Sri Lanka Ends 26 Year Internal Conflict
Sri Lankan officials rebuke UN Human Rights Investigation
Ajay Major
Issue date: 5/28/09 Section: World Views
Earlier this week, Sri Lankan government officials rebuked "western colonizers" for calling a meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council to investigate allegations of ethnic cleansing and genocide during the 26-year conflict that ended last week with the defeat of the Tamil Tigers. "Those who are former colonizers somehow know more about how to handle Sri Lanka than our immediate neighborhood," said Dayan Jayatilleka, permanent representative of Sri Lanka to the UN. "Holding a special session today makes no sense now that Sri Lanka has put an end to the problem of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam," he added, criticizing the US, France, and Germany, among the nations who called for the meeting, for failing to consult South Asian countries.
During the three-decade-long conflict in Sri Lanka, Amnesty International and the Human Rights Watch accused both Sri Lankan government forces and the Tamil Tigers of human rights violations against civilians and soldiers alike. According to the UN, more than 300,000 civilians have been forced from their homes by fighting in the recent months. Sri Lanka's army defeated the last Tamil Tiger fighters in a skirmish last week, killing Tiger leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran and his commanders who were confined to a small strip of land on the northeastern coast.
In talks prior to a special summit on Tuesday, Asian and Western members of the Human Rights Council failed to find common ground on the situation in Sri Lanka. Switzerland, with the support of thirty Western nations, has composed a draft resolution calling on Colombo to "investigate all allegations" of human rights abuses during Asia's longest-running civil war.
It also called on the Sri Lankan government to ensure the freedom of refugees and displaced citizens and access to drinking water and sanitation. Another resolution tabled by countries including China, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka "commends" Colombo's actions in dealing with internally displaced people, and encouraged UN agencies to continue cooperating with the Sri Lankan government.
During the three-decade-long conflict in Sri Lanka, Amnesty International and the Human Rights Watch accused both Sri Lankan government forces and the Tamil Tigers of human rights violations against civilians and soldiers alike. According to the UN, more than 300,000 civilians have been forced from their homes by fighting in the recent months. Sri Lanka's army defeated the last Tamil Tiger fighters in a skirmish last week, killing Tiger leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran and his commanders who were confined to a small strip of land on the northeastern coast.
In talks prior to a special summit on Tuesday, Asian and Western members of the Human Rights Council failed to find common ground on the situation in Sri Lanka. Switzerland, with the support of thirty Western nations, has composed a draft resolution calling on Colombo to "investigate all allegations" of human rights abuses during Asia's longest-running civil war.
It also called on the Sri Lankan government to ensure the freedom of refugees and displaced citizens and access to drinking water and sanitation. Another resolution tabled by countries including China, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka "commends" Colombo's actions in dealing with internally displaced people, and encouraged UN agencies to continue cooperating with the Sri Lankan government.
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