HUMAN RIGHTS IN SRI LANKA
AND DR.DESMOND TUTU - ARCHBISHOP OF SOUTH AFRICA
By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando
Following Archbishop Dr. Desmond Tito's not so long ago reference to
human right violation in Sri Lanka where he campaigned strongly to oust
Sri Lanka from the Council and bar -election stating that she did not
deserve a seat in the United Nations Human Rights Council , the most
reverend Bishop himself visited London on Tuesday, 10th July 2008 to
deliver a lecture at the MCC Indoor Cricket School at Lords Cricket
Grounds. The highlight of the lecture was the worship's reference to
human conduct and fair play which accord with the spirit of cricket
in promoting means of togetherness and harmony. The lecture was confined
only to members of Lords. A patriotic Sri Lankan expatriate who is a
member of Lords seized the opportunity meet up with the Archbishop to
' educate' him on the human rights position in Sri Lanka, followed by
a comprehensive document which he posted to the Human Rights Pandit.
Using a pseudonym as Herman Pathige he concluded his letter by stating
, it was primarily to avoid being targeted by the LTTE agents in the
UK whose violent tactics against those who oppose their sinister activities
are well known. Reproduced below is the full text of his letter to Archbishop
of South Africa Dr. Desmond Tutu.
15 July 2008
London
Most Reverend Dr. Desmond Tutu
Archbishop of South Africa
Desmond Tutu Peace Trust
P.O.Box.8428
Roggebai, 8012, Cape Town
South Africa
Dear Reverend Sir
Human Rights in Sri Lanka
On Tuesday 10th June 2008 I attended the 2008 Colin Cowdrey lecture
delivered by your worship at the MCC Indoor Cricket School, Lords. The
highlight of the lecture was your worship's reference to human conduct
and fair play which accord with the spirit of cricket in promoting means
of togetherness and harmony. I enjoyed the evening and was privileged
to meet you and you very kindly gave me your autograph etched on the
invitation for the lecture received by me as a member of Lords.
As you may recall, I mentioned to you that Sri Lanka as my home country
and told you that I would be writing to you later on your views on Sri
Lanka, vis-a-vis human rights, as it was not the ideal atmosphere to
discuss the matter in detail.
According to your worship, Sri Lanka does not deserve a seat in the
United Nations Human Rights Council and your worship campaigned to oust
Sri Lanka from the Council and bar re-election.
Since you have been influenced and misinformed by the Tamil expatriates
living in South Africa who are ardent supporters of the separatist Tamil
Tiger Movement in Sri Lanka described by the International media as
the most vicious terrorist outfit in the world with links to Al Qaeda,
your assessment of the actual situation in Sri Lanka is flawed in that
distorted facts have been conveyed to you regarding the ethnic conflict
in Sri Lanka in relation to so called violation of human rights.
The stance you have taken in campaigning to reject Sri Lanka's bid
to seek membership of the UN Human Rights Council comes as no surprise
since it is well known that you are and have been an avid supporter
of the separatist Tamil movement represented by the LTTE. AS you may
recall you made a statement on 8 December 1997 under the symbolic title,
" Let my people go; freedom and peace for Tamils in Sri Lanka."
This statement was made after you met a Tamil Churchman, Rev.Dr. Father
Emmanuel and discussed the Tamil issue. As you may not be aware the
Late Rev. Emmanuel was the spokesman for the LTTE based in London and
campaigned to raise funds and lobbied UK politicians with misinformation
on the ethnic conflict. I have already given you a copy of the news
item relating to your meeting with father Emmanuel (copy enclosed for
ease of reference).
The Sri Lankan Government Forces are fighting a vicious terrorist organisation
which is banned in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and India. It is not
a liberation movement representing the Tamil community in Sri Lanka.
The Sri Lankan Government has adopted a hard line position to fight
this force. Even the UK, which has realised the gravity of the terrorist
threat from Al Qaeda and its agents has sought a derogation from the
European Convention on human rights to allow detention without charge
or trial of non-nationals and others for terrorist offences.
A threat from terrorism needs to be addressed which can entail a curb
on civil liberties. However a balance needs to be struck which the Sri
Lankan Government has adhered to which has not been publicised.
The following facts are set out for your worship's information in the
light of the mis-information conveyed to you by the Tamil diaspora in
South Africa:
" The Norwegian Monitoring Mission which observed the ceasefire
agreement when it was in force recorded more breaches of conditions
by the LTTE.
" Recruitment of children as child soldiers by the LTTE - UNICEF
confirms.
" LTTE are killing their own people in the areas controlled by
them if they refused to pay taxes to them or do not allow their children
to be recruited as child soldiers. This situation is so acute in that
most Tamils in these areas have fled to Tamil Nadu in South India where
they have become refugees living in shanty towns and working in textile
factories for a pittance. This situation was highlighted in a recent
BBC TV programme and referred to Primark as one of the leading importers
of clothing in the UK who marketed items of clothing produced by Tamil
refugees who have fled from the LTTE controlled areas in Sri Lanka.
" The leader of the LTTE is a fugitive from justice named as the
first accused in the Rajiv Ghandi assassination case in India. The Jain
Commission which enquired into the case has confirmed his involvement
in planning and using a suicide bomber to blow up M. Ghandi. Later Prabhakaran
owned up to the vile deed and showed remorse by declaring at a press
conference on 25 May 1991 in the Tamil language, " Thumbiyal Sambavan"
( a tragic incident).
" Tamils comprise 13% of the population of Sri Lanka of which
54% are outside the so-called Tamil homeland claimed by the LTTE. The
54% of Tamils live peacefully among the 80% of Sinhalese and 7% of Muslims
and they do not wish to migrate to the LTTE controlled areas.
" The Sri Lanka Government has ratified 27 conventions on human
rights. Members of the European Commission who visited Sri Lanka recently
were satisfied with the action taken by the Government in safeguarding
human rights and advised that it should publicise outside the country.
The following measures were taken to address the concerns about human
rights violations.
" Presidential Commission to investigate human rights violation.
" Passing of laws to provide assistance and protection to victims
of torture, their life and security which has taken into account the
convention against Torture Act and International Convention on Civil
and Political Rights Act for which Sri Lanka is a signatory.
" Judgements of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka on rights abuses
have been declared in favour of victims of torture.
" The Government has encouraged Civil Society Groups and journalists
to exercise vigilance and expose any violations of human rights by Police
and Army personnel who act without authority and due process.
The above measures and mechanisms are in place and Sri Lanka has fulfilled
important obligation in safeguarding human rights and will continue
to do so.
Your worship should appreciate that Sri Lanka is facing a ruthless
enemy financed and supported by the Tamil expatriates in foreign countries.
It is also a fact that the LTTE has built up a rapport with mafia style
criminal gangs in the south of Sri Lanka. Information is passed on to
the LTTE by these gangs who are responsible for suicide bombings, victims
being innocent civilians. Abductions and protection rackets are other
means deployed by them. LTTE has also used ill-coordinated non-governmental
organisations to feed information to them of defence plans and logistics.
They are also helping the LTTE financially in the guise of providing
relief to Tamils living in LTTE controlled areas.
Sri Lanka Government cannot be held responsible for the activities
of the ransom seeking underworld criminal gangs who have been responsible
for abductions, disappearances and torture of people. The Police in
Sri Lanka are adopting a zero tolerance regime in cracking down on these
elements.
It is important that your worship should take note of the recent statement
made by Mr.S.C.Chandrahasan the son of the late Mr. S.J. Chelvanayakam,
the founder of the Federal Party in Sri Lanka. According to him the
Tamil people would be better off without a terrorist organisation in
seeking a devolved political settlement within a unitary structure.
This statement was made to the Indian website www. redcliff.com by Mr.
Chandrahasan who is now domiciled in India. He condemned the LTTE attacks
on civilians of the three races, Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslims in contrast
to the Sri Lankan Army which does not deliberately target civilians.
This view expressed by the son of Mr. S.J. Chelvanayakam, a key figure
in the Tamil Nationalist Movement and hailed as the father of Eelamism
which spawned the LTTE as a fighting force to seek independence for
the Tamil people should be taken into account. He has stressed the need
for a negotiated settlement without resorting to an armed conflict which
has caused untold misery to innocent people in Sri Lanka, especially
the Tamils some of whom have become refugees in their own homeland and
described as internally displaced people. Some of them have fled to
South India and most of them have found refuge in Southern Sri Lanka
among the Sinhalese.
If your worship inspired by the Christian spirit would like to help
Sri Lanka to end the carnage caused by the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka,
and no doubt you are eminently suitable for the task. Please do make
an overture to both parties of the conflict and offer to mediate. Your
worship played an important role as the Chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation
Commission to bring amity and peace among former enemies of the Apartheid
regime and your expertise and dedication would be useful and effective
to bring peace to a war torn country.
Hope this submission would help your worship to change your pre-conceived
views and help you to assess the situation in Sri Lanka in an unbiased
manner.
Yours sincerely
Herman Pathige
(Pseudonym used to avoid being targeted by the LTTE
agents in the UK whose violent tactics against those who oppose their
sinister activities are well known)
TUTU BACKS FREEDOM
STRUGGLE - TAMIL GUARDIAN - 20. 12.1997 LET TAMIL PEOPLE GO, HINTS SOUTH
AFRICA'S ARCHBISHOP
" The majority Sinhalese are in power and unwilling to extend
the political and social rights they enjoy to the Tamil people,"
said Archbishop Emeritus The Most Revd. Desmond Tutu of South Africa,
in a statement issued from Capetown on December 8.
Under the symbolic title , Let my People Go: Freedom and Peace in Sri
Lanka, South Africa's revered and influential archbishop officially
revealed his sentiments about Sri Lanka's national conflict, in his
capacity as Chairperson of the Reconciliation Commission of South Africa.
"Let my people go" is an historic slogan adopted by many
liberation strugglers, including that which was undertaken by Blacks
against South Africa's former Apartheid regime.
It has also been the title of many speeches made by prominent Jaffna
Tamil churchman Rev. Dr. S.J.Emmanuel, who bore witness two years ago
to the mass exodus of Tamils from Jaffna in the face of a devastating
military offensive conducted by tens of thousands of Sinhalese troops
attempting to capture the historic Tamil city.
Archbishop Tutu's statement came in the aftermath of a meeting with
Rev. Emmanuel, in which the plight of Tamils in Sri Lanka was discussed
in detail. " It has been a privilege for me to meet Rev .Dr. S.J.
Emmanuel. He came to see me recently to seek my support and encouragement
for the cause of peace and justice in Sri Lanka," Tutu said.
Analysts said Tutu's repeated use of the term 'justice' alongside '
peace' in his statements was no coincidence. " It means he is not
talking about an abstract peace, but that he's very conscious of the
political and social rights which Tamils are legitimately entitled to,"
one commented. He added, " The archbishop seems to realise that
akin to the ANC's democratic struggle for one-person-one vote Tamils
are fighting for the democratic right of national self determination."
Expressing deep concern for the Tamil peoples' plight, Tutu remarked,
" I have been aware of the loss of lives and property caused by
prolonged violence and war. I have been aware of the discrimination
Tamils have endured for the last forty years."
The most Revd. D.M.Tutu also indirectly signalled South Africa's willingness
to facilitate negotiations in Sri Lanka, saying, " I believe we
in South Africa can facilitate negotiations between alienated groups
in other countries to bring about peaceful solutions."
He emphasised South Africa's unique obligation in this respect, expressing
his gratitude to the international community for their support to South
Africa's " struggle for freedom and democracy".
He went on, " It was possible in South Africa after forty years
of oppression, intimidation and violence. This gives us hope that peaceful
ways can be found to a more just and democratic dispensation elsewhere."
Rev. Tutu's statement coincided with a rally held by thousands of Tamils
in LTTE held parts of Tamil Eelam, in which a petition was handed over
to the UN Secretary General. The petition urged Kofi Annan not to remain
passive but intervene to facilitate negotiations between the Sinhalese
government and the LTTE with third- party mediation.
These peace signals from both eastern Tamils and the internationally
renowned archbishop contrasted sharply with promises by Sri Lanka's
deputy Defence Minister Ratwatte last week that the government was determined
to fulfil its stated military objective of capturing a strategic highway
linking the island's north and south " at any cost" - before
the country's 50th Independence Day celebrations in February.
" The government wants to create the illusion of a united Sri
Lanka before its Independence Day tamasha," said a political observer
in Colombo adding " Hundreds more are condemned to die within the
next six weeks."
Revd. Desmond Tutu concluded his statement with a weighty Christmas
message to followers of God: " As Christians we have no choice
but to follow the Cross in the confidence that evil can never triumph
over good, darkness will never extinguish the light. In our struggle
I used to hold fast to the scripture: " If God be for us, who can
come against us? And it proved true."
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