URU, Alm.del - 2008-09 - Bilag 200: Henvendelse af 15. maj 2009 vedrørende appel fra 130 organisationer med opfordring til indkaldelse af særlig session i FN's Menneskerettighedsråd vedrørende situationen i Sri Lanka

Sub: Appeal for a Special Session of the UN Human Rights Council on theHuman Rights Situation in Sri LankaYour Excellency,The undersigned 130 non-governmental organizations across the globe call upon the UNHuman Rights Council to hold a Special Session on the current human rights catastrophe inSri Lanka, as a matter of urgent concern. We have observed the lack of an adequateresponse from the Council so far, and herewith repeat our heartfelt appeal to the Council tolive up to its own mandate by responding promptly to human rights emergencies.The human rights and humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka has been repeatedly highlighted byvarious top UN officials, including the Secretary-General, the Under-Secretary-General forHumanitarian Affairs, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Representative of theSecretary-General on the human rights of internally displaced persons (IDPs), among others,and by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as well as local, regional andinternational human rights groups. The press statements, reports and news articles whichhave been produced over the last few months, expressing serious concerns and warningsover the impending tragedy in Sri Lanka are too many to list here.The UN estimates more than 6,400 people have been killed since the beginning of this yearin the fighting between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of TamilEelam (LTTE), and many thousands have been severely injured. Staff of the ICRC andinternational aid agencies, medical personnel and religious workers have been amongstthose killed and injured. At the moment, over 50,000 people remain trapped in the tiny areaof land controlled by the LTTE, in danger of death and injury from the ongoing fightingand suffering from a desperate shortage of medical supplies, food and water. As the Under-Secretary-General stated in his briefing to the UN Security Council last Thursday, despitethe repeated appeals from the UN and from the diplomatic community, the Government ofSri Lanka continues to deny access to the UN humanitarian team into the conflict zone, inorder to assess the humanitarian situation and respond to the basic needs of food andmedical supplies.The dire conditions faced by around 170,000 people who fled from LTTE controlled areasto camps operated by the Government are also a matter of grave concern. In particular,restrictions on the freedom of movement of these internally displaced persons (IDPs) andfamily reunification issues should be addressed by the Government as a matter of priority.1

The concerns of the international community regarding the human rights situation is notonly limited to the current deterioration which has a specific impact on civilians affecteddirectly by the conflict in northern Sri Lanka. Core problems of discrimination againstminorities and impunity for human rights abuses, including by the security forces, havebeen allowed to go unchecked throughout the country in the past years. As the UN WorkingGroup on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances has indicated in its reports, Sri Lankaholds the largest number of cases of disappearances in the last two years; the majority ofthe victims were from the Tamil minority. Furthermore, since 2006, 18 journalists andmedia workers have been killed, and more than 70 aid workers including religious leadersworking on human rights and humanitarian cause have been killed or disappeared. A seriesof threats and attacks have been made against human rights defenders, including lawyersand media persons who continue to be arrested and detained without charges. Thousands ofTamil civilians also remain detained without charges.There is no doubt that the LTTE has also committed heinous crimes against the civilianpopulation in breach of international humanitarian law, and this fact should continue to becondemned and responded to with appropriate action by the international community.However, the primary responsibility for protecting human rights at all times lies with theGovernment of Sri Lanka, and its military gains against the LTTE do not legitimize thegreat cost of civilian lives, harassment of the Tamil community, repression of democraticdissent, and the collapse of rule of law in the country.Lastly, we would like to call for the attention of the Human Rights Council to its ownresolution A/HRC/RES/9/9 entitled “Protection of the human rights of civilians in armedconflict”, which was adopted by consensus on 21 September 2008. In the resolution, theHuman Rights Council stressed its role and responsibility, pursuant to its mandate, tomonitor the implementation of human rights in situations of armed conflict. On this front,we strongly urge the Human Rights Council to uphold its mandate with urgent and concreteactions, that is, to hold a special session on Sri Lanka, include the human rights situation ofSri Lanka into its agenda on a regular basis and immediately send an international missionto assess the needs of those civilians in the conflict affected areas with any unhinderedaccess.Thank you very much for your attention to this appeal.Yours sincerely,On behalf of co-signatories:Yap Swee SengExecutive DirectorAsian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)1. ADER - Association for Regional Economic Development, India2. African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies (ACDHRS)3. African Democracy Forum (ADF)2

Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), BangladeshArunodhaya Migrant Initiatives (AMI), IndiaAsia Indigenous Peoples Pact Foundation (AIPP)Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD)Asian Center for Peace and Development (ACPD), IndiaAsian Development Research Institute (ADRI), IndiaAsian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD)Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)Asian Migrant Center (AMC)Asmita Resource Center for Women (ARCW), IndiaAssociation for Promoting Social Action (APSA), IndiaAssociation of Family Members of the Disappeared (AFMD), Sri LankaBagaicha - Center for Study and Action, IndiaBahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), BahrainBanglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM), IndiaBRAC, BangladeshBread for the World, GermanyCairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS), EgyptCambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC), CambodiaCambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO),CambodiaCardijn Community International (CCI)Center for Legal and Social Studies (CELS), ArgentinaCenter for Rural Health and Social Education (CRHSE), IndiaCentre for Human Rights and Development (CHRD), MongoliaCentre for Social Research (CSR), IndiaCommonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI)Conectas Human Rights, BrazilDalit Association for Social and Human Rights Awareness (DASHRA), IndiaDalit Foundation, IndiaDalit Solidarity Network - Sweden, SwedenDARSHAN, IndiaDe La Salle Brothers, IndiaDemocracy Coalition Project (DCP), United StatesDominicans for Justice and Peace (Order of Preachers)East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project (EHAHRDP)Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), EgyptEnvironment Support Group (ESG), IndiaEVIDENCE, IndiaFondation Humanus, CameroonForum for Human Rights (FHR), IndiaFranciscans International (FI)Friends’Association for Rural Reconstruction (FARR), IndiaGandhian Unit for Integrated Development Education (GUIDE), IndiaGlobal Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW)HAQ: Center for Child Rights, India3

Holistic Approach for People’s Empowerment (HOPE), IndiaHousing and Land Rights Network - Habitat International CoalitionHuman Rights Treaty Monitoring Coordination Committee (HRTMCC), NepalHuman Rights Watch (HRW)Human Rights Working Group (HRWG), IndonesiaIndia Committee of the Netherlands (ICN), NetherlandsIndian Social Institute (ISI), IndiaInformal Sector Service Centre (INSEC), NepalInformation Monitor (INFORM), Sri LankaInternational Commission of Jurists (ICJ)International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR)International Movement of Catholic Students Asia Pacific (IMCS-AP)International Women’s Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific (IWRAW-AP)Jagaran Nepal, NepalJananeethi and Jananeethi Institute, IndiaJustice and Peace Netherlands, NetherlandsKarunalaya Social Service Society (KSSS), IndiaKorea Alliance of Progressive Movements (KAPM), Republic of KoreaKorean House for International Solidarity (KHIS), Republic of KoreaKorean Public Interest Lawyers Group - GONGGAM, Republic of KoreaLatin American Federation of Associations of Relatives of Disappeared-Detainees(FEDEFAM)Madurai Multipurpose Social Service Society (MMSSS), IndiaManaging Trustee, Littles - A Centre for Children, IndiaMass Action for Social Welfare (MASW), IndiaMeghalaya Human Rights Organization, IndiaMexican Commission for the Defence and Promotion of Human Rights (CMDPDH)Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA)MINBYUN-Lawyers for a Democratic Society, Republic of KoreaNational Alliance of Women Human Rights Defenders (NAWHRD), NepalNational Campaign for Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR), IndiaNational Coalition for the International Criminal Court (NCICC), NepalNational Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP), PakistanNational Dalit Forum (NDF), IndiaNational Fisheries Solidarity Movement (NAFSO), Sri LankaNational Network of Mongolian Women’s NGOs (MONFEMNET), MongoliaNonviolence International (NI)North East Network (NEN), IndiaODHIKAR, BangladeshPasumai Thaayagam Foundation (Green Motherland), IndiaPax RomanaPeople’s Alliance for Good Governance (PAGG), IndiaPeople’s Cultural Center (PECUC), IndiaPeople’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), IndiaPeople’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR), IndiaPeople’s Watch (PW), India4

96. Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA), Philippines97. Physicians for Human Rights (PHR)98. PRAHAR, India99. Praxis - Institute for Participatory Practices, India100. PSPD - People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, Republic of Korea101. Pusat Komas, Malaysia102. Quê Me: Action for Democracy in Vietnam, France103. REAL, India104. Rehabilitation and Research Center for Torture Victims (RCT), Denmark105. Rights Education and Development Centre (READ), India106. RIGHTS, India107. Rural Reconstruction Nepal (RRN), Nepal108. Rural Uplift Center (RUC), India109. Samvedan Cultural Programme (SCP), India110. Sasvika Sangatan, India111. Social Action for New Development (SAND), India112. Social Action Movement (SAM), India113. Social Awareness Society for Youth (SASY), India114. Society for Women’s Action and Training Initiatives (SWATI), India115. Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM), Malaysia116. Tamilnadu Resource Team (TRT), India117. Tamilnadu Women’s Collective (TWC), India118. Tamils of Northern California (TNC), United States119. The Equal Rights Trust (ERT)120. The Other Media, India121. THOZHAMAI - Resources for Rights, India122. Tibetan UN Advocacy (TUNA), Switzerland123. Vietnam Committee on Human Rights (VCHR)124. Village Development Center (VDC), India125. Village Reconstruction and Development Project (VRDP), India126. West African Human Rights Defenders Network (WAHRDN)127. Women Against Tamil Eelam Genocide, India128. Women’s Rehabilitation Center (WOREC), Nepal129. World Organization against Torture (OMCT)130. World Society of Victimology (WSV)