Navanethem Pillay visit Sri lanka

Navanethem  Pillay is the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. A South African of Indian Tamil origin, she was the first non-white woman on the High Court of South Africa, She came August 26 ,  to Sri Lanka and visited North and East.In the sane time she met president, oppression leader, some ministers and civil societies.You can see the YouTube on 28 and 30 meeting below links

"Where are they?; What happened to them?; We need to know; Tell us the truth" angry protesters demand in Jaffna [2013.08.28]

 http://passionparade.blogspot.com/2013/08/where-are-they-what-happened-to-them-we.html

Commemoration of the International Day of the Disappeared- NAVANETHEM PILLAY [2013.08.30]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flqfWG8R4pk&feature=c4-overview&list=UUWCJXbnwQWk_Z-nBKRKuu2A

 

 

 

 

CSM regional meeting

South Asia regional consultation on civil Society Mechanism[CSM ]was conducted  Negombo golden star hotel in 23 th 25 th August 2013.That was organized by NAFSO ,FOA -OXFAN AND IMSE

Welcoming the participant -Geetha lakmini from NAFSO  

En lighting the oil lamp in each country and organizations 

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UN Human Rights official says she didn't come to criticize Sri Lanka

Mon, Aug 26, 2013, 12:16 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Aug 26, Colombo: The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay says she is not visiting Sri Lanka to criticize the country but to look into violations of humanitarian laws if there are any happening in the country.

Responding to BBC's Colombo correspondent at a media brief held Sunday at the Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel in Colombo, Pillay, who arrived in the island on Sunday said, she is in the country to see whether the Sri Lankan government is complying with the human rights standards set by the whole world including Sri Lanka.

"I frame myself within the human rights standards set for the whole world by all the governments of the world, including the Government of Sri Lanka. So I'm not writing my statute," the HR High Commissioner said.

"I'm looking at the framework that was also developed by Sri Lanka. So, if I raise criticism it's whether they are complying with those standards," she explained.

Speaking further, the HR official said although the Sri Lankan government has invited her two years ago in 2011, she preferred to wait until the government released the report of its Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC).

"Now I am here to assess the human rights situation and I am speaking to both the government and the Tamil society. I am also planning to go around the country as much as I can," she said.

Ms. Pillay is scheduled to make field visits to Sri Lanka's North and East during her stay in the island.

Following her week-long visit, the UN official will prepare a report on the human rights situation in the country and will present the report at the UN Human Rights Council Session in Geneva next month.

"When I go back I will be reporting on the human rights situation in Sri Lanka to the Human Rights Council," Pillay added.

Meanwhile, Some Sinhala nationalists groups are planning to demonstrate outside the UN office in Colombo tomorrow against Pillay's visit to Sri Lanka, local media reported.

. At the end of her visit, on Saturday 31 August, the High Commissioner is due to hold a news conference in Colombo.

ColomboPage -

Low and Order Ministry is a further step towards Militarization

New ‘Law and Order Ministry’ is a further step towards militarization

(Lanka-e-News-23.Aug.2013, 10.00PM) The establishment of a Law and Order Ministry under the President has been announced. The Secretary to this Ministry, according to reports, is Major General (Retired) Nanda Mallawarachchi, a retired military officer. Maj.Gen. Mallawarachichi is a former Chief of Staff of the Sri Lankan Army. He later became the Sri Lankan Ambassador to Indonesia. He reported to have played a major role in kidnapping Kumaran Pathmanathan of the LTTE from a hotel and taking him to the Airport with the help of the Malaysian security forces. While the establishment of this ministry is justified under the pretext of following a recommendation from the Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), what this represents in fact is a further step in the militarization process. The recommendations of the LLRC are made within the framework of the rule of law. Under the rule of law, law and order simply means the establishment of the supremacy of the law and the enforcement of the law through legitimate authorities, which are the civilian police, an independent Attorney General’s department as prosecutor, and an independent judiciary. Under the rule of law, the place of the military is to be in the barracks and to serve only when called for, when there is a threat to the nation. However, what is happening in Sri Lanka now is the process of bringing the military to the forefront under the pretext of maintaining law and order. At Weliweriya, the nation saw how the military can be called upon to intervene into a peaceful demonstration of villagers, who were only demanding the right to have clean water. Snipers acting as soldiers opened fire and killed many innocent people. Other soldiers even entered church premises and assaulted people taking shelter in the church. As a result, one person was killed and many were injured on the church premises. Two others who were killed were young boys of sixteen and eighteen, who had no connection at all to any protest. When an inquiry was called, it was handed over to the military themselves. The military officer who headed the military inquiry is internationally under suspicion for alleged war crimes. Under these circumstances, those who are concerned about the civil liberties of the citizens and the future of the law in the country should seriously study this twisted meaning of ‘law and order’. Some serious studies are available on this issue. For example, one of the countries that used the phrase ‘law and order’ for the militarization of the country was Myanmar (Burma) under the military dictatorship of General Ne Win. During his rule, from 1962 to 1988, the words ‘law and order’ became the slogan for the undoing of the basic legal structure that was established by the British during the colonial occupation of Myanmar, and put in place military institutions that were, naturally, also headed by senior military officers. It went on to the extent of even selecting judges for the so-called courts from the military, and even the present Chief Justice in Myanmar is a former military officer. A study on this was done by Dr. Nick Cheesman at the Australian National University (ANU), entitled “The politics of law and order in Myanmar”. In this study, he has pointed out the use of the phrase “law and order” to divorce whatever that was called “order” from law. By this process, the commands of the government acquired the status of “law”. Under a rule of law system, law is made through a parliamentary process and requires the legitimacy gained through following the required criteria for the making of law. Furthermore, in a rule of law situation, law is finally subjected to the interpretation of the judiciary. However, under a law and order situation in a military context, the commands from the government have to be obeyed by everyone, including the judiciary. Dr. Cheesman demonstrates the manner through which the courts became mere instruments in the hands of the military to carry out military orders. Now, under the pretext of implementing LLRC orders, a further stage of militarization is being pursued. Perhaps, the phrase “law and order” is being used to impress Dr. Navi Pillay (UN High Commissioner for Human Rights) during her visit, hoping that she may report that a recommendation of the LLRC has been complied with. That the important occasion of the visit of the High Commissioner is also used to create legitimacy for the militarization is an indication of the direction in which the country has embarked.

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission

Monitoring visit in four villages

Some members of the NAFSO secretariat and DIFSO leaders visit the villages of KANNAGIPURAM  01 ,KANNAGIPURAM  02,Vinayagapuram and Thiraikrni .We could realized how they continue their livelihood program after getting the financial support from NAFSO [Funded by CCFD ].In the same time group leaders have selected beneficiaries for the second step of livelihood program .

Kannagipuram village members with Women headed families 

Discussion with each family their  livelihood progress 

Vinayagapuram members with WHF .

   

Build the group for their land rights in Thiraikeni

People of Thiraikeni who lost their land due to the Civil war.There was conflict with Muslims in 1990 .In that conflict  65 Tamil people were killed by Muslims.So most of the Tamil people displaced around that area and Batticolloa areas.Some of them sold  their land very small amount  displaced other area but  they were  return to thiraikeni  after the 2009.They donot have any land now .When they came back all the land occupied by the rich  Tamil and Muslim people .So people of thiraikeni  got the chance  lived and maintenance that land with some agreement.We found that 28 families lived without their land .So they themselves got together with support from DIFSO [district fisheries solidarity-Ampara ] and formed the group called  'Society for Landless people of Thiraikeni  ' in 07 of July 2013.They planed to discussed with DS and hand over the letter . 

Common discussion with the 26 family members 

Discussion with selected leaders 

SAMPUR issue

What Authorities do not say on Muthur Resttlement

In 2006 about 900 families were displaced from Sampur area, Nawarathnepuram and Kunathive of Muthur DS division due to war. From June 2006 they altogether lived in Kattaparichchan (KP) displaced camp until 2013 April.

According to the information received from the people, after redusing the HSZ cover,  respectively in 18.04. 2013 and 21.04.2013,  132 families resettled in Nawarathnapuram and 89 Families were resettled in Kunathive  from kattaparichchan camp. Both places were the original pleases of the families resettled. 

What has happened to the other families in Kattaparichchan camp? and where they from? 

411 families still live in the same camp without any official record. according to the people still in camp, in official records says that,  these families living with relatives in some other areas. Government showing that there are no more people to resettle.

According to the information provided by Muthur DS  to ZOA (a NGO working with war affected people) "Families from 4 GN divisions = Sampoor West (448F), Sampoor East (355F), Kadatkaraichchenai (113F),Sambookalli  (?) are still not able to resettle in their original places. The Government is proposing relocations in Koonitheevu and Navaretnapuram for 483 Families from these remaining 916 (283F + 168F + 32F respectively). Other locations have been suggested by GoSL for the remainder. On a more positive note, there have also been reports that plans are being made to return a further 400 to 500 families to parts of Sampoor East and West, Sambookalli, and Kooneetheevu North, but this is not yet confirmed.There are still 3 IDP camps functioning in Muthur division; Kiliveddi,  Manachchenai  and Paddiyadithidal camp"

These families were lived in Sampoor area before the displacement.after the end of war about 800 acres were taken over by government and maintain as HSZ hoping to build coal power plant with Indian investment.

Families still living in KP. camp asking the original lands they lived in before displacement. But authorities not listening to them.
According to these people still in displaced camp, funniest things happening when foreign diplomatic visitors reach to north and east to study the resettlement progress.

before in such diplomatic visit, In Muthur, A team (representing government) has reached to the camp and asked to draw a banner in Tamil, to a man, saying that, " THANKS TO THE PRESIDENT AND THE GOVERNMENT FOR RESETTLING US IN OUR ORIGINAL VILLAGES OF NAWANETHAPURAM, KUNATHIVE, AND SAMPOOR" 

Since the Sampoor people not resettled yet, man who draw the banner have change the words as "Thanks for the precident and the government for resettling people, their original villages of Nawanethapuram and Kunathive, please take steps to resettle Sampoor displaced people too"  

So, the banner is not according to the order, Sampoor people, in KP camp had no any chance to meet foreign diplomats. for them, another team (from the government it self), with makeup have participate to the meeting and show the gratitude to the government.  

    For these people, only allowed to do their fisheries job to conduct in Villu kulam (Villu Tank) even that, only up to 40 families. about 15 fishers conducting filter net fishery near by waters and 3 beach seine nets are operating. since no records on them, they are not receiving any government assistance as displaced people.

there are about 800 youth and children ages less than 18 years, some studying in near by temporary school. 

Rent a new office for the Ampara district solidarity movement[DEFSO]

DIFSO rent  a new office in Addalachchani .They organized the opening celebration on 15 of August 2013. Leaders  of the village groups and NAFSO Secretariat team participated that occasion.

Welcome the members and NAFSO team -Village leader 

Vinayagapuram -Village leader shared her experiences
 working with people   

Focus group leader said that they have a place to work as a team 

     

Land for living ---- Thiraikeni people in Ampara

People of Thiraikeni who lost their land due to the War, asking land for their families. 

LAND GRABBING IN Kalpitiya

The Documentary video "Orphans of Development" is  focused on the predicament of fisherman working and living across Kalpitiya's Islands, and reveals how their livelihoods are threatened as a results of the government's unplanned development activities and the interference of private investors. It brings to light the importance of at least sparing the Uchchimuna Island from tourism development activities as it inhabits permanents residents. This video aims to urge international organization to pressure the Sri Lankan government to refrain from proceeding with such development projects which endangers the lives and livelihoods of local communities to a great extant 

All the sectors should get for the protecting human rights

These dates most of the politicians come to the area for the Northern province election. Meetings of the government parties  are organizing  by security forces but all other candidates who joint with other parties are questioning and threatening by the security forces and CIDs. So most of the people are under threaten. We held the Mannar Focus group meeting last Saturday [10/08/13 ] in Mannar fisheries solidarity office. Pallimuna ,Sasale,Celathurai,Mullikulam,Thottaweli,SP potkeni, and Arippu people participated that meeting Mr.herman kumar also explain on the current situation in the south getting experience in Waliweriya issue.So he also express that we all should get together for our rights.

President of the FG meeting EXPRESS her experiences and
her village issues and how they face together  

Situation   of the pallimuna 

Situation of the Arrippu 

Situation of the Mullikulam 

Situation of the Mannar -Fr Jebalan 

Mr.Herman Kumara express the situation of the Country