Warning Signs that Democratic Space is Threatened

National Peace Council
of Sri Lanka
12/14 Purana Vihara Road
Colombo 6
Tel: 2818344, 2854127, 2819064
Tel/Fax:2819064
E Mail: npc@sltnet.lk
Internet: www.peace-srilanka.org


04.05.07
Media Release

Warning Signs that Democratic Space is Threatened


The deterioration in the security situation has had a catastrophic impact on substantial sections of the civilian population, especially those living in the north and east. In this context the government has recently decided to vest powers of the police with the military.President Mahinda Rajapaksa has issued a gazette notification that the armed forces are expected to perform the functions of the police. The National Peace Council is extremely concerned with this latest development. We are apprehensive that this government decision will send wrong signals and lead to an aggravation of the hardships faced by the civilian population.

The new regulations come at a time when there are reports of violations of human rights by both police and military personnel. According to preliminary findings announced by a civic group, PAFFREL, which is working together with the Human Rights Commission and the Police, about 30 police and military personnel are among 452 persons arrested in connection with human rights abuses, including abduction, disappearances and murders. The National Peace Council believes that these findings reiterate the importance of restoring the integrity of law and order processes in the country.

One positive initiative by the government that we welcome has been the order of the Defence Secretary to the security forces that they should strictly follow guidelines that respect human rights in making arrests and detentions. However, the vesting of police functions in the armed forces can negate this positive order. The police function is a civilian one, and the military is not trained in police methods of dealing with disturbances to law and order. This decision can also send wrong signals to the security forces, and to local and international society regarding the direction of the government.

There is an urgent need for the government to demonstrate clear political will in regard to law and order processes if it is to retain the confidence of the civilian population that it is not taking the country on a journey to anarchy and to the breakdown of democratic governance. This past week has seen the assassination of yet another journalist in Jaffna, belonging to the Uthayan newspaper and threats to stop work that are being levelled against NGOs in the name of the TMVP (Karuna group), which TMVP spokespersons deny making. It is incumbent on the government to take these complaints seriously and to take measures to apprehend the culprits so that faith in the democratic institutions of the country may be on the path to restoration.


Executive Director
On behalf of the Governing Council

Humanitarian workers under threat

THE OBSERVATORY FOR THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS (FIDH-OMCT)

PRESS RELEASE
Geneva-Paris, May 2, 2007.

The World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), in the framework of their joint programme, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, express their deepest concern at threats directly targeting humanitarian workers in Sri Lanka, and in particular members of the Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies (CHA).

On April 17, 2007, an email was sent to NGOs and United Nations agencies working in the Trincomalee district (eastern Sri Lanka) by a group claiming to be the Intelligence Unit of the Thamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal Party (TMVP), the political party headed by Colonel Karuna and a breakaway group of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). In this email, NGOs were required to fill in a registration form and submit it before April 30, 2007. They were notably asked to "stop [their] bad behaviours" and to join LTTE as this would "create peace full country". Besides, the email warned that for those failing to register TMVP would "not [be] responsible for [their] security in North and East".

Three days later, on April 20, 2007, another threatening message was sent to the humanitarian NGOs that are members of the Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies (CHA) as well as to UN workers in eastern Sri Lanka. The authors of this email said that they were "following CHA very closely" and that they "would take necessary steps to eliminate them if needed". They added that they would guarantee "full security to who ever co-operate - if not face the consequences after the deadline".

Subsequently, the TMVP denied having sent these emails.

The Observatory expresses its deep concern at these threats, especially as they take place in a context of increased threats against humanitarian workers, defenders working for peace and journalists, in particular in the northern and eastern provinces, in particular since the intensification of the conflict in July 2006. The Observatory recalls that, in this context, the Sri Lankan government has imposed an unofficial embargo on humanitarian aid in the zones controlled by the LTTE and that various restrictions were put on humanitarian workers, regarding, in particular, their registration process. These restrictions and the attacks on humanitarian workers have led several organisations to suspend their humanitarian activities[1].

As a consequence, the Observatory calls upon the Sri Lankan authorities to guarantee in all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of all human rights defenders, including humanitarian workers, as well as to end all forms of harassment of human rights defenders and guarantee in all circumstances that they are able to carry out their work without any hindrance. The Observatory also urges the LTTE to conform n any circumstances with the provisions of international humanitarian law.

More generally, the Observatory urges the authorities to conform with the provisions of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 9 December 1998, especially its article 12.2, which provides that "the State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration", and to ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with international human rights standards and international instruments ratified by Sri Lanka.

For further information, please contact :
OMCT : Delphine Reculeau : + 41 22 809 49 39
FIDH : Gael Grilhot: +33 1 43 55 25 18