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The Second Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council
Geneva, 28 September 2006

IMADR appreciates the efforts made by the High Commissioner's Special Representative in Sri Lanka. We also welcome the statement made by the President of Sri Lanka expressing his commitment to finding a lasting solution to the ethnic conflict. Despite these pronouncements however, today, violence against innocent civilians and harassments of Muslim and Tamil IDPs continue.

High Commissioner, we would like to hear more about your plan to expand your office in Colombo. What more do you think can be achieved with two additional staff members to stop the violence and impunity and assist in restoring lasting peace? Does the OHCHR experience in expanding its office in Nepal, for example, offer a useful model that could be applied in Sri Lanka?

It was reported on Tuesday that the Australian Forensic experts involved in the investigation into the killings of the Tamil workers of the Action Faim in Mutur have left the island giving official non-cooperation as a reason. The most recent killing of 10 Muslim laborers in Amparai district on Monday is also an example of the reign of impunity and terror in the conflict ridden areas of North and East. Peace activists have become the recent target of political and religious extremist forces.

In the meantime, the Government has failed to effectively investigate into the killings that took place in Kayts, Trincomalee and Mannar between April and May this year. Neither has the Government been able to apprehend those who use vituperative language that would culminate in raising communal tensions.

IMADR calls upon the Council to urge the Sri Lankan government:

a) To keep up to its pledge to appoint an Independent Commission of Inquiries involving international observers in the process; and,
b) To establish an International Human Rights Monitoring Mechanism with the collaboration and effective participation of the OHCHR.

We call upon the Government of Sri Lanka and LTTE to refrain from engaging in acts of violence and respect human rights and to assist in the efforts of Norway to preserve the Cease Fire Agreement and the efforts of the Co-Chairs to resume peace talks by October.