In New York at the meeting of the UN General Assembly and in Geneva at the session of the UN Human Rights Council, the Sri Lankan government spoke in favor of the global war against terrorism and against those who use human rights as a tool against states. President Mahinda Rajapaksa used the podium in New York to speak in the Sinhala language. One of the roots of the ethnic conflict, and current war in Sri Lanka, has been the issue of language. To many people the President’s speech reconfirmed the Tamil-speaking peoples’ disadvantaged position in Sri Lanka in relation to the more numerous Sinhalese people.
The military launched a new offensive against the LTTE in the island's northwest this month. The offensive comes after a relative calm in fighting since early July, when the government captured Sri Lanka's Eastern Province from the LTTE, taking control of the region for the first time in 13 years. The fighting was such that the ICRC was required to speak with both sides to try to get guarantees for its security. The government justified several military operations in the northwest as being in the nature of a humanitarian operation.
The LTTE still controls a large area of the north, where they run a virtual state. This month, the military claimed that LTTE smuggling fleet and other logistical targets have been successfully been destroyed. The government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) greeted the detention of Kumaran Pathmanathan (or "KP" as he is widely known) in Bangkok who has been in charge of the LTTE's international arms-procurement network and was allegedly involved in the 1991 assassination of former Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Among members of the GoSL there is strong belief that weakening of the LTTE gives a major advantage to the government in pushing through a political solution to the ethnic conflict. In a detailed interview, President Mahinda Rajapakse agreed that the Tamils do have genuine grievances but asserted that any settlement of the ethnic conflict will have to be built on a unitary state to win the backing of the Sinhalese majority which considers federalism an anathema.
Meanwhile, the controversial LTTE dissident, Colonel Karuna, is believed to have left Sri Lanka resulting in a split in the TMVP and uncertainty over the future of the group. Many cadres seem to take the current confusion as an opportunity to carry out extortion and lootings. Child recruitment also continues. This month, TMVP cadres shot and killed a woman who fought their abduction of her 16-year-old son and their attempts to force him to join their militia.
The escalation of the fighting in the north and northwest ended all hopes peace activists held that the government might invite the separatists for peace talks after its recent military success in the east. According to analysts, the current military operations in the north that are aimed at rescuing the people from the LTTE are unlikely to yield anything more positive than they have in the east. The likely scenario is the displacement of thousands of people from their homes, the destruction of many homes, and limited government efforts at reconstruction.
A major research study revealed recently that 77 percent of the respondents think that the government needs to act on the basis that the LTTE will not give up their aim of an independent state of Tamil Eelam, and will not enter the democratic process. As many as 84 percent agreed that the government should concentrate on a military defeat and recapturing all the territory controlled by the LTTE. An even greater proportion amounting to 89 percent believe that the LTTE will continue as a guerilla force and be a threat to peace and security. However, the respondents did not want the war to continue, with 99 percent of them agreeing that the prevailing state of war should be ended as early as possible.
The human rights situation remains a major concern. Senior U.S. official said that the United States will continue to pressure Sri Lanka to avoid human rights abuses during the war. Sri Lanka's government has come under increasing international criticism for a series of high-profile killings under unexplained circumstances. The human rights watchdog Amnesty International called on the U.N. Human Rights Council to address mounting violations in Sri Lanka.
Human rights activists have argued for a United Nations presence in Sri Lanka to stop abuses they said had spiked due to inaction by authorities. Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and other groups including local human rights activists believe a U.N. human rights field office could act as a neutral body to record and look into complaints of kidnappings, disappearances and other abuses in the civil war simply because the national mechanisms do not work. So far, the Sri Lankan government has resisted the pressure of international monitoring.
It points to the International Independent Group of Eminent Persons that was created last year to oversee the government commission investigating 16 human rights cases. The international group recently said in a statement that it “remains concerned about the speed of the commission's investigation process,” adding that the commission is unlikely to complete a single case before its mandate expires in November. Sri Lanka is now waiting for the UN Human Rights Commissioner, Louise Arbour, who is scheduled to visit in October.
She will arrive a time when the general population is facing an economic crisis that is worrying the government. The concern about the economic crisis faced by people is most pronounced in the urban areas, where the self sufficiency that buffers the rural economy is not at all present. The rate of inflation has touched 20 percent, with prices of essential commodities such as milk, rising by an even greater percentage.
The work of NP
In the east, the NP teams experienced the uncertainty that the split of the TMVP created. Several killings were carried out close to the offices of NPSL. Posters and hand outs by the TMVP have been distributed warning people not to back other political parties. Clashes between EPDP and TMVP seem unavoidable. More group abductions – possibly for recruitment – are taking place causing great distress in the communities that no longer know who is in control or who is supporting who. In the midst of the chaos, GoSL representatives are visiting the area to continue with the plans for resettlement and development of the east. There is a fear among people that the eastern province would be subject to Sinhalese colonization. In any case, it remains unclear how development is at all possible when people’s lives are under such threat. So far, there is no genuine political will to improve the civilian security.
Accompaniments in and outside the district and the hunt for safe places continue to take a great deal of time for the teams. Gradually safer places within the communities are expanding but it remains a slow process. As part of this process there is a clearer understanding of the community structures and networks that can provide community support. More interaction with armed groups allowed for more advocacy and increased options available. Referrals to international agencies and local authorities continued where appropriate. Families supported by NP seem to be speaking out more, indicating an increase in confidence. The political office of the TMVP in Colombo helped families in the east by giving them letters that they could take to the local political offices in case they faced threats. The security forces and the Human Rights Commission seem to ‘benefit’ from the encouragement of families by NP to engage with them although most people continue to be reluctant to seek legal redress due to fear. However, when the police or the HRC respond positively it has a wider impact on the relationships in the community.
NP was heavily involved in international Peace Day activities. In Batticaloa, around 450 children and youth from three vocational training centers (VTCs) and some boys and girls from two orphanages attended the celebration that was actively supported by NP. Many boys and girls in these VTCs have experienced of violence and abduction by the armed groups. Many of them came to these centres through NP. There was an opening ceremony with lighting candles, songs and speeches. Speeches were delivered by a Muslim religious leader, by the heads of the VCTs and by a representative of NP. One 10 year old girl and one 15 year old boy presented a joint message for peace. Different activities for boys and girls took place throughout the day. There were painting and letter writing activities and sport activities such as football, volleyball, badminton, netball, baseball and “tug of peace”. For one day, these boys and girls, whose lives have been deeply affected by war, were just regular children playing without fear. It also brought together many of community partners creating a powerful momentum to continue the hard work they all involved in to make change in their communities.
In Valaichchenai, peace day started with a mothers (and fathers) vigil - a ceremony and poem reading that was joined by local CBO partners and about 40 mothers and a few fathers, a local priest, a UNICEF representative and auto drivers. The group moved to the street in front of the NP office with strong messages about what they wanted from peace - which included that parents and children can live without fear, a respect for life and many demands for their children returned to them from all armed groups. Poems were passed out to market shoppers, people on the buses and the army. It finished again with a private ceremony and social gathering. That particular day is considered an extraordinary act of courage through nonviolent action in the small village of Valaichchenai.
The family and community protection support programme that seeks to take a holistic and comprehensive approach to child recruitment was launched in September and has made a good start. More relationships and networks have been developed to support the programme. The mothers’ poem will be produced in a pamphlet and published.
Many incidents were reported this month in Trincomalee - grenade and claymore attacks, killings and lootings, partly caused by the split of the TMVP. LTTE infiltration led to cordon searches by the army. Sea battles between the navy and the sea tigers were observed. Civilians do not seem to share the government’s view that the security situation is normal. Fishing, wood-cutting from jungles, digging soils and other economic activities are either completely banned or limited. Despite violent incidents being reported during the whole month, civil society groups and peace activists celebrated International Peace Days and launched big peace rallies.
NP was finally able to place one particular family that had been under threat for almost a year successfully in safety by using its international network. NP has received request from several religious leaders for facilitating meeting with NGOs and INGOs working on protection on the establishment of a safe house for both disaster and conflict affected children. Peace Committees supported by NP have finally started to take up incidents of child abduction and recruitment.
The NP team in Colombo initiated the start of stakeholder and advocacy tracker that will be used to monitor advocacy and networking activities for local partners. It accompanied various victims of violence to human rights advocacy groups, police, and embassies to seek assistance. It expanded its network further to groups in Colombo as well as Kandy.
NP has made a start to improve some of the management processes and working relationships through the assistance of an outside consultant/facilitator. Colombo management received overseas visitors from OXFAM and Cordaid to discuss the NP programme. NPSL was invited to discuss its work at the International Assembly in Nairobi. It presented part of the strategic plan for 2008 and 2009 that it is currently developing. At the moment, management is gathering the necessary feedback from the field sites to ensure inclusiveness and ownership. It has included some items from the external evaluation that was finally completed in September.
As part of the new plan it is currently recruiting local support administrators for each of the sites that will enable NP to consolidate its work and be more effective. A new group deployment of FTMs is planned for the end of the year to replace those FTMs whose contract ended and who and are ready to move on. Many of the future FTMs took part in the training in Cluj, Romania that was successfully completed in September.
One other departure is scheduled for end of October, namely that of the Project Director. This will be my last report from the troubling island of Sri Lanka. It was my pleasure to serve you all with impressive impressions from my colleagues and friends here. Despite all the challenges I enjoyed being here and would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support and belief in a mission that has reached and touched so many people here who have embraced NP for what stands for and commended it on its actions.
Report written by Marcel Smits (Project Director) and Christine Schweitzer (Programme Director)