A Joint Oral Statement to the 7th Session of the UN Human Rights Council from the International Movement against all forms of Discrimination and Racism and the Asian Legal Resource Centre
SRI LANKA: Interactive dialogue with the UN Independent Expert on Minority Issues
We thank the Independent Expert on Minority Issues for her report and appreciate her focus on the impact of the denial or deprivation of citizenship on the capacity of minority communities to enjoy the full range of human rights. As the International Movement against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism, we stand committed to defend the rights of all minorities to enjoy all human rights.
In her report, the Independent Expert refers to the situation of the plantation Tamil community in Sri Lanka who continue to face a range of problems in obtaining documentation affirming their status as full citizens of Sri Lanka, despite legal disenfranchisement ending over 20years ago.
We wish to draw the attention of Ms. Mcdougal to the current reality of the minority communities in Sri Lanka, in the context of the intensification of the conflict since early 2006, the abrogation of the Ceasefire Agreement by the government of Sri Lanka in January of this year and the counter terrorism measures. The Tamil community has been worst affected by the emergency laws and prevention of terrorism act currently in place in Sri Lanka. The majority of the humanitarian workers and media personnel killed, disappeared and subjected to other violations are from the minority Tamil community.
Tamil communities throughout the island, but especially in the plantation areas and in the north and east of the island, have been subjected to arbitrary arrest and detention, restrictions on the freedom of movement and association, abduction, disappearance and extra-judicial execution. Many Tamils have lost access to livelihoods, employment and residence due to the conflict, and are unable to enjoy the rights guaranteed to them by the Constitution of Sri Lanka and by international human rights law. Ethnic profiling of Tamils as terrorists creates an environment in which every Tamil becomes the legitimate target of suspicion and harassment.
The Muslim community of Sri Lanka also faces a series of challenges to their rights. While Muslims who were forcibly expelled from the north in 1990 remain in a state of displacement, Muslim communities in the eastern province are caught in cycles of violence due to the on-going conflict as various armed actors including the security forces, the LTTE, the TMVP and other armed groups seek to control the population through the use of force and fear.
IMADR calls on government of Sri Lanka to positively respond to the request by the Independent Expert to visit Sri Lanka, and also calls on other Asian governments to draw on the expertise made available by the Independent Expert’s office to address rights of minorities.
We would, in addition, like to ask the Independent Expert how she could assist the relevant governments to address the unresolved problems related to Bhutanese refugees and continuing violence in Southern Thailand.
Webcast video: rtsp://webcast.un.org/ondemand/conferences/unhrc/seventh/hrc080313am-eng.rm?start=01:25:52&end=01:28:51
