Tamil Justice

The Australian : Panglossian picture

WHAT extraordinary efforts are underway to airbrush the grim realities of post-war Sri Lanka. Sergei DeSilva-Ranasinghe (“Beware of asylum-seekers bearing tales of woe”, Commentary, 7/4) makes a series of misleading claims, distorting evidence or withholding chunks that do not fit his Panglossian picture.

More than 76,000 internally displaced people languish in illegal internment camps where even the country’s own oppressed media regularly report complaints of rape, mysterious “disappearances” and extra-judicial killings. Where reporters have managed to gather evidence from on the ground, it directly contradicts DeSilva-Ranasinghe’s account. And, of course, he ignores the Sinhala colonisation of Tamil areas, as new Buddhist shrines and permanent garrisons spring up on sites flattened by government bombing.

Far more Sri Lankan Tamils have sought refuge in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu than come to Australia, but the Indian government, which is not a signatory to the Refugee Convention, has no international obligations towards them, so restricts their movements and access to proper housing. Above all, there is no meaningful move towards prosecuting those responsible for war crimes.

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A defeated population, cowering in fear, would recognise no part of DeSilva-Ranasinghe’s travesty.

Jake Lynch and Gobie Rajalingam, Co-conveners, Sri Lanka Human Rights Project, Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Sydney

This letter to the editor were written by the conveners of the Sri Lanka Human Rights Project @ Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, The University of Sydney

The Age (13/02) – Show Your Concern

MANY thanks for your editorial (”Sri Lanka’s ripples go far beyond the island”, The Age, 11/2) on the intensifying repression in Sri Lanka. Canberra has restricted itself to tokenistic responses out of a wrong-headed belief that things will ”settle down” and an overly narrow conception of Australian interests. Instead, it should join the European Union in backing the call, made by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, for an independent international investigation of war crimes allegations and in withholding trade concessions unless there is improvement in the human rights situation.

Meanwhile, the rest of us have a chance to register stronger concern. The 1970 cancellation of apartheid South Africa’s tour of England showed the strength of sporting boycotts in inducing social change. We urge you not to attend the cricket when the Sri Lankan team visits Australia later this year, write to Cricket Australia asking that the tour be cancelled and unite for human rights when official diplomacy fails.

Jake Lynch, Gobie Rajalingam and Brami Jegan, Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, The University of Sydney, NSW

The Wire – Sri Lankan opposition leader arrested

Produced by Jacinta Patterson

In Sri Lanka, the main opposition leader has been arrested after the government accused him of what it termed ‘military offences’. Sri Lanka held its general election last month – the first since the end of the country’s lengthy civil war. Former military leader General Sarath Fonseca ran an unsuccessful campaign against his former commander-in-chief, President Mahendra Rajapaksa. His arrest came just hours after he told reporters he’d be willing to give evidence about war crimes he alleges took place during the conflict. Featured in this story: Dr Sam Pari, spokesperson for the Australian Tamil Congress; Dr Jake Lynch, director of the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at Sydney University.

Listen from source or download here

Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies

Sri Lanka Human Rights Project
About the Sri Lanka Human Rights Project
Primary Goal
This project advocates human rights norms as Sri Lanka’s post-conflict situation rapidly deteriorates. In doing so, the project seeks to raise awareness about the country’s censored emergency and help work towards a peaceful and just solution for the multi-ethnic people of Sri Lanka

Objectives
* Establish relevant links with grassroots organisations, concerned NGOs, academics and parliamentarians in Australia. The resulting networks will serve as a conduit for the dissemination of public information and as a voice for Sri Lanka’s marginalised population.
* Raise public awareness of Sri Lanka’s post-conflict situation with an emphasis on its human rights emergency and
* In fostering awareness amongst the constituents of the Australian public, the project seeks to create a medium for dialogue and understanding between Sri Lanka’s ethnic groups

Project description

In light of the continued abuses committed in the aftermath of Sri Lanka’s civil war, the project aims to raise awareness about the country’s human rights disaster, which remains unrecognised by the greater international community. In highlighting the appalling conditions faced by Tamil people in government internment camps, the project raises calls for the Sri Lankan government to find a workable solution for the Tamil population. By encouraging the international community to develop a just environment, much needed peaceful dialogue can be further promoted amongst the multi-ethnic people of Sri Lanka. More

Sri Lanka Human Rights Project Press Release on Asylum Seekers

Sri Lanka Human Rights Project, Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Sydney

For immediate release 22/10/09

Asylum Seekers – The Tamil Solution

There is a simple solution to the Tamil crisis.

If all the citizens of Sri Lanka, including the 300 000 indefinitely and illegally detained in government run internment camps, are accorded their universal human rights, the need to flee Sri Lanka let alone risk a boat journey to Australia would cease.

Australian politicians should advocate this solution and cease their familiar resort to fear and loathing of vulnerable people as a main plank of their policies.

It may be acceptable politics to bash up the ‘deplorable people smugglers’, but the real issue has to do with innocent civilians who have been failed by their government and ignored by Australia.

The fleeing asylum seekers are people – children, pregnant women, mothers and fathers – who should be protected by their Commonwealth neighbours.

The Australian Government must find the vision and courage to address such a major human rights emergency in this region. It must not keep repeating the old mantra that Australia enjoys a ‘warm’ relationship with the Government of Sri Lanka. Such a cosy relationship can only continue at the expense of 300, 000 lives.

In November the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting will take place in Trinidad and Tobago. At that unique occasion the Government of Sri Lanka must be held to account for its serious human rights abuses. This will also be a very public opportunity for Australia to display its leadership by insisting on the ‘Tamil solution’ .

From Sri Lanka Human Rights Project, Univ. of Sydney

For media interviews please call
Stuart Rees 0434930134 or 9351 4763 (Sydney Peace Foundation)
Jake Lynch 042 098 0010 (Centre for Peace & Conflict Studies)
Gobie Raja 0401154799 (Sri Lanka Human Rights Project)
Brami Jegan 0433054712 (Sri Lanka Human Rights Project)

The Wire: Is classifying groups as terrorists productive?

Produced by Dilenjit Singh
The rebel group known as the Tamil Tigers has been waging a long civil war with the Sri Lankan government, in an attempt to gain a separate homeland for Tamils. Foreign Minister Stephen Smith is now considering a request from his Sri Lankan counterpart to add the rebel group to Australia’s terrorism watch list. This would bring Australia in line with the U.S, U.K., India and 27 countries in the European Union who have ‘banned’ the group. But what does the classification hope to gain? And is it a pragmatic decision when trying to solve complex conflicts? The Wire asked Emeritus Professor Stuart Rees from the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies what, in the Australian government’s eyes, classifies a terrorist. Featured in Story: Stuart Rees – from the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at The University of Sydney.