Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) urges India to support UN resolution on Sri Lanka, 4 October 2006

UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
Second Session - 5 October 2006

Agenda item 2 - Implementation of General Assembly Resolution 60/251 of 15 March 2006 entitled 'Human Rights Council'

Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) urges India to support UN resolution on Sri Lanka, 4 October 2006

New Delhi: Expressing dismay at India's opposition to the draft resolution on Sri Lanka sponsored by the Finland on behalf of European Union at the ongoing United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) called upon the government of India to reconsider its position and support the resolution. The Human Rights Council will decide by tomorrow whether to adopt the resolution.

India has been opposing the draft resolution which calls for the respect of human rights and calls upon all parties to put an immediate end to the violations of humanitarian law, and to guarantee access for humanitarian aid to the population as well as to guarantee the protection of humanitarian workers; and strengthening of the presence of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and to report on these efforts at the Human Rights Council during its third session in November 2006.

“India must decide whether it supports continued violations of human rights and international humanitarian law both by the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE without any monitoring or the efforts of the United Nations to address such violations given the failure of the investigation and accountability mechanisms in Sri Lankan as reported by the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions to the Human Rights Council.” – stated Mr Suhas Chakma, Director of Asian Centre for Human Rights.

The Sri Lanka government has been blocking the presence of international observers into the inquest being conducted for seventeen Tamil aid workers of the Action Internationale Contre la Faim who were killed by the security forces on or around 5 August 2006.

The draft resolution also “expresses concern at the recent escalation of violence in Sri Lanka following the resumption of hostilities, leading to increasing violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, including increased extrajudicial killings and disappearances, impunity, large-scale displacement and the continuing forced recruitment of soldiers by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), including of children”.

Draft Decision proposed by Finland, 3 October 2006 [also in PDF]

The Human Rights Council

Expresses its concern at the recent escalation of violence in Sri Lanka, following the resumption of hostilities, leading to increasing violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, including increased extrajudicial killings and disappearances, impunity, large-scale displacement, and the continuing forced recruitment of soldiers by the LTTE, including of children. The Council calls for the respect of human rights and calls upon all parties to put an immediate end to the violations of humanitarian law, and to guarantee access for humanitarian aid to the population as well as to guarantee the protection of humanitarian workers.

Welcomes the constructive cooperation of Sri Lanka with the Special Procedures and other human rights mechanisms. The Council welcomes the announcement by the President of Sri Lanka to appoint a Commission of Inquiry into allegations of human rights violations as well as the involvement of an International Independent Group of Eminent Persons. The Council notes the need for the Commission of Inquiry to carry out its mandate in conformity with international standards.

Invites the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to consider strengthening its presence in Sri Lanka and to report on these efforts at its third regular session in 2006. The Council also invites the Group of Eminent Persons to update it on its activities in the said session.