United Nations, Geneva, 26 May 2009 – Ms. Navanethem Pillay, The High Commissioner for Human Rights, recorded a video message that was viewed during the Human Rights Council, Eleventh special session on the human rights situation in Sri Lanka.
Riz Khan: After a military victory for the government in a civil war that has torn the country apart for decades, Sri Lanka now begins a process of national reconciliation.
Part I:
Part II:
Government of Sri Lanka has announced that the “fighting has ended” and celebrations were held. However hundreds of thousands of civilians displaced from the war are detained in concentration camps and aid agencies and media are barred free access.
Access to internally displaced camps are currently being allowed only with guided military appointments.
In an editorial today, The Voice of America (VOA) has urged the Government of Sri Lanka to give unhindered access to UN, ICRC and other non-governmental agencies.
[A Tamil mother cradles her child at a refugee camp located on the outskirts of the town of Vavuniya in northern Sri Lanka May 22, 2009. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka on Saturday and will call on Sri Lanka to allow full access to nearly 300,000 refugees, most of whom are in camps in the north of the country, who fled during the final months of the war against Tamil Tiger rebels, U.N. officials said.-Reuters pic]
VOA editorials are a reflection of the views of Government of the United States of America.
The following is a full text of the editorial:
22 May 2009
A national holiday was declared in Sri Lanka this week to mark the end of fighting between government troops and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam that divided the island nation for 26 years. The victory of Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government came at a high cost, however.
The United Nations estimates that between the end of January and mid-April, some 6,500 civilians have been killed and 14,000 injured. Nearly 300,000 Tamils who fled the war zone are living in or are in transit to crowded refugee camps.
To truly achieve peace after such a conflict, the government of Sri Lanka needs to begin to heal the nation’s wounds and work toward justice and reconciliation for both sides. A lasting peace depends on Sinhalese, Tamils and other Sri Lankans working together to achieve new power sharing arrangements that safeguard all citizens’ rights.
As Sri Lankans pull together, the United States remains deeply concerned for the welfare of the hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons uprooted by the fighting. It urges the government to allow humanitarian aid groups to have access to the camps and the former conflict zone and to work with international organizations such as the U.N, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and nongovernmental groups to insure that all internationally displaced persons are accorded rights and care that meet international standards.
The U.S. is prepared to work with the government there to provide for the basic needs of all of its citizens and abide by its commitment to return the majority of the displaced to their homes by the end of the year.
Tamil Tigers call it quits:
CNN’s Anna Coren speaks with Suresh Bartlett of World Vision about the situation in Sri Lanka:
Tamil Tigers call it quits:
CNN’s Anna Coren speaks with Suresh Bartlett of World Vision about the situation in Sri Lanka:
As the Sri Lankan government declares “victory over Tamil Tigers,” the European Union has said reaching a sustainable political settlement in the country would be a real victory.
Tamil Canadians also say, “winning the peace would be the real victory.”
