Detained Sri Lanka human right activists released

Wed, Mar 19, 2014, 09:29 am SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Mar 19, Colombo: The two human right activists detained by the Terrorism Investigation Division of Sri Lanka police have been released.
Police Media spokesman SSP Ajith Rohana said Mr. Ruki Fernando and Rev. Father Praveen, arrested by the TID on Sunday, were released late Tuesday night.
The two activists were arrested in Kilinochchi by the TID on March 16 and detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) for questioning to ascertain the whereabouts of an LTTE suspect who shot a police officer in Kilinochchi and escaped.
The arrests sparked an outcry from human right organizations and the US, UK, and Canada.
Sri Lanka however, said the actions taken by the law enforcement authorities were well within the existing legal framework and followed the due process.

I have a mandate for ordering Independent International Investigations – Ms.Navi Pillai

Details

Created on Tuesday, 18 March 2014 08:14

Category: General

Addressing the Non Government Organisations (NGOs), on the 17th March, Ms.Navi Pillai thanked the NGOs for their Human Rights advocacy, monitoring and protection She credited civil society with improving the human rights mechanism to a new high.

As her term comes to an end by the 31st of August she promised that she would be a ‘handful’ as she is set to resume her work as a human rights defender. She will use what she learned to further the human rights agenda beyond the tenure of her office.
She stated that among the priorities of her office were to widen the democratic space globally consistent with protecting the entire human rights agenda.
Speaking about the challenges she faces, many had questioned whether she was an International lawyer arguing cases on behalf of victims. To a fully packed audience her answer was “I am an International Judge!”; this evoked loud laughter in Hall no. XXIV.
She spoke of various issues that she faced, including the human rights issues of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenders (LGBT), which her office has protected from abuse and their denial of rights.
She stressed in the proceedings her concerns over harassment and detention of human rights defenders, stating that this was a critical issue for the protection of human rights. Later during the question answer session there was a specific question on the recent detention of Mr. Ruki Fernando and Fr. Pravin OMI of Sri Lanka, taken into custody by the TID.
She stated with emphasis that when she began the session expressing concern over harassment and detention of human rights defenders, she was specifically speaking of Mr. Ruki and Fr. Pravin whom she had met earlier.
She said she was disturbed by the turn of events especially in circumstances when Sri Lanka was facing a resolution critical of human rights and humanitarian law violations. She emphatically denounced the use of the Prevention of Terrorism Acts globally and questioned Sri Lanka’s policies and behavior.

In the questions specific to Sri Lanka as to whether her office could order an Independent Investigations, she said that her office enjoyed a mandate to order for an International Investigation. This question was specifically asked as Sri Lanka and some other countries have repeatedly argued that the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights does not enjoy the mandate to order an International Investigation.
She explained that states are first given a fair chance to explore the possibilities of a credible domestic mechanism to investigate human rights violations. When countries fail to provide justice to the victims, her office has intervened and initiated International Investigations. It is not just her office but the Secretary General (SG) of the UN who has the mandate and it is possible for the SG to set up a panel to investigate.
She gave the example of the African Union which spoke of accountability and were against impunity in the case of Southern Sudan. Her office assisted Southern Sudan.
She ended her address stating that over the last years her office had expanded the mandate to serve the promotion and protection of human rights.
At the conclusion of the session, the NGOs, a number that filled the room, spontaneously stood up and gave her a standing ovation lasting nearly five minutes. This tribute, given to a devoted international civil servant dedicated to the cause of the promotion and protection of human rights, reflected the admiration of those who tirelessly work for the human rights cause. It was clear that these human rights defenders credit this great lady with giving new legitimacy to the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights.
Prof.Ted Orlin and Dr. Paul Newman from 25th UNHRC Geneva

International women day celebration

Women headed family members and   IDPs  family members together celebrate the International Women day at Trincomalee, District cooperative center.They started that program at 10 am. Five member of the each villages participated the program.All together with 80 participant joint.Secretary of the district cooperative shop participated as guest. As usual government officers didnot participated. All the spekers focusing the present situation , Specifically
#Basis women rights.
#.sexual violence
#.Militarization
#.livelihoods berries.
#.land grabbing
#.Discrimination.
Finally they decided to mobilize the other women and authorities.

Prominent Human Rights Activists Ruki Fernando and Father Praveen detained in Killinochchi

Dear 

Colleagues and 

friends, 

At around 10.05 pm tonight, several of his friends and colleagues received a text message from prominent Human Rights Activist,  Ruki and Father Praveen have been detained at the killnochchi police station, apparently on suspicion of a shooting.  Later, Ruki informed a colleague via text, that he and father Praveen were being questioned separately. 

A lawyer who called the Killinochchi police station, was informed that no such persons were arrested by the Killinochchi police or being held at the police station. However the police said that two persons had been arrested by a specially appointed unit of the TID and were being held at a separate location in Killinochchi. 

Another lawyer who spoke to the OIC Killinochchi was informed that Ruki and Praveen were being questioned and a decision regarding their continued detention would be made in the morning. This directly contradicts the version in the para above. 

We don't know the details of arrest or the facts leading up to it. We are very concerned for their safety.

Fred Carver

Campaign Director

The Sri Lanka Campaign for Peace and Justice

http://srilankacampaign.org

+44 (0) 7763745402

skype: fred_carver

Rev.Badiwewa Diyasenna at Geneva

Rve.BAdiwewa Diyasena start Champaign in Geneva asking the protecting human rights in Srilanka. GoSl not show the reality  of the  country. People have to go to the HRC.

International women day -08 March

කාන්තාවන්ට එරෙහි ප්‍රචණ්ඩත්වය  පිටුදැකීම
ස්ත්‍රී මූලික කාන්තාවන්ට සමසේ සැලකීම
ලිංගික හිංසනය පිටුදැකීම
දේශපාලනයට ප්‍රවිශ්ටවීමේ ප්‍රතිශතය 50% දක්වා වර්දනය කිරීම 

 

ජාත්‍යන්තර කාන්තා දින සැමරුම 

මාර්තු 08 ත්‍රිකුණාමලයේදී 

මාර්තු 13 මීගමුවේදී  

The Sri Lanka’s Response: ‘Sri Lanka Reiterates Its Continued Cooperation And Engagement With The Work Of UNHRC’

IDPs and Land rights from the speech made by Minister of External Affairs and Leader of the Sri Lanka delegation at the High Level Segment of the 25^th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva today (05^th March 2014).

Full Text Of The Sri Lanka’s Response: ‘Sri Lanka Reiterates Its Continued Cooperation And Engagement With The Work Of UNHRC’ - https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/sri-lanka-reiterates-its-continued-cooperation-and-engagement-with-the-work-of-unhrc-gl/

IDPs

A total area of 1,980 sqkm, which is 96 % of the areas identified for demining have been cleared as at the end of December 2013. 70 % of the demining was carried out by the Sri Lanka Army

This paved the way for the expeditious resettlement of internally displaced persons. 297,000 Internally Displaced Persons who were housed at Menik Farm Welfare Village immediately after the conflict in 2009 have now been fully resettled and this facility was closed in September 2012. Action is being taken to expedite resettlement of the remaining 7,094 IDP families in the North and the East. Of this, 5,585 are currently staying with host families. The Government is also working towards finding durable solutions to resettle approximately 75,000 Muslim who were forcibly evicted from the Northern Province by the LTTE in an ethnic cleansing exercise, over 20 years ago. Further, a study is underway with the collaboration of the UNHCR to establish whether there are any hitherto unreported displaced persons and the report is expected by end March 2014.

Land

Land is one of the most complex and sensitive residual issues of the conflict and continues to be addressed. In line with the LLRC recommendation, the Government is implementing the Land Commissioner General’s Special Land Circular which provides for the granting of legal ownership of land to those IDPs who have been resettled. In January 2014 alone, 3,623 land requests have been received in the Northern Province. Of this, 2,321 have been resolved, making a total of 24,389 resolutions of 147,504 land requests to date. In the Eastern Province, 490 land requests have been received in January (total 11,662 to date) and 83 have been resolved (total 1,260 to date).

The former High Security Zones (HSZ) have ceased to exist. Palaly cantonment is now the only area in which some security restrictions remain although civilians have unrestricted access to Palaly airport and KKS harbour. Similarly, former HSZ in the Eastern Province, located in the Sampoor area from 2007 has been reduced in extent by 65 per cent and declared a Licensed Zone under the Board of investment.

As at January 2014 the Government has released 19,322 acres of private land and 2,518 acres of State owned land in the Northern Province which were hitherto used by the military. In the East, the Government has released 689 acres of private land and 3,222 acres of State land. Therefore the total figure of lands released in the North and the East amounts to 20,011 acres of private land and 5,740 acres of State land.

The Terms of Reference for a Fourth Land Commission are under preparation. Amendment to the Prescription Ordinance will be presented in Parliament by April, 2014. Steps are being taken to Gazette the necessary Orders under the Special Mediation Boards Act, to establish relevant Boards in certain areas where the armed conflict prevailed, and address certain identified land disputes that have arisen in those areas. This amply demonstrates that allegations of ‘land grabbing’ taking place in the former conflict-affected areas are entirely unfounded.

Full Text Of The Sri Lanka’s Response: ‘Sri Lanka Reiterates Its Continued Cooperation And Engagement With The Work Of UNHRC’ - https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/sri-lanka-reiterates-its-continued-cooperation-and-engagement-with-the-work-of-unhrc-gl/