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Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: Human Security Report Oct 2006

Attachments

This issue covers the period from July to September 2006

INTRODUCTION

The time period covered in the present issue of the Human Security Report (HSR) can be pointed out as the most critical quarter of Sri Lanka in 2006. The shadow war, which started in December 2005, manifested itself in full force following the Mavil Aru anicut incident in Muttur. The LTTE commenced attacks against the military and the military responded with equal vigour. The attacks and counter attacks intensified in the month of August. By September however, owing to overarching international pressure, the intensity of violence scaled down considerably. The most notable outcome of all these incidents is the failure of both parties to the CFA in living upto their obligations. The focus of the current HSR would be upon the issues of instability, vulnerability and international pressure in view of these failures.

Loss of lives and incidence of violence

The compilation of summary of incidents by district from 01.07.2006 to 28.09.06 Table 1 (page 2) shows that incidence of violence and loss of lives have been high in the Northern and Eastern districts compared to other districts of the country. It requires to be emphasised that reporting of incidence of abductions may not be comprehensive as many people do not come forward for reporting fearing reprisal.

According to the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL), over 51 persons have disappeared in Jaffna district alone in August. HRCSL Commissioner D. Jayawickrama in an interview with the press (pg. 2, The Morning Leader, 13.09.2006) has said that investigations into these disappearances were being conducted by HRCSL based on the complaints received. (...) The HRCSL has also said that 419 persons had disappeared in Jaffna since December last year.

Table 1: Summary of incidents by district from 01.07.2006 to 28.09.06

District
Killed
Wounded
Missing
Abducted
Ampara
30
8
4
Anuradhapura
Badulla
1
Batticaloa
105
51
30
Colombo
13
20
1
Gampaha
Jaffna
317
341
8
7
Kandy
Killinochchi
190
453
Mannar
4
26
2
Pollonnaruwa
1
Puttalam
Ratnapura
1
17
Trincomalee
712
516
1
Vavuniya
37
54
1
Total
1410
1487
11
43

(Source: CHA)

Co-chairs in a statement issued in Brussels on 12th September 2006, while welcoming the expression of willingness of the government and the LTTE to talk unconditionally, had called on both parties to stop further violations of fundamental principles of humanitarian law and human rights. The statement notes, (...) the Co-chairs are particularly concerned that even major cases of human rights' abuses are not successfully investigated or prosecuted. As in any modern state, the culture of impunity must stop. The co-chairs welcome the call of the President for international assistance, and offer to send a mission of high-level experts to review the current situation and suggest further actions before the end of October on the needs for international support to correct it.

In line with the Co-chairs statement is the EU Parliament resolution on Sri Lanka that welcomed the announcement by Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa of his intention to invite an international independent group of eminent persons as observers of investigations into abductions, disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Sri Lanka; the EU also considers the setting-up of an independent, credible and effective commission, in the interim, to be a courageous move that could break the vicious cycle of violence in Sri Lanka; it recommends that the Government of Sri Lanka seek the advice of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour in establishing the commission, so as to ensure its independence and effectiveness.

These statements come in the wake of an attack on a civilian bus in Anuradhapura allegedly by the LTTE that killed 67 civilians, many of whom were children and an attack by the military on training centre in the LTTE controlled area that claimed the lives of 51 children and young people as well as the killings of 17 aid workers in Muttur and the massacre of 10 Muslim youth in Pottuvil. All of these noted incidents are controversy ridden in terms of who should be held responsible for the violence. While seeking justice for the families of those affected by these incidents continues, international pressure has been mounting on both the government and the LTTE to abandon violence and to seek a negotiated political settlement to the conflict.

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