The International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP), established to oversee the government’s Commission of Inquiry into serious human rights cases, resigns. The 11 member panel resigned as Human Rights Watch (HRW) publishes a report into 99 cases of abductions and “disappearances” of ethnic Tamils, human rights activists and journalists who were taken into custody.

Sources
If Sri Lanka does not want our help what can we do? Daily Mirror, 29 March 2008; International experts pull out but government backs human rights inquiry, IRIN News, 4 April 2008.

Quotations

“If we stayed on, business would go on as usual. By withdrawing we are creating a situation where Sri Lankan authorities have to clearly take up the responsibility in protecting human rights. Most of the suggestions that were made by the IIGEP have been ignored or rejected. So we no longer see how we can contribute further to the protection and enhancement of human rights in Sri Lanka. … A two pronged response is needed to safeguard the perception of validity and legitimacy of the commission. The first is a national response. It is up to the government to ensure that the CoI is effectively independent. The government must now show that it has a political will which it hasn’t shown up to now to allow the commission to do its job. Secondly, the international community must get involved with the whole issue of human rights protection and the prosecution of violators. … There is a real problem of witness protection in this country which goes far beyond legislation and this is something that we have tried to address in our modest level. The burden of the question lies clearly with the government to address the climate of fear and find ways of ensuring that witnesses are protected. … After a certain time we were just repeating ourselves. I understand the constraints of the government, but we have to say that this is a lack of political will. … Generally successful procedures have been developed after the conflict or with a change of administration. But now you have an ongoing war and an ongoing administration. I do understand the difficulties in such a context. Once again Sri Lanka has to decide what it wants.” Jean-Pierre Cot, Emeritus Professor of the University of Paris and Judge, an eminent person in the IIGEP.

“We didn’t ask the IIGEP to leave. They had their reasons for going to which the COI and the attorney general’s department have put forward their own positions. We still have confidence the COI will produce results. I’m as desperate as anyone else to show results, especially when I have to go before international forums.” Mahinda Samarasinghe, Minister of Human Rights and Disaster Management.

“President Mahinda Rajapaksa, once a rights advocate, has now led his government to become one of the world’s worst perpetrators of forced disappearances. The end of the ceasefire means this crisis will continue until the government starts taking serious measures.” Elaine Pearson, Human Rights Watch Deputy Asia Director.

Extracts from Human Rights Watch report

“In the great majority of cases documented by Human Rights Watch and Sri Lankan groups, evidence indicates the involvement of government security forces – army, navy, or police. …

“Relatives frequently described uniformed policemen, especially members of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), taking their relatives into custody before they “disappeared.” The police claimed that these individuals were needed for questioning, yet did not say where they were being taken and did not produce the required “arrest receipt.” After these arrests, the families did not manage to obtain any information on the detainees’ fate or whereabouts. …

“Most of the victims are ethnic Tamils, although Muslims and Sinhalese have also been targeted. In many cases, the security forces “disappeared” individuals because of their alleged affiliation with the LTTE. Clergy, educators, humanitarian aid workers, and journalists also were targeted – not only to remove them from the civil sphere, but also to warn others to avoid such activities. …

“Vairamuththu Varatharasan, a 40-year-old truck driver and father of five, was abducted from his home in Colombo on January 7, 2007, and has not been seen since. His wife told Human Rights Watch:

“A group of about 20 men – some in police uniforms, some in civilian clothes surrounded the house. One policeman came inside and asked for our identity card. I went into one of the rooms to get the identity card. By the time I came out of the room, my husband was not there; neither was the policeman. I ran out and spotted a van parked in a dark place on the road. I ran to the road, but by the time I got there, the van started and left.”

Related events
6 November 2006
11 June 2007
25 June 2007

Related links
The President’s Commission of Inquiry to Investigate and Inquire into Alleged Serious Violations of Human Rights website; Recurring Nightmare: State Responsibility for “Disappearances” and Abductions in Sri Lanka, Human Rights Watch, 6 March 2008.