8/12/2019 Still Searching for Justice Victims in Sri Lanka

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Still searching for justice:

victims in Sri LankaFive years on from the end of the civil war in Sri Lanka, the international community’s patience with the

government in investigating gross violations of human rights and international humanitarian law is

exhausted.War? What war?: the image the government would prefer the world to have of Sri Lanka. Wikimedia / Ekabhishek. Creative Commons.

SHEILA VARADAN 28 March2014For the victims and their ami!ies in Sri Lan"a# the reso!$tion %assed &' the (nitedNations H$man Ri)hts *o$nci! this +ee" in ,eneva oers the irst )!immer o ho%e ortr$th# -$stice and re%aration or the serio$s h$man.ri)hts a&$ses committed &' &othsides in the ina! sta)es o the civi! +ar/

It comes a!most ive 'ears ater the end o Sri Lan"as %rotracted and &!ood' civi! +ar a con!ict that sa+ the death o tens o tho$sands o civi!ians and thedisa%%earance o tho$sands more/ And it comes &eca$se no one has &een he!d

acco$nta&!e or an' o the )ross h$man.ri)hts a&$ses and serio$s vio!ations ointernationa! h$manitarian !a+ committed &' &oth sides to the con!ict/

*risis o im%$nit'

3he ina! %hase o the +ar +as a &!ood&ath/ As the &r$ta!# secessionist 3ami! 3i)ers+ere %$shed &ac" into a ra%id!' shrin"in) %oc"et o territor' in the north.east# the'orced more than a $arter o a mi!!ion civi!ians to move +ith them and essentia!!'

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serve as orced !a&o$rers and h$man shie!ds/ I)norin) the h$man miser'# Sri Lan"antroo%s !a$nched indiscriminate attac"s/ More than 20#000# and ma'&e $% to 40#000#civi!ians +ere "i!!ed in the !ast months o i)htin) and even more in-$red/

Ho%in) to si!ence the ens$in) domestic and internationa! o$tcr'# the Sri Lan"an)overnment esta&!ished a Lessons Learned Reconci!iation *ommission 5LLR*6/ 3he

commission +as not desi)ned to &rin) acco$nta&i!it' and its mandate# mem&ershi%and cond$ct +ere a!! a$!ted/ 7$t the LLR* did conc!$de that the state +as o&!i)ed toinvesti)ate more $!!' the circ$mstances $nder +hich vio!ations o h$man.ri)hts !a+and the !a+s o +ar co$!d have occ$rred and +here s$ch investi)ations $ncovered+ron)$! cond$ct to %rosec$te the +ron)doers/ It +arned that a trans%arent !e)a!%rocess and strict adherence to the r$!e o !a+ +ere %rere$isites o %eace andsta&i!it'/

ver t+o 'ears on# ho+ever# and in s%ite o t+o (Nreso!$tions ca!!in) on Sri Lan"a to im%!ement the LLR*s

recommendations# the )overnment has ai!ed to investi)atethe a!!e)ed vio!ations/ 3he internationa! comm$nit' hasres%onded c!ear!'9 the H$man Ri)hts *o$nci! reso!$tionre$ests the (N hi)h commissioner or h$man ri)hts to:$nderta"e a com%rehensive investi)ation into a!!e)ed serio$s vio!ations and a&$seso h$man ri)hts and re!ated crimes &' &oth %arties d$rin) the %eriod covered &' theLessons Learnt Reconci!iation *ommission and to esta&!ish the acts andcirc$mstances o s$ch a!!e)ed vio!ations +ith a vie+ to avoidin) im%$nit' and ens$rin)acco$nta&i!it';/

Demise o -$dicia! inde%endence

3he !ac" o %o!itica! +i!! to %rovide acco$nta&i!it' has a!so &een evident in thee<ec$tives assa$!t on the inde%endence o the -$diciar'once a %oint o %ride or theis!and nation/ 3he 18th amendment to the constit$tion# %assed in 2010# )ave $ni!atera!a$thorit' to the %resident to ma"e a!! a%%ointments to the S$%reme *o$rt# the *o$rt o

 A%%ea! and the =$dicia! Services *ommission/ (ns$r%risin)!'# -$dicia! a%%ointmentshave &ecome more %o!iticised# and intererence in the im%artia! $nctionin) o the

 -$diciar' common%!aceas the im%eachment o the 4>rd chie -$stice# Dr Shirani7andarana'a"e# in =an$ar' 201># and her re%!acement &' Mohan ?eiris e<em%!iied/

3he im%eachment +as dec!ared $nconstit$tiona! &' the S$%reme *o$rt and +ide!'condemned or disre)ardin) internationa! standards on -$dicia! inde%endence and airtria! &' the 7ar Association# -$d)es and civi!.societ' )ro$%s/ 3he' +ere -oined in thiscriticism &' @ senior -$d)es rom >0 co$ntries# +ho si)ned an o%en !etter to the)overnment or)anised &' the Internationa! *ommission o =$rists/

?eiris# +ho had never served as a -$d)e# +as the %residents ormer !e)a! advisor andattorne'.)enera!/ D$rin) his >>.month ten$re as A,# he did not %rosec$te a sin)!e

 judicial appointments have

become more politicised, and

interference in the impartial functioning of the judiciary

commonplace

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case o crimes a)ainst -o$rna!ists# h$man.ri)hts deenders or !a+'ers/ And here%eated!' o&str$cted eorts to investi)ate a!!e)ations o )ross h$man.ri)hts vio!ationseven )oin) so ar as to mis!ead the (N *ommittee on 3ort$re on the ate o amissin) -o$rna!ist# ?ra)eeth E"na!i)oda# +hom he im%!ied +as in a orei)n co$ntr'/

Bitho$t an inde%endent and im%artia! -$diciar'# it is sim%!' not %ossi&!e to have a

credi&!e domestic investi)ation that de!ivers tr$th and -$stice or con!ict.re!atedcrimes/ 3he (N hi)h commissioner# Navi ?i!!a'# re%orted to the H$man Ri)hts *o$nci!that the ai!$re o nationa! mechanisms to esta&!ish tr$th and -$stice can no !on)er &ee<%!ained as a $nction o time or technica! ca%acit'# &$t C is $ndamenta!!' a$estion o %o!itica! +i!!/

 Activists attac"ed

 A cam%ai)n mean+hi!e o tar)eted re%risa!s a)ainst h$man.ri)hts activists# !a+'ersand -o$rna!ists $nderscores the need or an internationa!!' !ed investi)ation/ 7et+een

2008 and 201># 22 -o$rna!ists and media activists +ere "i!!ed or s$&-ected to enorceddisa%%earance/ No one has &een arrested in connection +ith an' o these crimes/

Even +hi!e the H$man Ri)hts *o$nci! +as in session# on March 1th R$"i Fernandoo the *o!om&o.&ased INFRM and Father ?raveen Mahesan# a *atho!ic %riest# +erearrested in i!inochchi and detained or 2 ho$rs $nder the ?revention o 3errorism

 Act/ 3he' +ere ordered to hand over i?ads and hard drives and s$&-ected to a trave!&an and a )a))in) order/ 3hree da's ear!ier# a h$man.ri)hts activist and mother o adisa%%eared &o'# 7a!endran =e'a"$mari# +as detained +ith her 1>.'ear o!d da$)hterin their i!!inochchi home/ =e'a"$mari is no+ &ein) he!d +itho$t char)e in the 7oosa

%rison cam% +itho$t access to a !a+'er/

 A %rocess that does not a!!o+ victims and +itnesses to testi' ree!' +i!! sim%!' not &ea&!e to esta&!ish tr$th and -$stice/

*om%rehensive investi)ation

3he H$man Ri)hts *o$nci! reso!$tion sends a stron) messa)e to the )overnment thatthe internationa! comm$nit' is not +i!!in) to )ive $% on the iss$e o acco$nta&i!it'/ Ita!so )ives ho%e to victims and civi! societ' that the %$rs$it o tr$th# -$stice and

acco$nta&i!it' is not i!!$sor'/

3he com%rehensive investi)ation# i $nderta"en in accordance +ith the reso!$tion#sho$!d &rin) to !i)ht inormation a&o$t the e<tent and circ$mstances o the a!!e)edserio$s a&$ses committed &' a!! %arties in the con!ict/ 7$t the )overnment m$stens$re that civi!ian and mi!itar' a$thorities co.o%erate/

Lastin) %eace demands -$stice/ 7eca$se the Sri Lan"an -$stice s'stem is $n+i!!in) tode!iver it# the internationa! comm$nit' m$st do so/ Im%$nit' +i!! on!' a))ravate the

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+o$nds o +ar/