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EU urged to invite Tamil Representatives

We wish to draw attention to the upcoming EU parliamentary public hearing at Brussels on Post -Tsunami reconstruction and human rights situation in Sri Lanka on 5th June 2007.

A public hearing like this on Post - Tsunami evaluation along with assessments of human rights record and humanitarian aid to Sri Lanka without the participation of Tamil representatives could not be a useful and comprehensive exercise.

EU development committee should invite Tamil representatives to such an important hearing. The Sri Lankan government which has committed serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian laws has been invited to present its defense while the victims have been kept out from presenting their case. In this context, we wish to also draw attention to the persistent resistance of the Sri Lankan government to the EU draft resolution at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva since August 2006.

The European Union which is supporting the Norway -facilitated peace process and has recognized certain ground realities should consider inviting Tamil representatives to its future meetings for any objective understanding of the post-tsunami and human rights situation.

The Tamils and Muslims are the worst affected people in the Tsunami-struck parts of the island. But they have been discriminated against in the post-tsunami programmes. 40, 000 people were killed and 600 000 have lost their livelihood and become IDPs. The various agencies and local leaders have continuously voiced the suffering of these IDPs and other Tsunami-affected people in North-East. More than 350 000 people are still living in IDP centers in the Northern part of the island. In Eastern part, these IDPs are getting more war, due to the SL new military offensives.

The denial of the P-TOMS (Post-Tsunami Operational Management Structure) which has been supported by most of the international players is singular example of the Sri Lankan government's abuse of international sympathy created after the Tsunami. We signed an agreement. Later, Sri Lanka cancelled this accord. The LTTE and Tamil people have been cheated again by Sri Lanka in this P-TOMS issue.

At this point of time, the human rights and humanitarian situation in the island has been well reported to the world and the EU needs to condemn these crimes and ask Sri Lanka to allow international human rights monitors to the island.

Members of the EU development committee must ask Sri Lanka minister of human rights to promise EU to cooperate with them in the upcoming 5th session of the UN Human Rights Council. The IIGEP (International Independent Group of Eminent Persons) and CoI (Commission of Inquiry) are meaningless exercises under Sri Lankan constitution; and the protection of human rights and respect for the International Humanitarian Laws can be guaranteed only by international monitoring.

05 June 2007

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