World

Sri Lanka camps a 'national disgrace'

by sivakaran | June 12, 2009 at 01:02 pm

151 views | 41 Recommendations | 8 comments

Human Rights Watch (HRW) called Sri Lanka's treatment in the detention camps a national disgrace.

"For more than a year, the Sri Lankan government has detained virtually everyone, including entire families, displaced by the fighting in the north in military-run camps, in violation of international law," the group said.

"Treating all these men, women, and children as if they were Tamil Tiger fighters is a national disgrace," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

HRW further criticized Sri Lanka for refering them as "welfare villages" and urged to end the detention immediately.

It also calls the camps "welfare villages" -- even though the civilians have no freedom of movement.

"The Sri Lankan government should end the illegal detention of nearly 300,000 ethnic Tamils displaced by the recently ended conflict in Sri Lanka," Human Rights Watch said.

Sri Lankan government is nt allowing the people to leave the camps although they have place to go to. These camps are overcrowded, and are in poor condition, and the condition may worsen with the monsoon rains.

"Many people are in the camps not because they have no other place to go," said Adams. "They are in the camps because the government does not allow them to leave."

He said conditions in the camps were overcrowded, some holding twice the number recommended by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

"The poor conditions in the camps may worsen with the monsoon rains," Adams said. "Holding civilians who wish to move in with relatives and friends is irresponsible as well as unlawful."

Sri Lanka has also restricted access of aid agencies and journalists to the camps.

The international community may not know to the extend of situation as aid agencies, journalists are restricted access to these camps.

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Amy Judd

at 14:19 on June 12th, 2009

It is truly awful.

Paschen

at 15:52 on June 12th, 2009

We had a similar disaster in Serbia, Rwanda, and the Holocaust or Chile and now again.

It will take decades to find and trial those that are guilty of crimes against Humanity and crimes of war.

However, they will be tried eventually, sadly though it will leave a great shame for all times on the country over all.

sivakaran

at 16:50 on June 12th, 2009

After all is done they say "Never Again". Never again should not be said again and again. I hope the international community says never again soon, and ensure its the last time.

Watcher of the Skiez

at 18:50 on June 12th, 2009

It is outrageous that civilians are being detained, I feel very sad that the I.C. is having a pain in the neck from looking away into these crimes against humanity. The U.N. lost all it's credibility in my opinion!

senthil5000

at 19:08 on June 12th, 2009

In its lifetime UN has not prevented or stopped any genocide anywhere. UN is just something that is operating in theory. Even if there is no such thing called UN in place, the damage done will be almost same.

Babel-Fish

at 20:37 on June 12th, 2009

Like to change the title to Sri Lanka is a disgrace? Because until the UN is allowed to do an independent inquiry and we go beyond the propaganda it is a disgrace.

UN can and could do the job but it takes resolutions by its members to do so. UN wants to do an inquiry but at this point it asked polity and then was turned down rudely. You can not blame UN for that factor. UN does exist it does do much and has done much in peace keeping but its limits are all ways pushed to what its allowed to do in a peace keeping mode. Rules of engagement have and always will be a problem.

Sri Lanka has to step completely out of line before UN sanctions will be called for, its presently its own enemy in this respect and in the end the world will get fed up and UN will be deployed if it continues its present path.

At present its a matter of collecting evidence that UN needs to step in, its flustrating but thats how it works.

sivakaran

at 20:56 on June 12th, 2009

I understand your point regarding UN's dilemma, i.e. UN acts on its members wish.

Actually, Sri Lanka feels invincible with the backing its powerful allies. The human right seems to be secondary to what the nations feel their national interest is.

Its quite sad.. There was a motion brought to the UN's human rights committee regarding an investigation into the current situation. But, Sri Lanka brought in self-congratulatory motion, and that was actually passed.

KevinKulasekera (not verified)

at 05:08 on June 14th, 2009

Yes HRW, we know there's a lot of money to be made here, and we know you'd like to join the party. Sadly though, it's not going to happen. You'll have to try to overthrow the government if you want a piece of the pie. Until then, patronising nosy foreigners are not welcome here.