aung San Suu Kyi, the opposition leader, who is still in jail. Would you agree that this trip, at the end of the day, was a failure?
BKM: I don’t agree it was a failure, first of all. I made a great, again, impact over Myanmar leadership. Of course, Myanmar, by not allowing me to meet Aung San Suu Kyi, missed a great opportunity. But look at the case of a recent amnesty. The Myanmar authorities have made it quite clear that they were granting amnesty at the request of the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. I am going to continue, as hard as I did before, to release all political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi, before the election next year, so that this election can be credible and fair and transparent.
PB: Are you not starting to wonder though, Sir, whether the quiet diplomatic roads - whether your approach - is really working? Because these people are making promises but they seem to almost never deliver. Don’t you need to start speaking out against them?
BKM: What you describe as my diplomatic style, as “quiet diplomacy”, is just one part, one aspect, of my whole diplomatic capacity. It is necessary... In some cases, you have to have a very direct, open diplomacy, but sometimes there’s a quiet diplomacy. Behind the scenes diplomacy can be more effective. I am combining all these aspects of diplomacy. This is what I have been doing during the last four decades. So there should be no misconception...
PB: Let’s move on now to the issues at hand this week. You are convening what is perhaps the biggest summit ever on climate change. Close to 100 heads of state are coming here to discuss this problem. What really do you hope to achieve through this summit?
BKM: I’d like to see all world leaders deliver clear and unambiguous guidelines and directions to their negotiators that we must see the deal in Copenhagen in December, for a comprehensive, fair, equitable deal to address climate change.
PB: But the US is not going as far as people want: rich countries are in the middle of a crisis and don’t want to foot the bill, developing countries are saying that it’s their turn to enjoy growth and progress, and that they don’t want to slow down because of ecological issues. What’s your secret weapon to make them see eye to eye?
BKM: This is an incredibly complex process. This is not an easy process at all. We should understand this fact of life. Therefore, I am asking, I am urging, the leaders to go beyond their national boundaries. Every country has [its] own challenges and domestic problems. This is a global challenge. Unless we tackle it on a global level, with global leadership, we will not be able to deliver this Planet Earth to our succeeding generations in a more environmentally sustainable way.
PB: A few hours from now, President Obama is going to address the General Assembly from the podium behind you for the very first time. Is the new US administration good for the UN?
BKM: Yes. They have been very engaging, very forthcoming, and I have been enjoying working with President Obama and his new administration. And, in climate change, the new administration has taken, again, quite engaging positions with a strong commitment. They have joined later. I am quite convinced that they will take the necessary leadership role. The US leadership role is the crucially important one.
PB: As I mentioned, you are halfway through your first term and the criticism in the press has been harsh. Diplomats at times have been harsh - the Norwegian memo leaked saying that you lacked charisma, things like that. Knowing then what you know now, would you still have wanted to take the job?
BKM: I do not regret accepting this job. This is a most honourable but it is very humbling... This is a very important job for peace and security and human rights and development of the whole world. That is my commitment. I begin every day as if it was the first day of my first term. Then, if member states of the General Assembly...I am sure that they will evaluate my commitment and my performance.
PB: Thank you very much, Mr Secretary General, for having us.
BKM: Thankyou.
news
Ban Ki-moon – How are you? It’s a great pleasure.
PB: Thank you very much. Thank you for having us here in the UN’s General Assembly. This is where everything is going to happen this week and the eyes of the world are going to be on you this week. And let’s face it: it’s been a rough couple of weeks (or months) for you. You’ve been the target of a lot of criticism in the press, saying that you are not active enough in your job, for example. Do you feel that you need to prove yourself this week?
BKM: I’ll do my best to address all the challenges which we are facing together with the world leaders: to address climate change, international financial crises, food crises, pandemic of flu crises and energy crises. I’ll do my best to prove by results.
PB: Some of the criticism against you is pretty harsh. I’m going to read a few headlines, which come at the time you are entering the second half of your mandate. The Financial Times said “UN disquiet raises doubt over Ban's second term”, The Economist graded you 3/10 when it comes to speaking truth to power, the Times of London headlined “Whereabouts Unknown”, Foreign Policy magazine “Nowhere Man. Why Ban Ki-moon is the world's most dangerous Korean.” Some of this is obviously perhaps over-the-top but can they all be wrong?
BKM: As a Secretary General, as a public servant, I know that I am not above criticism. I would welcome any such criticisms when they are fair and constructive. That makes me look back at how I can improve my performance as a Secretary-General. But what is more important is that the difference of consensus... maybe quite a different leadership style. I have my own leadership style. At this stage, with the World Body, composed of 192 countries, bringing all different national interests and agendas, it is extremely difficult. If you look at the broader perspectives, all these crises – climate change, international financial crises, food crises, and the pandemic crises – they are hitting us all at one time. Not in the history of the United Nations have you ever seen all these crises hitting us all. We need global coordination rather than criticising. This is very important.
PB: Are you actually tired of people comparing you to Kofi Annan, saying that Kofi Annan was much more recognisable, that he was a rock-star diplomat, that people knew him, respected him? Are you tired of these comparisons?
BKM: Again, everybody brings different strengths, different leadership styles. I have my own leadership style. That is why, based on my capacity and leadership style, member states have elected me unanimously as Secretary-General. So it would be proper and desirable that they wait and see how I bring all these results.
PB: So you want more time before people judge you...
BKM: Of course.
PB: We’ve talked to a few people about how you are handling your job and here is what Ken Roth, the executive director of Human Rights Watch, said. He said, and I quote him, that you were “so eager to meet with tyrants that you give up all leverage and get nothing in return.” Is that fair?
BKM: I think there is quite a misunderstanding and misconceptions in such kind of assessment. I have been meeting almost all the leaders, including those quite difficult leadership people. I have been very straight and direct to all those in... When it comes to universally accepted principles, human rights, and basic rights of many vulnerable people, whose rights and whose wellbeing must be protected by the leaders, the first and primary responsibility rests with the leaders of that country. That is why I have been urging them to take necessary action. I have been vocal and there should be no misunderstanding on my commitment.
PB: Let’s look into it, actually. For example, you went to Sri Lanka right after the war, when the Tamil Tigers’ rebellion was defeated by the government, and many people felt that your trip, in a way, was used by the Sri Lankan regime, that they saw it as part of a victory dance. And it’s true that, several months after you went there, you still have something like 300,000 people, Tamils, who are still in what people call ‘detention camps’. Most of what the president told you at the time has not come true. Do you feel that he played you, in a way?
BKM: I was the first leader in Sri Lanka. I was the first leader to visit Myanmar, the two places nobody visited or nobody could visit. I made a strong case, first, on internally displaced persons. Those 300,000 people must be returned to their homes without further delay. And their human rights... And humanitarian assistance should be given without any delay or any conditions and restrictions. That’s what I am doing. I have despatched my Undersecretary General Lynn Pascoe. He got assurance from President Rajapaksa, just recently, that all 300,000 displaced persons will be returned to their homes by the end of January next year. This is a great encouragement. Now I got his commitment and it is a matter of his integrity. And his trust is at stake if he doesn’t keep his promise. Now, on the case...
PB: I’m sorry to interrupt you but, do you feel that President Rajapaksa is stringing you along, saying he is going to do all these things and never delivering on them?
BKM: In Sharm El Sheikh, on the margins of a non-allied summit meeting last July, I made a very strong case to President Rajapaksa: “You must keep your promise”. Last week, I spoke over the telephone, I wrote my letter. That is why I have sent my envoy...
PB: Let’s take another example: your trip to Burma - a pretty controversial trip, again. Some people advised you against going there, you went there, you were able to meet with the military junta, with Than Shwe, the number one of the junta, but you were not able to even meet with Aung San Suu Kyi, the opposition leader, who is still in jail. Would you agree that this trip, at the end of the day, was a failure?
BKM: I don’t agree it was a failure, first of all. I made a great, again, impact over Myanmar leadership. Of course, Myanmar, by not allowing me to meet Aung San Suu Kyi, missed a great opportunity. But look at the case of a recent amnesty. The Myanmar authorities have made it quite clear that they were granting amnesty at the request of the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. I am going to continue, as hard as I did before, to release all political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi, before the election next year, so that this election can be credible and fair and transparent.
PB: Are you not starting to wonder though, Sir, whether the quiet diplomatic roads - whether your approach - is really working? Because these people are making promises but they seem to almost never deliver. Don’t you need to start speaking out against them?
BKM: What you describe as my diplomatic style, as “quiet diplomacy”, is just one part, one aspect, of my whole diplomatic capacity. It is necessary... In some cases, you have to have a very direct, open diplomacy, but sometimes there’s a quiet diplomacy. Behind the scenes diplomacy can be more effective. I am combining all these aspects of diplomacy. This is what I have been doing during the last four decades. So there should be no misconception...
PB: Let’s move on now to the issues at hand this week. You are convening what is perhaps the biggest summit ever on climate change. Close to 100 heads of state are coming here to discuss this problem. What really do you hope to achieve through this summit?
BKM: I’d like to see all world leaders deliver clear and unambiguous guidelines and directions to their negotiators that we must see the deal in Copenhagen in December, for a comprehensive, fair, equitable deal to address climate change.
PB: But the US is not going as far as people want: rich countries are in the middle of a crisis and don’t want to foot the bill, developing countries are saying that it’s their turn to enjoy growth and progress, and that they don’t want to slow down because of ecological issues. What’s your secret weapon to make them see eye to eye?
BKM: This is an incredibly complex process. This is not an easy process at all. We should understand this fact of life. Therefore, I am asking, I am urging, the leaders to go beyond their national boundaries. Every country has [its] own challenges and domestic problems. This is a global challenge. Unless we tackle it on a global level, with global leadership, we will not be able to deliver this Planet Earth to our succeeding generations in a more environmentally sustainable way.
PB: A few hours from now, President Obama is going to address the General Assembly from the podium behind you for the very first time. Is the new US administration good for the UN?
BKM: Yes. They have been very engaging, very forthcoming, and I have been enjoying working with President Obama and his new administration. And, in climate change, the new administration has taken, again, quite engaging positions with a strong commitment. They have joined later. I am quite convinced that they will take the necessary leadership role. The US leadership role is the crucially important one.
PB: As I mentioned, you are halfway through your first term and the criticism in the press has been harsh. Diplomats at times have been harsh - the Norwegian memo leaked saying that you lacked charisma, things like that. Knowing then what you know now, would you still have wanted to take the job?
BKM: I do not regret accepting this job. This is a most honourable but it is very humbling... This is a very important job for peace and security and human rights and development of the whole world. That is my commitment. I begin every day as if it was the first day of my first term. Then, if member states of the General Assembly...I am sure that they will evaluate my commitment and my performance.
PB: Thank you very much, Mr Secretary General, for having us.
BKM: Thankyou.
news
Monday, September 21, 2009
UN refugee envoy to visit Sri Lanka: official
The United Nations is sending a top official to Sri Lanka this week to press for the speedy resettlement of 300,000 war-displaced, officials said Monday, the second UN visit in as many weeks.
Walter Kalin, the UN Secretary-General's envoy for refugee rights, will arrive late Wednesday for a five-day visit that includes a tour to camps holding tens of thousands of refugees, Sri Lanka's Human Rights Ministry said.
His trip comes a week after the visit of the UN's political chief, Lynn Pascoe, who expressed concern over the plight of refugees and also urged Sri Lanka to investigate rights abuses during the final stages of the civil war.
"Mr. Kalin will meet with senior government officials, international aid agencies, including UN staff, and also visit some sites holding internally displaced people (IDPs)," a ministry official said.
UN sources here said Kalin would press for improved conditions for the Tamil civilians held in internment camps.
"He will follow up promises made by the government to resettle the IDPs at the earliest," said a UN official who declined to be named.
The displaced are being held in "welfare villages" and the government says they cannot be allowed freedom of movement until authorities finish screening them for remaining Tamil rebels.
Pascoe last week said the Sri Lankan government was not making sufficiently fast progress in implementing a deal between Colombo and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in May.
The agreement was for the speedy resettlement of the civilians who were displaced after the end of fighting between troops and Tamil Tiger rebels.
"We have not seen the progress we expected from that agreement," Pascoe said.
Pascoe also urged Sri Lanka to set up a mechanism for "truth seeking" into alleged excesses by government forces during the final stages of the war.
Kalin toured Sri Lanka in April, just weeks before Sri Lankan troops crushed Tamil Tiger rebels who had been waging a guerrilla war for a homeland since 1972.
Walter Kalin, the UN Secretary-General's envoy for refugee rights, will arrive late Wednesday for a five-day visit that includes a tour to camps holding tens of thousands of refugees, Sri Lanka's Human Rights Ministry said.
His trip comes a week after the visit of the UN's political chief, Lynn Pascoe, who expressed concern over the plight of refugees and also urged Sri Lanka to investigate rights abuses during the final stages of the civil war.
"Mr. Kalin will meet with senior government officials, international aid agencies, including UN staff, and also visit some sites holding internally displaced people (IDPs)," a ministry official said.
UN sources here said Kalin would press for improved conditions for the Tamil civilians held in internment camps.
"He will follow up promises made by the government to resettle the IDPs at the earliest," said a UN official who declined to be named.
The displaced are being held in "welfare villages" and the government says they cannot be allowed freedom of movement until authorities finish screening them for remaining Tamil rebels.
Pascoe last week said the Sri Lankan government was not making sufficiently fast progress in implementing a deal between Colombo and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in May.
The agreement was for the speedy resettlement of the civilians who were displaced after the end of fighting between troops and Tamil Tiger rebels.
"We have not seen the progress we expected from that agreement," Pascoe said.
Pascoe also urged Sri Lanka to set up a mechanism for "truth seeking" into alleged excesses by government forces during the final stages of the war.
Kalin toured Sri Lanka in April, just weeks before Sri Lankan troops crushed Tamil Tiger rebels who had been waging a guerrilla war for a homeland since 1972.
Troops will not face war crimes charges – President
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Canadian Conservative Government takes lead on Srilanka issue,holds Round Table
A round table was held at Minister's Regional Office in Toronto today, Canada where Sri Lanka's present situation was discussed.Round table was attended by Canada's Multiculturism,Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, Minister of International Cooperation, Hon. Bev Oda, Minister of state for foreign affairs (Americas) Peter Kent, Paul Calandra MP,Chuck Konkel Candidate of Record,Roger Nair film-maker & Chairman of South Asians for Human Rights Association along with various Community leaders. Sept. 11th 2009
A round table was held at Minister's Regional Office today in Toronto , Canada where Sri Lanka's present situation was discussed.The Round table was attended by Canada's Multiculturism,Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, Minister of International Cooperation, Hon. Bev Oda, Minister of State for Foreign affairs (Americas) and previous broadcast journalist Peter Kent, Paul Calandra MP, Candidate of Record Chuck Konkel,Roger Nair film-maker & Chairman of South Asians for Human Rights Association along with various Community leaders.The present situation in Sri Lanka was discussed and suggestions for Canada's Role in the region were taken by the Canadian Government Ministers.
Talking to this reporter said Roger Nair about the outcome of the round table" This is imperative that discussions like these continue on and I am confidant and hopeful that Canada can take lead in bringing peace in that region by building bridges between the factions that had had bad blood in the near past."
A sentiment mirrored by the actions of Canadian Government who had three ministers attending the Round Table.
Minister of Citizenship,Immigration and multicuturism Minister Jason Kenney heading the Round table sent a clear message about Canada's interest in helping solve the issues of Sri Lanka.
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A round table was held at Minister's Regional Office today in Toronto , Canada where Sri Lanka's present situation was discussed.The Round table was attended by Canada's Multiculturism,Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, Minister of International Cooperation, Hon. Bev Oda, Minister of State for Foreign affairs (Americas) and previous broadcast journalist Peter Kent, Paul Calandra MP, Candidate of Record Chuck Konkel,Roger Nair film-maker & Chairman of South Asians for Human Rights Association along with various Community leaders.The present situation in Sri Lanka was discussed and suggestions for Canada's Role in the region were taken by the Canadian Government Ministers.
Talking to this reporter said Roger Nair about the outcome of the round table" This is imperative that discussions like these continue on and I am confidant and hopeful that Canada can take lead in bringing peace in that region by building bridges between the factions that had had bad blood in the near past."
A sentiment mirrored by the actions of Canadian Government who had three ministers attending the Round Table.
Minister of Citizenship,Immigration and multicuturism Minister Jason Kenney heading the Round table sent a clear message about Canada's interest in helping solve the issues of Sri Lanka.
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