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November 15, 2008

Sri Lanka is top eight of the countries that could face a genocide

 

UNITED NATIONS - Genocide and other mass atrocities are underway or risk breaking out in at least 33 countries, says a new comprehensive watch list slated for release Tuesday - the 60th anniversary of the United Nations prevention of genocide convention. As reports indicate UN peacekeeping efforts are in crisis amid dwindling contributions of both cash and well-trained forces, the authors of the new study call for an international focus on genocide prevention in countries they've identified. Since the world pledged "never again" in the wake of the Holocaust, Cambodia, Rwanda and Bosnia-Herzegovina are but three examples of places where mass slaughter has occurred.

The list by the New York-based Genocide Prevention Project for the first time combines the findings of five leading independent watch lists to create a "watch list of watch lists."

"Red alert" countries include Afghanistan and Iraq alongside commonly known regions currently experiencing genocidal conflict such as Sudan's Darfur and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These and Myanmar, Pakistan, Somalia and Sri Lanka all made the list's top eight because they appear in each of the five "expert" indexes. The next 25 "orange alert" countries appear in at least three of the indexes and include China, Colombia, Philippines and Indonesia as places where ongoing or simmering violence could flare to genocidal proportions.

"It is possible to identify early indicators of mass atrocity crimes. But what happens now is the international community sees what's going on, gets paralyzed and, if it acts, really only acts after the fact," said Jill Savitt, project executive director.

"You don't see assertive proactive diplomacy in the earliest possible moments, when the bloodshed isn't widespread or before arms have come into the region."

The report says prudent application of "carrots and sticks" - which it describes as the panoply of economic, diplomatic and legal measures available to nations and the UN Security Council - can result in "averting an escalation of violence." Savitt said what's been lacking in the past was "political will," but added that may change because of a convergence of recent factors. One is the stated determination of Susan Rice, U.S. president-elect Barack Obama's choice for U.S. ambassador to the UN, to prevent future genocides after witnessing the after-effects of the 1994 Rwanda slaughter.

Another is current discussion around the 60th anniversary of the genocide prevention convention, which calls on countries to prevent and punish actions of genocide. Finally, there is what Savitt called the public "guilt" over what occurred in Rwanda and Bosnia, and what she additionally called public "hunger for a response" to the Darfur crisis.

"There are things states can do like dispatching the highest-level envoy - someone of great stature who can call (British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's residence) 10 Downing Street, or the UN secretary general, or President Obama," she said. "There are all kinds of penalties and inducements, including trade and aid, membership in political bodies, or expulsion from them. And even simple public criticism can work."

Still, many analysts agree the international community has long had difficulty trying to change state behaviour purely using sanctions or diplomatic pressure.

Among countries in the project's list of 33, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan and Zimbabwe all face varying UN or state sanctions aimed at convincing them to obey the international will. The list comes as Irwin Cotler, former justice minister and attorney general, Monday released a petition calling on countries that have signed the genocide convention to "hold Iran to account for its genocidal incitement."

"The enduring lesson of the Holocaust and that of the genocides that followed is that they occurred not simply because of the machinery of death, but because of the state-sanctioned incitement to hatred," Cotler said.

"In the case of Iran, there is no justification for inaction," he added, citing statements by Iranian leaders calling for the destruction of Israel.

 

- Canwest News Service

 

Investigation into  HRC officials being denied access to visit the displaced

The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRC) has launched an investigation into an incident in which HRC officials were denied access to visit displaced people in the north. Senaka Dissanayake, Programme Manager of an HRC project on displaced, told BBC Sandeshaya that a NHRC group was denied access to Menik Farm camp on Monday.

The government says that 131 civilians who have left the LTTE-held areas are currently housed in the farm.  "The Sri Lanka Army captain in charge of the camp has asked the group to get written permission from the Government Agent," Mr. Dissanayake said.

The GA has conveyed to the HRC that she was informed by the Sri Lanka military officials not to allow anybody to visit IDP camps, he said. "It is a legal obligation of HRC to visit these camps and we not need prior permission from anybody to carry out our duties," the official told BBC Sinhala Service.  "It is an obstruction to carry out our duties". More than 300,000 are displaced due to recent battles.

 

 DISAPPEARANCES, ABDUCTIONS, KILLINGS, ARRESTS & PRISON SITUATION

In the Jaffna didtrict

 M. Remedious

CHRD, Jaffna

NOVEMBER

Abduction & Killing

1. Nagarasa Jeyamohan (32) of Kaddudai Manipay, was reported missing since 01.11.2008 and later his dead body was found with gun shot injuries on 03.11.2008.

 

Abduction

1. Kaneshamoorthi Nisanth (19) a student of Sinnakovillady, Kaddapirai, Jaffna, was abducted by a group gunmen who came on a motorbike on 14. 11. 2008 afternoon.

2. Navaratnam Jeevithan (17) a student of 9th Lane off Arasady Road, Nallur was abducted by a group of gunmen who came on a motorbike to his house on 15.11.2008 early morning. The group broke into the house and took him away.

3. Kanthaiya Ranganathan (37) a mechanic of Sinnakovillady, Kaddapirai, Jaffna, married, was abducted by a group of gunmen on 15.11.2008.

4. Two persons namely N. Nimalarajan (27) and R. Gnanarasa were abducted from two nearby houses in Kuppilan, Ealalai, Jaffna on 01.11.2008. Two separate groups of gunmen entered these houses in order to abduct the above persons. As they were not at home, their family members were put in to a room and waited till the two men returned home. They were abducted as soon as they returned to their homes.  

 

Killings

1. The body which was found with gunshot injuries at Nayanmarkaddu on 09.11.2008, was identified as Srirangan Sumathy (27) of Thunnalai South, Karraveddy. According to the husband of the victim, on 08.11.2008 she had gone to the Jaffna Teaching Hospital for the GYN clinic and she has not returned home.

Protective Custody

1. Theiventhiran Vijith of 74/1, Palaly Road, Kantharmadam, Jaffna, working as a mechanic in Kondavil, surrendered to the HRC on 10.11.2008 due to the death threats and thereafter he was handed over to the police. The police produced him before the Magistrate of Jaffna (Case No. AR 291/2008). Presently he is in the Jaffna prison under protective custody. According to him he was assaulted by unknown persons on 09.11.2008 around 8 pm while he was returning home from  work.

 

2. Sothynathan Theivakaran of Uduvil East, Chunnakam, surrendered to the army in Kurunagar on 10.11.2008 and thereafter he was handed over to the police. Police produce him before the Magistrate of Jaffna (Case No AR 291/2008) and move the Court to grant permission to hand him over to the Rehabilitation Center in Kurunagar. At the same time he was willing to join his parents. Then Magistrate ordered to keep him in the Jaffna prison under protective custody.

 

3. The person didn’t want his name revealed is a mason doing construction work for the Tsunami victims in the Mullaithivu district. After 11 August 2006, he could not return home due to the closure of the A9 road. Thereafter he was conscripted by the LTTE. Later he escaped from the LTTE and is hiding in one of his relative’s house in Vanni. At the time he was arrested by the LTTE and was kept in one their rehabilitation centers. On 02.11.2008, he along with another 110 people were brought to the Poonagary area to construct bungers. Subsequently on 09.11.2008 he escaped and jumped in to the sea and crossed over the Jaffna Lagoon and surrendered to the Kurunagar army.

 

Missing

1. Kathiravelu Rajithan (25) a driver of Moothavinayagar Kovilady, Karavetty, married and father of one, is reported missing since 12.11.2008 after he travelled to Putur.

 

Other

1. There were heavy artillery shelling by security towards Poonagary from Jaffna on 08.11.2008, night and at the same time a helicopter was rounding between Poonagary and Jaffna town for a long time. As a result there was panic amongst people although it was a regular practice of the security forces to engage in artillery firing towards Poonagary often. The firing caused noise pollution affecting children, elderly persons and other patients admitted at the Jaffna Teaching Hospital. They are unable to rest peacefully and they are experiencing sleepless nights. There is vibration in the buildings in the Jaffna town area when such attacks take place.


 

 

 

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Concerns raised over Tissanayagam's  safety

 

Senior Journalist Tissanayagam was moved last night to the notorious, army run Magazine Prison following a visit by Mahinada Samarasinghe the day before. There is real concern for his safety.

 ICRC and representatives of the diplomatic community have been called upon to raise concerns with GoSL and to demand immediate access to visit Tissanayagam on a daily basis to ensure his safety.  In addition The EU, the offices of the United Nations Secretary General and Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression have been called upon to issue a public statement expressing concern and calling for justice and the immediate release of Tissainayagam.  Amnesty International conveyed its concerns to Minister, Mahinda Samarasinghe,.

 J.S. Tissainayagam, senior journalist who is on trial before the High Court has been moved from the remand prison to the magazine prison in Colombo on November 18. No reasons have been given for this sudden move. Neither Tissainayagam who appeared in courts on the 18th nor his lawyers were aware of this move. He now remains in a room with 140 convicted criminals. Sources say that Mr. Tissainayagam has been threatened by the some prisoners. Since being moved to the magazine prison on November 18, Tissainayagam has not eaten his dinner and on the 18th it was taken by the other prisoners. He was not provided with lunch on the 18th or breakfast on the 19th.

 Mahinda Samarasinghe, Minster for Human Rights and Disaster Management visited Tissainayagam on November 17th with the Prison Commissioner. At the meeting, the Minister and Prison Commissioner had agreed to improve the living conditions of the prison. The move to the magazine prison took place a day after the visit.

 On March 7, the Terrorist Investigative Department (TID) arrested journalist J.S.  Tissainayagam and detained him without charges for more than 150 days. He was later charged both under Emergency Regulations and the Prevention of Terrorism Act for printing and distributing the North Eastern Monthly magazine and aiding and abetting terrorist organisations through raising money for the magazine. His trial is presently before the High Court in Colombo.

It is apt to mention that the presence in court of the ICJ/IFJ observers during the last appearance made a real difference in helping to ensure that due process was followed.

Free Media Movement (FMM) too raised concerns over the physical safety of journalist Tissainayagam in Magazine prison

 

 

Within 24 hours 13 civilians have been killed in Batticaloa District

On November, 25 there was a claymore mine attack on Sri Lankan army in Eruvil and two  military men were killed.  Following this in Eruvil, three members from the same family were killed (mother, father and a daughter). In Kaluthawali (close by village) four members from another family were shot dead. One vegetable vendor from Kurukalmadam was killed yesterday morning. One young woman (27 years old) was shot dead in Karuwakkerny. In Manmunai west there were two incidents. One youth was killed in a village called Monkeycattu (Vavunatheevu) and three other youth were killed in Karravetti by the military.

 

 

 

 

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Coalition of Civil Society - Bandarawela

 

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New Tactics in Human Rights

 

Tamil handbook ‘New Tactics in Human Rights’ consists of 25 new tactics in human rights and is ideal CBOs and NGOs working in North-East and up country plantation sector. The handbook is available at the CHRD office in Colombo.

CHRD’s annual publication Sentinel focuses, though not exclusively, on civil and political rights as well as the economic, social and cultural rights of the people of Sri Lanka. It also recounts the performance of the institution as well as period reviewed. We welcome comments and contributions from readers in order to develop Sentinel further. Articles of relevance and or suggestions to enhance activities of CHRD are equally valued.

 

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