Sri Lanka: Making a mockery of HRs at CHOGM 2013

Sri Lankan Tamil civilians arrive at a government controlle! area after fleeing territory controlle! "y t#e LTT$ in %&t#&kk&!iyiri''&( nort#east Sri Lanka) *+ile '#oto( 200,.y Tim /ing +ri 0ov 1( 2013

T#e Common2ealt# Hea!s of Government Meeting *CHOGM- is #el! every t2o years to ena"le lea!ers of Common2ealt# co&ntries to come toget#er to !isc&ss glo"al an! Common2ealt# iss&es( an! to !eci!e on collective 'olicies an! initiatives( t#e CHOGM 3e"site states) T#is year( t#e CHOGM is taking 'lace in Sri Lanka( a nation t#at stan!s acc&se! of some of t#e most "ol! an! revolting 2ar crimes in #istory) T#e c#arges stem from acts committe! against t#e minority Tamils 4&st fo&r years ago) 5 large n&m"er of 'eo'le( governments an! #&man rig#ts organi6ations are 2aging efforts to increase a "oycott of t#e event) To com'licate matters an! f&rt#er "r&ise an alrea!y fragile Tamil 'o'&lation( Sri Lanka %resi!ent Ma4in!a Ra4a'aksa( 2#o stan!s at t#e front of t#e line of s&s'ects acc&se! of 2ar crimes( crimes against #&manity an! genoci!e( is slate! to "ecome C#air of t#e Common2ealt# Ministerial 5ction Gro&' *CM5G-)

T#e crimes committe! against t#e Tamil 'eo'le "y t#e government of Sri Lanka in 200, are so "r&tally o"scene t#at t#ey nearly !efy !escri'tion) T#e government7s state! mission 2as t#e elimination of t#e Li"eration Tigers of Tamil $elam *LTT$- "etter kno2n as t#e Tamil Tigers) 8nstea!( after first killing 4o&rnalists 2#o re'orte! from t#e Tamil 'ers'ective( t#e Sin#ala .&!!#ist ma4ority government of Sri Lanka eliminate! tens of t#o&san!s of civilians) T#e tr&e n&m"ers are &nkno2n( "&t relia"le so&rces 'lace t#e n&m"er "et2een 190(000 an! 1:0(000 !ea!) 8n t#e eyes of many( it is not#ing less t#an a f&ll scale genoci!e) T#ere is a long list of 2ar crimes t#at #ave "een !oc&mente! "y C#annel 9 in Lon!on) T#ey recently aire! t#e ne2 !oc&mentary "y Call&m Macrae( 70o +ire ;one: T#e /illing +iel!s of Sri Lanka7) T#is 'rogram !oc&ments m&c# of t#e #orror e<'erience! "y t#e Tamils as government forces move! into t#e nort#) Macrae 'rofiles t#e long list of !oc&mente! se< crimes to2ar! 2omen) One victim 2as t#e LTT$ re'orter 8sai %riya) Her "o!y 2as initially vi!eota'e! an! '#otogra'#e! nake!( 2it# #er clot#ing stri''e!( an! #er #an!s tie! "e#in! #er "ack( very o"vio&sly a victim of se< a"&se an! m&r!er) =0o +ire ;one> s#o2s footage of 8sai %riya( also kno2n as S#o"a( "eing ca't&re! "y Sri Lankan sol!iers) S#e 2as initially mistaken for a !a&g#ter of Tamil Tiger C#ief ?el&'illai %ra"#akaran) $it#er 2ay( it is 'erfectly esta"lis#e! t#at t#is 2@ year ol! non com"atant 2as ca't&re! alive( an! t#en a"&se! an! m&r!ere!) T#e !eat# of %ra"#akaran7s son( .alac#an!ran( is anot#er e<tremely 2ell !oc&mente! 2ar crime) He s&rren!ere! 2it# #is "o!yg&ar!s &sing 2#ite flags) T#e "oy 2as '#otogra'#e! in t#e c&sto!y of Sri Lankan government officials( an! t#en a s#ort time later( lying !ea! on #is "ack 2it# several "&llet entry 2o&n!s in #is c#est an! stomac#) Ra4a'aksa7s 2ar against t#e Tamils 2as 2age! 2it# treac#ery an! !eceit) T#ese Hin!& an! C#ristian 'eo'le 2ere tricke! into occ&'ying so calle! A0o +ire ;onesA an! t#en attacke! "y t#e Sri Lankan 5rmy 2it# im'&nity) +or mont#s in 200,( t#e smell of !eat# 'ermeate! t#e air in t#e regions 2#ere t#e fig#ting 'ersiste!( an! intensifie!( c&lminating in May 200,) T#e government of t#is islan! nation a"4ectly an! !efiantly relie! &'on state terrorism to !efeat t#e LTT$( 2#ic# #a! esta"lis#e! an! maintaine! a f&ll service government in t#e nort# an! east of t#e co&ntry( in a "reaka2ay state kno2n as Tamil $elam) T#e Sri Lankan 5rmy targete! me!ical facilities so consistently in 200, t#at t#e Bnite! 0ations teams on t#e gro&n! sto''e! 'rovi!ing coor!inates to t#e government forces) T#e SL5 2as act&ally &sing t#e information( 'rovi!e! to s'are t#e !octors an! 'atients from !irect fire( to target t#e #ar! 'resse! fiel! #os'itals) T#e Transnational Government of Tamil $elam *TGT$- states: =T#e Sri Lankan government callo&sly s&''resses free s'eec# as clearly !emonstrate! in t#e

:t# 5men!ment in t#e Sri Lankan Constit&tion stan!ing in violation of a core val&e of t#e Common2ealt#) Sri Lanka contin&es to !eny any 2rong!oing( !es'ite clear an! mo&nting evi!ence from vario&s so&rces)> Reco&nting t#e long #istory of !iscrimination( 'ersec&tion an! t#e marginali6ation of Tamils from t#e 'olitical 'rocess( as ackno2le!ge! in t#e B0 $<'ert %anel Re'ort( t#is "ooklet o&tlines t#e 2ay in 2#ic# very little #as c#ange! in t#e islan! of Sri Lanka) AT#e conseC&ences of #osting CHOGM in t#e islan! of Sri Lanka an! a''ointing as its lea!er 2#o is acc&se! of 2ar crimes( crimes against #&manity an! genoci!e as C#air of t#e Common2ealt# Ministerial 5ction Gro&' *CM5G- are inn&mera"le an! 2ill !evastate not only t#e Tamil %eo'le( "&t also t#e international comm&nity as a 2#ole) T#e attention affor!e! to Sri Lanka as #ost of CHOGM #as only "olstere! its a"ility to o"sc&re t#e real iss&es( an! in t&rn allo2e! t#e government to esca'e acco&nta"ility an! 4&stice)A T#e 2orl! #as reac#e! a 'oint of &tter irres'onsi"ility to2ar! mankin!) 3#en 2ar criminals are installe! as #ea!s of #&man rig#ts organi6ations( 2e #ave reac#e! a critical 'oint an! s#o&l! "e com'lacent( Tamil activists &rge)