8/13/2019 Sri Lanka Grim Up North for the Tamil Community

1/7

Sri Lanka: grim up north for the Tamilcommunity

FRIDAY 15 NOVEMBER 2013

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has ade !"h #$ the de%ep ent

#$ 'ri (anka)s n#rth $#&*in+ the "arna+e #$ *ar , -!t has &i$e rea&&.i pr#%ed $#r the /a i& "# !nit. &i%in+ thereIn a re"ent inter%ie* the president *h# has -een a""!sed #$ *ar

"ri es t#&d a&, a eera the "#!ntr. has 4 ar"hed $#r*ard rapid&.4 sin"e the

de$eat #$ the (//E terr#rist +r#!p in 200 6

4D!rin+ the past $#!r .ears a$ter de$eatin+ n#rthern terr#ris 'ri (anka

has ar"hed $#r*ard rapid&. in the $ie&ds #$ e"#n# i" and in$rastr!"t!ra&

de%ep ent h! an ri+hts and t#!ris $#rei+n in%est ent in$* e7p#rts

and an. #ther areas64

8e said 93-n had -een spent #n re-!i&din+ in$rastr!"t!re in the n#rth #$ the

"#!ntr. the traditi#na& h# e #$ 'ri (anka)s /a i&. "# !nit. and

http://www.channel4.com/news/sri-lanka-tamil-north-vanni-human-rights-chogm-rajapaksahttp://www.channel4.com/news/sri-lanka-tamil-north-vanni-human-rights-chogm-rajapaksahttp://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/talktojazeera/2013/09/mahinda-rajapaksa-this-all-propaganda-201392716130376448.htmlhttps://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/378800000346925885/dc61c359015ca22c6993b3e60c25c8b5_bigger.jpeghttp://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/talktojazeera/2013/09/mahinda-rajapaksa-this-all-propaganda-201392716130376448.htmlhttp://www.channel4.com/news/sri-lanka-tamil-north-vanni-human-rights-chogm-rajapaksahttp://www.channel4.com/news/sri-lanka-tamil-north-vanni-human-rights-chogm-rajapaksa

8/13/2019 Sri Lanka Grim Up North for the Tamil Community

2/7

pris#ners #$ *ar had -een re&eased6

)Ver. s"ared and %!&nera-&e)On Frida. Da%id :a er#n an+side j#!rna&ists in"&!din+ :hanne& ;

Ne*s)s #n 'n#* %isited a$$na in the n#rth and sp#ke t# /a i& &eaders

%isited a /a i& ne*spaper and %isited a "a p $#r interna&&. disp&a"ed

pe#p&e6

8e *as et -. h!ndreds #$ pe#p&e *h# t##k t# the streets "a&&in+ $#r he&p

t# $ind their issin+ %ed #nes6 B!t it is n#t j!st the 4disappeared4 that are

a pr#-&e $#r the /a i& residents #$ 'ri (anka)s $#r er *ar #ne6

:harities ha%e raised "#n"erns a-#!t h! an ri+hts in the re+i#n and the

%!&nera-i&it. #$ %ari#!s +r#!ps , $r# $reed $#r er e -ers #$ the (//E

kn#*n as the /a i& /i+ers t# *# en6

Read the &atest $r# the :hanne& ; Ne*s tea in 'ri (anka 6A&an

8/13/2019 Sri Lanka Grim Up North for the Tamil Community

3/7

aj#rit. #$ pe#p&e &i%in+ in n#rthern 'ri (anka6

/here are "#n"erns $r# s# e e -ers #$ the /a i& "# !nit. that the

+#%ern ent is !ndertakin+ a pra"ti"e #$ 4'inha&isati#n4 #$ the area6

Man. 'inha&ese $&ed the n#rth d!e t# the atr#"ities -ein+ "arried #!t -. the

/a i& /i+ers d!rin+ the "i%i& *ar and s# e ha%e n#* ret!rned6 B!t as Mr

8/13/2019 Sri Lanka Grim Up North for the Tamil Community

4/7

and +ir&s t# se7!a& harass ent and a-!se6 i&&ia 8a+!e

Despite 4s.ste ati" harass ent #$ /NA >/a i& Nati#na& A&&ian"e@

"andidates4 a rep#rt p!-&ished this *eek -. the Internati#na& :risis =r#!p

said the /NA *#n C per "ent #$ the %#te and 30 #!t #$ 3 "#!n"i& seats6

8#*e%er the rep#rt *arns the 'ri (ankan +#%ern ent)s h#sti&it. t#

de%#&!ti#n eans that a"hie%in+ an. eanin+$!& de #"rati" $reed# is sti&&

distant6

# en

/he &e+a". #$ the 'ri (ankan "i%i& *ar $#r the n#rth is that an. h!s-ands

and $athers *ere ki&&ed eanin+ an. /a i& *# en are &e$t t# head

h#!seh#&d #n their #*n6

It has -een esti ated that there are 000 *ar *id#*s in 'ri (anka?s n#rth

and east ane6

A re"ent Min#rit. Ri+hts =r#!p rep#rt $#!nd that the h!+e i&itar. presen"e

in the area has ade these *# en %!&nera-&e t# se7!a& harass ent and

%i#&en"e6

http://www.crisisgroup.org/en/publication-type/media-releases/2013/asia/sri-lankas-potemkin-peace-democracy-under-fire.aspxhttp://www.crisisgroup.org/en/publication-type/media-releases/2013/asia/sri-lankas-potemkin-peace-democracy-under-fire.aspxhttp://www.minorityrights.org/http://www.crisisgroup.org/en/publication-type/media-releases/2013/asia/sri-lankas-potemkin-peace-democracy-under-fire.aspxhttp://www.crisisgroup.org/en/publication-type/media-releases/2013/asia/sri-lankas-potemkin-peace-democracy-under-fire.aspxhttp://www.minorityrights.org/

8/13/2019 Sri Lanka Grim Up North for the Tamil Community

5/7

4/he 'ri (ankan i&itar. despite their her#i" and p#p!&ar rep!tati#n a #n+

the aj#rit. "# !nit. in s#!thern 'ri (anka is +enera&&. $eared in

n#rthern 'ri (anka 4 the rep#rt sa.s6

4In the $#r er (//E,"#ntr#&&ed areas in parti"!&ar pe#p&e sti&& see the 'ri

(ankan i&itar. $#r"es as the ene .6

4/his $ear is %indi"ated -. "redi-&e a&&e+ati#ns #$ h! an ri+hts %i#&ati#ns

in"&!din+ rape and the se7!a& and e #ti#na& a-!se #$ *# en64

Mr

8/13/2019 Sri Lanka Grim Up North for the Tamil Community

6/7

8e said 4I *i&& -e !r+in+ the 'ri (ankan +#%ern ent t# in%esti+ate these

"ases as the. deser%e6 /hat eans "arr.in+ #!t "redi-&e and independent

in%esti+ati#ns -!t it a&s# eans pr#%idin+ +reater s!pp#rt t# %i"ti s and

passin+ str#n+ *itness pr#te"ti#n &e+is&ati#n s# that j!sti"e is n#t

!nder ined -. s#"ia& sti+ a and inti idati#n64

/he disp&a"ed

In t#ta& ;C0 000 *ere disp&a"ed -. the 'ri (ankan "i%i& *ar6 /his in"&!des

C5 000 M!s&i s thr#*n #!t #$ the n#rth -. the (//E and th#se *h# ha%e

had their h# es and &and sei ed -. the i&itar.6

An esti ate in an!ar. 2013 p!t the n! -er #$ disp&a"ed at 3 000 *ith ar#!nd

00 &i%in+ in re$!+ee "a ps6

Fisher an

/a i& $isher an ha%e -een parti"!&ar&. hard hit -. the presen"e #$ the

i&itar. in the n#rth *ith restri"ti#ns p&a"ed #n their a-i&it. t# *#rk6

4/here are a&&e+ati#ns that 'inha&a $isher an are -ein+ -r#!+ht in and are

8/13/2019 Sri Lanka Grim Up North for the Tamil Community

7/7

-ein+ a&*ed t# $ish an+side the i&itar. in a *a. that $isher an *h#

ha%e &i%ed there $#r .ears are n#t 4 Mr