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Sri Lankan authorities should either charge or release a freelance Tamil journalist detained for nearly a week, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Parameswaree Maunasámi, who wrote for the Sinhala-language weekly Mawbima, was arrested at her home south of Colombo on November 24 along with another Tamil woman, according to the local media advocacy group Free Media Movement (FMM).

She is being held under anti-terrorist legislation that allows for prolonged detention without charge. The authorities gave no reason for her arrest. Mawbima has distinguished itself among Sinhala-language newspapers for an editorial line that is critical of both the Sri Lankan military and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam rebels, FMM spokesman Sunanda Deshapriya said.

Maunasámi’s colleagues said they believed she might have been arrested for her work at the paper covering the separatist conflict.

“We call on the authorities to clarify why they have detained Parameswaree Maunasámi,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. “Tamil journalists have too often been harassed because of their political affiliation, their ethnicity, or their reporting. Such actions harm the ability of all Sri Lankan journalists to cover this period of escalating violence.”

Fighting between government and rebel forces has escalated in recent months, and on Monday LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran called a 2002 ceasefire “defunct.”

Source: CPJ 

Picture: Courtesy of LankaeNews

Statement by Free Media Movement [Full Text]:

Press release/ 26.November, 2006

Tamil female journalist arrested, remanded on a detention order

A freelance female journalist, Parameswaree was arrested on Friday the 24th November 2006 and has been remanded on a detention order. When contacted police officer attached to the Terrorist Investigation Division ( TID) confirmed that she is under detention order.

Once detention order by the secretary of defence is served a suspect can be remanded for period of 90days without producing in a court.

She along side an another Tamil female suspect was arrested by Special Police Task Force at her bordering place in Wellawatta, south of Colombo and handed over to Terrorist Investigation Division.

Parameswaree was a freelance journalist of Mawbima, a Sinhala language weekly, news paper officials of Mawbima told FMM.

Free Media Movement requests the authorities to follow the due legal process and release journalist Parameswaree if there is no legal case against her.

 

Sri Lankan authorities should either charge or release a freelance Tamil journalist detained for nearly a week, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Parameswaree Maunasámi, who wrote for the Sinhala-language weekly Mawbima, was arrested at her home south of Colombo on November 24 along with another Tamil woman, according to the local media advocacy group Free Media Movement (FMM).

She is being held under anti-terrorist legislation that allows for prolonged detention without charge. The authorities gave no reason for her arrest. Mawbima has distinguished itself among Sinhala-language newspapers for an editorial line that is critical of both the Sri Lankan military and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam rebels, FMM spokesman Sunanda Deshapriya said.

Maunasámi’s colleagues said they believed she might have been arrested for her work at the paper covering the separatist conflict.

“We call on the authorities to clarify why they have detained Parameswaree Maunasámi,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. “Tamil journalists have too often been harassed because of their political affiliation, their ethnicity, or their reporting. Such actions harm the ability of all Sri Lankan journalists to cover this period of escalating violence.”

Fighting between government and rebel forces has escalated in recent months, and on Monday LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran called a 2002 ceasefire “defunct.”

Source: CPJ 

Picture: Courtesy of LankaeNews

Statement by Free Media Movement [Full Text]:

Press release/ 26.November, 2006

Tamil female journalist arrested, remanded on a detention order

A freelance female journalist, Parameswaree was arrested on Friday the 24th November 2006 and has been remanded on a detention order. When contacted police officer attached to the Terrorist Investigation Division ( TID) confirmed that she is under detention order.

Once detention order by the secretary of defence is served a suspect can be remanded for period of 90days without producing in a court.

She along side an another Tamil female suspect was arrested by Special Police Task Force at her bordering place in Wellawatta, south of Colombo and handed over to Terrorist Investigation Division.

Parameswaree was a freelance journalist of Mawbima, a Sinhala language weekly, news paper officials of Mawbima told FMM.

Free Media Movement requests the authorities to follow the due legal process and release journalist Parameswaree if there is no legal case against her.

 

By Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipillai

“The smallest effort is not lost. Each wavelet on the ocean tost AIDS in the ebb-tide or the flow; each rain-drop makes some floweret blow; each struggle lessens human woe.” - Charles Mackay: 1814-1889, Scottish Poet, Song Writer

“In the 25 years since the first case was reported, AIDS has changed the world. It has killed 25 million people, infected 40 million more. It has become the world’s leading cause of death among both men and women aged 15- 59. It has inflicted the single greatest reversal in the history of human development. In other words, it has become the greatest challenge of our generation” says the Secretary –General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan in his World AIDS Day message.

World AIDS Day was introduced by the World Health Organization on December 01 st in 1988. This was the first time that attention around the world was focused for one day in the year on AIDS. It provided a unique opportunity to highlight the seriousness of the epidemic. Since 1988 the World AIDS Day is being observed on December 01st annually. The theme for this year’s World AIDS Days is Accountability. The theme was developed by the World AIDS Campaign support team based on their work towards the World AIDS Day, and the outcomes of the London HIV and AIDS Campaigning and Advocacy meeting in February 2005.

By now more than 65 million people have been infected with HIV according to World AIDS Campaign of UNAIDS. At this rate World Health Organization predicts that in the next 25 years another 117 million people will die, making AIDS the third leading cause of death worldwide.

UNAIDS estimates that it will take US$ 20-23 million per year by 2010 to support rapidly scaled-up AIDS response in low, and middle income countries alone. In 200 the heads of state made a promise to halt and begin to reverse the spread of AIDS by 2015.

“Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise.’ is a tagline that will be maintained at least until the end of 2015. And for now World AIDS Day each year will have different variations of the theme whilst keeping the tagline ‘Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise.’ The World promised to stop AIDS by 2015. What will you do? The millennium Development Goal on AIDS is to halt and begin to reverse the spread of the epidemic by 2015. To achieve this, promises and commitments have been made by individuals, communities and nations.

The spread of HIV is quickening with more people infected in 2006 than in any previous year. Everyday 8,000 people die of AIDS-related diseases.15-24 year-olds accounted for 40% of the 4.3 million new infections this year, and two thirds of these are young women.

According to the latest figures published on November 21st 2006, by UNAIDS/WHO AIDS Epidemic Update, an estimated 39.5 million people are living with HIV. There were 4.3 million new infections in 2006 with 2.8 million (65%) of these occurring in sub-Saharan Africa and important increases in Eastern Europe, and Central Asia, where there are some indications that infection rates have risen by 50% since 2004. In 2006, 2.9 million people died of AIDS-related illnesses.

An estimated 8.6 million (6.0 million-13.0 million) people were living with HIV in Asia in 2006, including 960,000 (640,000- 2.5 million) who became newly infected in the past year. Approximately 630,000 (430,000- 900,000) died from AIDS-related illnesses in 2006. The number of people receiving antiretroviral therapy has increased more than threefold since 2003, and reached an estimated 235,000 (180,000- 290,000) by June 2006. This represents about 16% of the total number of people in need of antiretroviral treatment in Asia, according to the UNAIDS/WHO AIDS Epidemic Update December 2006.Only Thailand has succeeded in providing treatment to at least to 50% of people needing it according to UNAIDS/WHO 2006.

“Though the world has made progress in expanding HIV/Aids treatment to adults, children have been left behind. Only one in 10 children who needs treatment is getting it,” Bill Clinton former US President and the head of the Clinton Foundation said in his speech at the Delhi hospital. He was in India recently to launch the federal government’s national programme to treat children with HIV The Clinton Foundation was et up in 2002 to provide technical and financial help to poorer countries struggling to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS around the world. Since its inception, The Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative (CHAI) has helped bring AIDS care and treatment to over 415,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in the world. The Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative (CHAI) has negotiated with pharmaceutical companies to make HIV/AIDS treatment cheaper for children in developing countries.

UNAIDS Scaling up towards universal access: Progress in Asia and the Pacific, October 2006 states that UNAIDS is working with the government and civil society to revisit the targets already set and to make them ambitious and realistic. The process of target setting is ongoing and is expected to be completed by the end of 2006 in most countries . Bangladesh, Indonesia, China, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka are categorized as countries which are slow but moving.

Keeping the Promise? Sri Lanka

In Sri Lanka so far 815 HIV positives have been reported up to September 2006. 151 deaths have been reported up to now. 26 children have been reported to have infected with HIV. They all got infected through their mothers. HIV surveillance is conducted annually by the National STD/AIDS Control Programme (NSACP). However the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) estimates the actual number of People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) to be 5,000 (3,000-8,300), and classifies Sri Lanka as a low-prevalence country with an adult prevalence rate of less than 0.1 percent.

95% of HIV transmission is through unprotected sex. 3% of HIV is transmitted through mother to child, 1% through blood transfusion, and 1% through by drug users injecting drugs, the rest of the drug users inhales drugs. Although no formal studies have been carried out, Sri Lanka has an estimated 30,000 drug users according to Panos Global AIDS Programme in July 2006.

Anti Retro Viral Treatment (ARV) began in latter part of 2004. World Bank strengthened the national response. From December 1 st 2004, 82 beneficiaries started to receive free Anti Retro Viral Treatment (ARV). 213 people have developed AIDS.

According to Panos Global AIDS Programme in July 2006, the World Bank is the major donor to the National HIV/AIDS Prevention Programme (NHAPP) in Sri Lanka and a grant of US$ 12.5 million (Sri Lankan Rupees 1,250 million) was made available for HIV/AIDS activities for the period 2003-2008. Of this sum, US$ 11.5 million (Sri Lankan Rupees 1,150 million) was allocated for prevention activities, and US$ 1 million (Sri Lankan Rupees 100 million) for treatment. Although the World Bank project was approved in 2003, funds were released only in 2005. According to the National Strategic Plan for Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS (the Strategic Plan), a budget of US$ 11,588,000 was needed for HIV/AIDS by the Ministry Of Health (MOH) for the 2002-2006 period. Of this the government was to contribute US$ 3.6 million (Sri Lankan Rupees 360 million), the private sector US $ 620,000 (Sri Lankan Rupees 62 million), and Non- Governmental Organizations US$ 145,000 (Sri Lankan Rupees 14.5 million). The Ministry Of Health is currently preparing the next Strategic Plan for the period 2007-2011. The Strategic Plan consists of three technical units for prevention, care and surveillance.

There are currently 26 STD clinics (Sexually Transmitted Diseases) in the Island. There is no consultant venerologists at the Jaffna Teaching Hospital, and the STD clinic lack adequate testing facilities, and no privacy for the persons. The accumulated number of People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA’s) is 38, while people living with HIV is 16 to date. There are more women than men living with HIV/AIDS. Out of these, two are children. The first case of HIV positive was detected in 1993 in Jaffna.

“HIV/AIDS is like landmines. We have to be very careful. Sri Lanka is a low-prevalence country compare to African countries, where the prevalence rate is 30%-40%. When the prevalence rate is low, people do not make a note of it until it becomes a threat. There is no compulsory testing for HIV/AIDS in Sri Lanka. It’s voluntary testing, except for the people who go abroad for employments are tested for HIV/AIDS. The treatment is free of charge in Sri Lanka. It’s an incentive. More work to be done to create awareness on HIV/AIDS” said the Minister for Health at a press conference in Colombo recently.

World leaders still failing to deliver on funding for HIV/AIDS says ActionAid

“Rich countries are in a danger of making mockery for their own commitment to fight this” said Aditi Sharma Head of the HIV/AIDS team at ActionAid in a press release to mark the World AIDS Day.

She further states that , “We cannot allow leaders to abandon the fight against AIDS as if it were some passing fashion. More than a year after world leaders committed to access there is still no funding plan to finance this goal.

We must not allow prejudice and ignorance to diminish HIV/AIDS prevention efforts. Governments must allocate significant funds to back rhetoric on promoting women’s rights and the cost of treatment must be cut. And preventative healthcare needs to be accessible to halt the needless death of millions of people. While there is now some recognition that the fight against AIDS will not be won unless gender inequity and violence against women and girls are targeted., there is no government or donor around the world committing adequate funds or implementing programmes needed to advance the sexual and reproductive rights of women, and reduce their vulnerability.”

The funding gap is still US$ 10 million a year and only billion a year and only 20% of people living with the virus are receiving treatment. Across Asia, one in six people are receiving treatment while in India treatment remains at below 10% of need. But worldwide, only 20% of all young women understand how to prevent transmission.

Africa continues to bear the brunt of the epidemic with 72% of global deaths caused by the virus, according to UNAIDS Report on the global AIDS epidemic 2006.

Red Ribbon

According to the UNAIDS website, the Red Ribbon symbolizes the AIDS awareness. In 1988 a group called Visual AIDS was founded by arts professionals as a response to the effects of AIDS on the arts community and as a way of organizing artists, arts institution, and arts audiences towards direct action on AIDS.

Three years later, in 1991, some of the Visual AIDS artists came together to design a visual symbol to demonstrate compassion for people living with HIV and their care givers. Inspired by the yellow ribbons honoring American soldiers serving in the Gulf war, the artists chose to create a red ribbon to symbolize support and solidarity for people living with HIV and to remember those who have died from AIDS-related illnesses. The colour red was chosen for its, “connection to blood and the idea of passion — not only anger, but love, like a valentine,” the Project founders say. The project was to become known as the Red Ribbon Project.

The symbol came to Europe on a mass scale on Easter Monday in 1992, when more than 100,000 red ribbons were distributed during the Freddie Mercury AIDS Awareness Tribute Concert at Wembley stadium. More than one billion people in more than 70 countries worldwide watched the show on television. Throughout the nineties many celebrities wore red ribbons, encouraged by Princess Diana’s high profile support for AIDS.

By mobilizing the visual arts communities , Visual AIDS raises money to provide direct services to artists living with HIV/AIDS.

Today the Red Ribbon has become an international symbol of solidarity and support for people living with HIV. Wearing a red ribbon is a simple and powerful way to challenge the stigma and prejudice surrounding AIDS .Wear yours with pride this World AIDS Day. Wear a Red Ribbon and show that, you care for them.

Source: humanityashore

Contact: Dushi.Pillai@gmail.com

By Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipillai

Dr. Kamalika Abeyratne campaigned tirelessly to create awareness about HIV/AIDS, and stood for the rights of People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA’s) in Sri Lanka. She campaigned vigorously against stigma and discrimination faced by People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA’s). Further she advocated to make the drugs free of charge for the People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA’s) in Sri Lanka. Under the circumstances the pediatrician Dr. Kamalika Abeyratne was subjected to HIV infection

We have gone to the top of information technological revolution. But the fear of the deadly disease is staggering. Though the rate of AIDS, which is due to the HIV infection, is much less in Sri Lanka, yet many are unable to get rid of the fear of the disease. Those who are infected with HIV do not like to reveal it. If revealed many fear there would be no treatment for it and would be ostracized from the society.

A National award was conferred on Late Dr. Kamalika Abeyartne by the former President Mrs. Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga in 2005.Dr.Kamalika Abeyratne was honoured by the then President Mrs. Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga for the medical service, she rendered to the society on the International Women’s Day in 2000.She was hounoured with an award by AIDS Coalition for Care, Education, and Support Services (ACCESS) in 1999, for her dedicated service to create awareness about HIV/AIDS in Sri Lanka. And Zonta Club recognized her with an award in 2000.

Late Dr. Kamalika Abeyratne’s father was a well known Professor George Wickramasuriya. She was a role model for the People Living With HIV/AIDS. She was a cheerful soul with a charming smile always.

Dr. Kamalika Abeyratne passed away on December 10th 2004.

The following intervie was published in Sunday Thinakkual of June 03 rd 2001. It’s been reproduced here to pay tribute to Late Dr.Kamalika Abeyratne on World AIDS Day, which falls on December 01st 2006:

Q: How are you helping those who are infected with HIV/AIDS?

A: Due to the social structure, one who is infected with HIV is relevant to get the blood test done, or fear to tell, or hesitate to tell outside that he or she is infected to HIV. Under these circumstances it is difficult to tell exactly how many are infected with this virus. Yet you have to say that HIV is fast spreading. During the last several years, one who is infected with HIV infection there is no sign of AIDS liable to spread it to others. So it is a very dangerous disease.

Further more, one who is infected with HIV has to reveal that he or she is infected with HIV. If he or she accepts and says that he or she is infected with HIV, then we can help him or her.

In the meantime, some of those who were in Sahara House, the non governmental organization in New Delhi, the capital of India, called us on telephone and asked us to collect all information about those who were affected by HIV/AIDS. We told them to contact the Mind and Heart centre and get all the information. About 10 -15 of them contacted us. We asked them to come on a particular date to a particular place. We expected them and made all arrangements to meet them. But out of those who contacted us on phone not a single person turned up. This is very unfortunate. It is very regrettable and disappointing. Under these circumstance how can we help them?

Q:How do you compare the HIV/AIDS status in Sri Lanka with our neighbouring countries in the region?

A:When we look at our neighboring countries, our country is the one that is the least affected by HIV/AIDS spreading rate in the region. But in countries like India and Philippines, those who are affected by infectious disease get together and form organization to improve their conditions. But in our country there is no cooperation to our efforts. In the school syllabus, the health education regarding reproduction be included forth withy. We do not like to have a healthy discussion about sex, or sexuality in our society.

During the international conference held in Chennai, in India, some mantras shouted saying “Where are the protective sheaths?”, “We have not been supplied with productive sheaths”, “We do not have sufficient productive sheaths”. This matter is being talked about freely to this extent in India. They are also taking measure to prevent HIV/AIDS.

An Irish woman who owns a small industry, has given worth opportunities to those who are infected with HIV –Aids. These girls attend school and study. They are also given opportunity to earn. It has to be mentioned that the bags made by these girls are being sold in a big shop, that sells attractive things like “Body shop” you can also see “sex is fun, but stay with one” printed in those bags.

Q:How are you treated by the society?

A:It is very unfortunate that I got an infectious disease like HIV.This is very unfortunate and vexatious. Because of my love for children I started practicing as a pediatrician from the time I passed out in 1959, from the medical college. I started practicing in the historic city of Anuradhapura, and Gampaha. From 1968 I worked for two decades at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital in Colombo. Further from 1980 my husband Michael who is also a pediatrician, and I were attending to the medical needs of the needy people in the remote villages in Sri Lanka. After some years we went to Saudi Arabia and served for five years at King Fahd Specialist Hospital in Al Gassim, Saudi Arabia from 1990-1994 and worked as a Senior Consultant Pediatrician, and returned to serve in the country.

In 1995 when we were going to Tangalle to serve the medical needs for “Nawajeevana”, the home based rehabilitation programme for the handicapped, we met with a fatal car accident. Due to the serious injuries, which left Dr. Kamalika Abeyratne with HIV positive after a blood transfusion at Karapitiya Hospital. The blood belonged to one who was infected with HIV due to this I was also infected with HIV. It was the beginning of the end of my life.

The President of Sri Lanka Mrs. Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaramatunga has taken action to supply me with the necessary medicine for five years. I am very much obliged to her. She ordered a helicopter to bring us back from Tangalle to Colombo. But due to the bad weather the helicopter could not land in Tangalle. We came to Koggala airstrip, and from there we were flown to Colombo.

The news started to spread like wild fire immediately, when I was found HIV positive. Thus started our trauma. The nursing homes refused to admit me, except Asiri Nursing Home, and Oasis Nuring Home later. Then I went to London for further treatment.

I had my family’s fullest support and care with love along with my friends, and colleagues. But other People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA’s) have to undergo more trauma than I have gone through. Because our social set up is such. They have to face stigma and discrimination, which lead to several problems. The society is not in anyway uniting them or comforting them. We should take care of People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA’s) without any discrimination. We should treat them as equal citizens of the country.

Source: humanityashore

Contact: Dushi.Pillai@gmail.com

By Dr. A.R.M.Imtiyaz
[Department of Political Science, Temple University , USA]

“It is now crystal clear that the Sinhala leaders will never put forward a just resolution to the Tamil national question. Therefore, we are not prepared to place our trust in the impossible and walk along the same old futile path…. We therefore ask the international community and the countries of the world that respect justice to recognize our freedom struggle.” This is the key sections of the annual Heroes’ Day statement delivered by the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), V. Pirapaharan.

The Sinhalese ruling class in Colombo may simply consider this as a regular political joke of Tamil militancy. However, serious Sri Lanka watchers would agree that such a statement represents not only the Tamil disappointments and distrust, but also it effectively exposes duplicity of five decades old southern Sinhalese politics, which categorically refused to do meaningful political business with the Tamil moderates. Thus statement is strong in its message and accurate in its agendas.

The Tamil Tigers unquestionably are the deadly elements of the Sri Lanka society. Whether the Tamils Tigers are freedom fighters as they claim themselves or deadly terrorists as the Sri Lanka governments describe, history will answer it. My point is here is that the birth of Tamil Tiger movement has roots in Sri Lanka ’s history. In my understanding, they are the byproduct of five decades’ old failed politics and policies of the Sinhalese political class. There was not an overnight decision among the ordinary Tamils to approve the agendas of the Tamil Tigers: the failure of Sri Lankan polity to meet the demands of the Tamil moderates was a key foundation for the origin of the Tamil extremism in Sri Lanka . Instead of listening to the Tamil leaders and accommodating their reasonable demands, the Sinhalese ruling leaders of the time assaulted and stoned the Tamils and their leaders, and even hired the Sinhalese to become butchers to kill innocent Tamils and moderate leaders. One needs to realize that successive government since 1956 controlled by the Sinhalese miserably failed to engage the Tamil moderates such as the Federal Party (FP). The FP sought a comprehensive solution without jeopardizing the unity of Sri Lanka . However, Sinhalese collective, competitive chauvinism turned blind eyes to the Tamil moderates. Sadly, the choice of the Sinhala political class to use violence effectively scratched the Tamil trust in the political system and encouraged some Tamils to adopt violence.

Mr. Ranil Wickramasinghe, a former Premier of Sri Lanka and considered as an agent of neo-colonialists by the Sinhala chauvinists, during his visit to the United States echoed this truth. He rightly pointed that “the Tamils tried peaceful protests which soon degenerated into violence. With the underlying grievances being unattended the stage was set for terrorists groups to emerge (“Our Approach for a Better Tomorrow Free from Terrorism,”Daily News, July 25, 2002.) This helps us to understand the birth of Tamil violent movements, particularly the Tamil Tigers in the end of 1970. The Sinhalese ruling leaders, however, did not freeze their narrow minded ethnic outbidding policies. They incessantly formulated what I call emotional policies to win the sympathy of the Sinhalese, and continually treat the Tamils inhumanely and refused to offer what political scientists call “consocational democracy” to ease ethnic tensions.

What is more ironic is that in Sri Lanka, even after 25 years of conflict, after victimizing thousands of Sri Lankans, mostly the Tamils, the Sinhalese political class still refusing to recognize that minorities, including the Muslims, have legitimate grievances that require reasonable political solution. In fact, they are deliberately refusing to understand the problems of the minorities; because they hate to challenge the kind of political culture they created to outbid their opponents. To consolidate this narrow political culture, they utilize 5th century Mahavamsa, which plays key role in the formation of Sinhala elite mobilization. According to Mahavamsa, Sinhalese people are the preservers of Buddhism and the entire island is the sacred home of the Sinhalese and of Buddhism.

Separation may not be desirable solution for the Sri Lanka ’s ethnic civil war which killed more than 75,000 people out of the island’s 19 millions. In other words, separation may trigger further instability. But when a particular community continuously being denied their rights and share, and became prisoners of the majority/dominant community, then there must be a solution to arrest unhealthy political situation and to give justice to the marginalized. However, desire for a partition could be challenged if the ruling elites show real willingness to think and act beyond the ethnic emotions, and commitments to share the powers with the minorities. That is to say, their must be an effective power sharing mechanisms with the Tamil ethnic political movements both at center and region. This would more likely undermine the agendas of the separatist movements provided there is a domestic and international political willingness to implement the agreement.

Moreover, it is irrational to demand a particular community to forcefully cohabit with the majority. Also, when there is no space for political accommodation and citizenship for the minorities who claim geographical domination in a certain areas of the country, separation is highly likely. Pirapakaran, who thinks that “uncompromising stance of Sinhala chauvinism” would never deliver justice to the Tamils, seem now strongly believe that an independent state for the people of Tamil Eelam can deliver peace and justice to the Tamils. Pirapakaran and its elusive Tamil Tiger cadres may have their own political aims and programs as other political parties or organization share in a democratic political structure, but what is truth is that the Sinhalese polity totally disappointed the minorities, particularly the Tamils.

Therefore, when they say “the uncompromising stance of Sinhala chauvinism has left us with no other option but an independent state for the people of Tamil Eelam,” it is highly demonstrating their frustration both with the impartial delivery of democratic system and the Sinhalese ruling elites. In point of fact, this is serious political development and should be taken seriously, because such a call for partition generally arises out of deep disappointment on the delivery of political leaders.

The best alternative to the partition is, as I mentioned above, serious political package. It would probably provide a political space to cohabit with other groups, while maintaining their own identity and values. The basic logic of unity is acceptance. When we prepare to accept choices made by others regardless their ethnic/religious identity, we not only win their trust, but also their loyalty to the common goals. On the other hand, polity may trigger violence and instability when we shove our preferences on others. Unity and peace among the different groups, by and large, occur when there is a sprit for respect, self-determination, and freedom, in other words, tensions between the different ethnic groups can be disappeared when the state offer the space for the minorities to build their lost trust, and to uphold their citizenship through the political autonomy.

If there is a resistance from the Sinhalese polity for a power-sharing, in that case, the final but undesirable option for the Tamils is partition. The demand of separation becomes strong when a power-sharing arrangement is not possible. The world recognizes that if the people do not want to co-habit in the same polity then, partition should not be automatically neglected as a solution. This might be one way to manage Tamils’ demands for political space since 1977. However, partition would not win the blessings of the global community, particularity New Delhi and Washington would refuse to go along with it for the reasons best known to them.

But is it fair enough to turn blind eyes, while the sections of the human community continually suffer both militarily and humanitarianly in the chunk of the war torn North-East? How are we human enough to tolerate blood and dead of the Tamils at the hands of oppressive Sinhalese forces who even snub to offer minimum power sharing such as Tsunami pact? Do Tamils continually need to bleed for the desires of corrupt and selfish or bad leaders of Sri Lanka ?

If the global community thinks partition is not desirable, then they need to exert tough leverage on the Sri Lanka ruling elites to firmly improve the human rights of the minorities of Sri Lanka , by giving political space for a power sharing democracy. Sri Lanka continue to bleed and remain to be home of deadly but motivated Tamil suicide bombers if there is no outside (effective and honest) pressures. Such a vacuum may further frustrate Sri Lanka , and help to reserve permanent seat in the failed state club. Both the global community and Sinhalese ruling elites would have to share the responsibilities, if such an outcome occurs beyond our expectations.

Oral statement made by Ms. Ramni Muttetuwegama on behalf of FORUM-ASIA, Pax Romana as part of the interactive Dialogue with the High Commissioner for Human Rights

3rd Session of the UN Human Rights Council
Geneva, Nov. 29, 2006

Chairperson,

It is with grave concern that we take the floor to draw your attention to the grave deterioration of the human rights and humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka since the second session of the Council in September 2006, when the High Commissioner, the Rapporteur on Summary and Arbitrary Executions and many others spoke to the issue.

In the month of October alone, over 500 members of the security forces and of the LTTE have died as a consequence of the on-going conflict in the north and east of the country; this includes the deaths of over 100 Navy personnel in a single LTTE suicide bomb killing.

The civilian death toll for October is over 300. Both the LTTE and the government have continue to display a callous disregard for the lives of civilians caught in the conflict, often violating principles of humanitarian law in the process. Army shells that fell on a school in Kathiraveli, Batticaloa, sheltering internally displaced persons, killed 45 persons and injured over 100; in an army shooting on the premises of an agricultural college in Vavuniya in November, five students were killed. The numbers of extra-judicial killings, abductions, disappearances and appearance of mutilated dead bodies in public places have risen. The assassination of TNA MP Raviraj in broad daylight in the capital, Colombo, is the most recent example.

The lack of credible and unbiased investigations into on-going human rights violations and attempts to intimidate and silence civil society voices working in the human rights and humanitarian arenas serve to strengthen the culture of impunity and the environment of silence and fear.

In November, Mr. Allan Rock, representing the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Children and Armed Conflict visited Sri Lanka. His initial observations have affirmed what civil society groups and parents of abducted children have been stating throughout this year, regarding the abduction and conscription of children by the LTTE and by the Karuna faction, the latter with the complicity of government troops. Once again, the lack of any credible response to these complaints proves the absence of avenues for justice and redress within the country.

Continued restriction of access to conflict-affected areas means that hundreds of thousands of people trapped in the Jaffna peninsula and in other parts of LTTE-controlled areas of the north and east are deprived of access to food and other needs. The re-opening of the A9 road, which is the main supply route to the north and which was closed in August 2006, has become a tool in the political tug of war between the government and the LTTE instead of a matter of urgent humanitarian concern.

In September 2006, we came before this Council as a broad coalition of Sri Lankan and international civil society organizations, with an appeal for international monitoring of the human rights and humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka. The appointment of a National Commission of Inquiry with an Independent International Group of Eminent Persons as observers and with a limited mandate of inquiry into specified past violations is not, we feel, a substitute for independent international monitoring of on-going violations with a view to ending impunity, preventing future violations and offering redress and relief to victims and survivors of human rights violations.

We are here today to call on this Council to impress upon both the government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE the need to return to the path of negotiations and the proper implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement. We feel this is an imperative first step towards civilian protection in a crisis situation.

We call on the Council and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to continue with their efforts to create credible and independent international mechanisms for monitoring the human rights situation in Sri Lanka. Such a process would be complementary and supportive of national initiatives.

We also call on the Council to ensure that regular reports from the government of Sri Lanka and various mechanisms of the UN human rights system are brought before this Council. Such a move for systematic scrutiny would be a significant step towards ending impunity in Sri Lanka.

ASIAN FORUM FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEVELOPMENT
Baan Vichien, Apartment 3-b, 220 Sukhumvit 49/12, Klongton Nua, Wattana, Bangkok 10320, Thailand

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