Sri Lanka cannot begin to heal until justice is delivered to victims – Amnesty International
Sri Lanka will not break with its violent past until it reckons with the cruel history of enforced disappearance and delivers justice to as many as 100,000 families who have spent years waiting for it, Amnesty International said in a new report.
Amnesty International’s report, “Only Justice can heal our wounds”, was launched by the organization’s Secretary General Salil Shetty at a meeting with families of the disappeared in the northern Sri Lankan town of Mannar.
The report tells the story of relatives, many of them women, who have spent years searching for truth and justice. Obstructed at every turn, they have been misled about the whereabouts or fate of their disappeared relatives, subjected to threats, smears and intimidation, and suffered the indignity of delayed trials and a stalled truth and justice processes, it claims.
“There is no community in Sri Lanka that remains untouched by the trauma of enforced disappearance. Most people in the country suffer the absence of a loved one or know someone who does. They have waited years, and in some cases, decades, to learn of the fate of their relatives. Until justice is delivered to these victims, the country cannot begin to heal, let alone move towards a more promising future,” said Salil Shetty, Amnesty International’s Secretary General.
The report states that despite international commitments to end impunity for enforced disappearance, which may amount to crimes against humanity where they have been widespread and systematic, the authorities have failed to investigate these cases, identify the whereabouts or fate of the victim, or prosecute those suspected of the crimes.
A major driver of enforced disappearances has been like Sri Lanka’s notorious Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). Enabling incommunicado and secret detention, the PTA places people outside the law and leaves them vulnerable to human rights violations including torture and enforced disappearances, it said.
“Sri Lanka needs to put the victims at the heart of any reconciliation process. The authorities must hear their demands and implement them. The current government has taken encouraging steps to acknowledge the need to end impunity, but it cannot leave the victims waiting any longer. They have waited too long already. If Sri Lanka wants to successfully pull away from its violent past, it must address victims’ demands for justice, truth, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence,” said Salil Shetty.
(Ada Derana)
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Dear Mr. Salil Shetty, HR applies for all. Afghans, Iraqees, Libyas, Palastineans, Sirians, Kashmeeries for all. Not only for selected communities i Sri Lanka. Even in Sri Lanka, HR violations happened during JVP uprisings in late 60’s ad 70’s. Then during the LTTE terror war. We don’t have focus alleged HR violations during the last stages of the war. You can’t pick ad chose events, time periods, certain ethnic groups to address (Showcase) HR violations. In my opinion, AI Secretary General can we look into all the HR violations from post independence period in Sri Lanka?
What a lot of bullshit. I have never heard any one talking about the families that lost loved ones due to the barbaric suicide bombings of the illiterate LTTE suicide bombers around the country. Sri Lanka’s violet past was due to one Barbarian called Prabhakaran. No one questioned his actions as long as he was doing the killing, Instead some of his ardent supporters are being given refuge in the Western countries.
How come every time the delegates who come to SL through Amensty or United Nations all have a Tamil or Indian background.
The bloody Indians are treating their own people like animals on a daily basis so who are they to point the finger at Sri Lanka.
I think it is time that MY3 and RW asked these jokers to get lost instead of bending down in front of them. The more you bend the more thy will tread on you.
Amnesty International and UN is a joke. I don’t know why every body is silent about these Tamil basterdes who did so much damaged to our country and to there own Tamil people. No other terror group in the world attack children. Tamil barbarian did,
Amnesty International employs baboons. They are silent about what Israel do in Plasticine just to show one example.
You ungrateful Sinhalese why cannot have a go and say something to Amnesty International like to f*ck off. Why are you keeping quite. Have you forgot about bombing our air port and destroying our planes. Shame on our politicians just keeping there mouth shut and let these Amnesty International bastereds to pork in our country.
Why did the brutal Sinhala army eliminate LTTE leadership in the battleground?
Had the Army conducted a humane war and captured the leadership of the LTTE alive using superior technology, today the nation would have held the LTTE leaders responsible for crime against humanity in a local court of law.
Chie d’Zylva you don’t know what you are talking. The brave Sinhalese army eliminate LTTE basterds because they are cowards and don’t want to fight face to face, They only know how to hit and run,
This is for you Chie d’Zylva:
1. Why did the blood thirsty LTTE eliminated Sri Lankan leaders: Premadasa, AthulathMudali, Rancy Fdo (Navy Commander), Gamini Jayasuriya, Kobakkaduwa, etc ?
2. You suggest had the LTTE leaders escaped death, they would have tried in a local for crime against humanity. Why the same local courts can’t try the alleged crimes of SL Army?
Amarakoon,
The LTTE eliminated Sinhala leaders who were a pain in the arse of the nation. Show me one Sinhala citizen who regrets RP’s elimination? L-Athu-M and gamini Dis were racist who was excellent at fanning flames to glorify themselves. The former was the pioneer of the war against the Tamils under JRJ and the latter was personally responsible for setting the Jaffna library alight. Had they risen further up the ladder, the country would have been in terrible flames and perhaps, divided by the UN.
Amarakoon, the LTTE helped the Sinhala Buddhists by eliminating these anti-sociual leaders.
Rancy Fdo and Kob-kaduwa were commanders of the brutal Sinhala army, they deserve death. They were prepared for death when they joined the forces and took on the the Tamil population.
Yes, had the brutal Sinhala army carried out a humane war and captured LTTE alive, the story today will be different. The world will focus on trying those maniacs for crimes against humanity and the Sinhala Army would be commended for carrying out a humanitarian war to redeem the Tamils.
The SL courts cannot try the SL Army. Firstly, the courts are corrupt. Secondly investigation and prosecution by Government machinery is poor; eg: the multitude of cases against former regime and the high end cases of leading journalists and sportsmen. Can they ever progress to conclusion. Amarakoon, not as long as the Sinhala Govt has a Police Chief who says ‘Yes Sir, Yes Sir’ over the phone, in public!!
Let alone the inefficiencies, the Sinhala Govt has a leadership that is openly committed to protecting criminal Ranaviru!
Thuleepan Somasundaram. Now you lost the war keep barking like a dog. You took arms against us and we won the war. So shut up get lost.
Ranjith,
We did not loose the war; in fact we won the war.
The Sinhala Buddhist Government is in deep shit; they are being squeezed by the international community. The Yahapalana is surviving through the bullshit by FM Mangala S.
Ranjith, for how long?.
Ranjith, we won the War mate, soon our dreams will come true.
Thuleepan Somasundar please don’t show me your ignorance. If you won the war I don’t know what the fuss is about. .. Of course one day your dream when will come true when Siva comes to Sri Lanka.. No harm dreaming. Till that burn some cow dum and strike three lines on your forehead.
.
Dear Mr. T. Somasundaram,
SL government was a democratically elected government. LTTE is terror organization trained and armed by India. LTTE killed its own people and started killing then Jaffna Mayer. Remember? LTTE was so brutal to kidnap 1000s of innocent Tamil Children, brain washed them, put a Cyanide capsule ad sent to be killed in the war frunt. a gross violation of human rights? Don’t you agree Mr. Somasundaram. So, you justify killing our leaders. Why LTTE can’t capture them alive? I know millions of people who support late Ranasinghe Premadasa. May be you live in a different planet. Please get down from your Palmyra palm. In fact LTTE should be regretful for R. Premadasa for diverting free weaponry to destroy Indian Peace keepers. Pl do not bite the had which fed you guys!!
Mr. De Zylva, I asked you a question ad I am still waiting for your repose. Yes, Brother Ranjith we won the war. Our Justice Department is headed by an able Tamil professional and let listen to local music.
Ranjith,
There is no fuss mate. We have got you by the bal*s, my dear pal.
Our victory in the war has shown to the whole world that the Sinhala political parties are incapable of governing the country. There’s corruption from top to bottom. There is no policy; everthing is done because of Komis or bribes. Did you see the IGP saying ‘Yes Sir. Yes Sir’ on the cell phone? That is a good example, mate.
See now, Katunayake Airport, cost is $50m but cannot land A380. What a shame.
That is why international community wants foreign judges to conduct war crime cases.
Well Mr Thuleepan Somasundaram not only Sinhalese politicians are corrupt so as Tamil Politicians. One of the reason your LTTE went down was due to corruption. So here we are. Only way to go forward is to have cooperation among all people and go forward as Sri Lankens. As long as corruption is there Sri Lanka will never come up. So don’t set Tamil people against Sinhalese. Normal Tamil people are good people. People like you are the enemies of the Tamil people.
By the way what A380 has to do with the refurbishment of the Katunayaka air port?
Despite three months’ renovation work which disrupted airline schedules, the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL) will not upgrade the Bandaranaike International Airport’s runway to Code F in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organisation-accepted classification for runways capable of accommodating new large aircraft such as A380s.
Notwithstanding its recent widening at a cost of US$ 50 million, the BIA runway will remain Code E or one that can facilitate aircraft with a wingspan of more than 52 metres but less than 65 metres. The A380 aircraft has a wingspan of more than 80 metres. This is because the width of the core runway at BIA is still 45m and it was only the “shoulders” on either side that were extended during the renovation work.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has repeatedly said the BIA runway was capable of accommodating the A380.
This is in stark contrast to the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) which has a Code F runway suitable to accommodate scheduled A380 and new large aircraft operations.
I agree with you brother Ranjith. People like Mr. Thuleepa Somasundaram are real enemies of Sri Lankan Tamil folks. Remember our Foreign Minister Kadiragamar? He was killed by LTTE (in fact, Prabakaran got the idea after watching Day of the Jackal film from a TV donated by Norway in his bunker). Remember, in post independence era Sri Lanka formed government with Tamil Political parties. So they too are part and parcel of the corruption. A380!!! may be Mr. Somasundaram is sad because A380 couldn’t land in the runway constructed by LTTE in the Vanni jungle!
Ranjith, LTTE were not political leaders; they were demons.
As Amarakoon says, had the democratically elected Sinhala Government conducted a humane war and captured the satanic LTTE leaders alive, Sri Lanka will be a united country today.
The problems is that the major Sinhala parties that lead the country are driven by money and nothing but money. The greed for wealth is so intense, that everything else including the teachings of the Buddha have been cast to the rubbish bin by the Sinhala leaders.
Thuleepan Somasundaram I agree with you. All our politician (Sinhalese and Tamil) are corrupted and greedy lot playing on the ignorance of the people. As long as they have palaces and luxury cars they don’t care sod about the country or the people. Last month I visited Jafna, Trincomalee and Thalemanar and the Tamil people treated me so well, showing that there is no prodigious against Sinhalese. Of course we Sihalese have to live and treat them well and recognize them, respect them and there culture and as human beings so that minority respect us.
Violence breed violence so the answer is not to take weapons against each other but to cooperate and work towards a more human society.
With thees corrupted politicians , I cannot see that happening.