A positive for human rights

Friday, 30 September 2011 01:43 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

THE air is abuzz with the fate of 50 failed asylum seekers and what kind of reception they will receive at the hands of local authorities. However, the fact that the security authorities merely recorded statements from them before letting them go home will stand well for Sri Lanka’s human rights record.

International media were agog with the fact that up to 50 failed asylum seekers were due to be forcibly removed from the country aboard an aircraft chartered by the UK Border Agency. The plan had alarmed a number of NGOs, including a medical charity that treats victims of torture, which feared that the British Government could not be sure that those deported would be safe in Sri Lanka.

Freedom from Torture, previously known as Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture, said around 400 Sri Lankans sought its clinical help since 2010. It, together with Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, called for the deportation to be cancelled.

The charity said it had clinical evidence that a number of these people had been tortured in Sri Lanka since the end of the civil war in May 2009, some after being returned to the country. Several NGOs had also warned that they had evidence that people with suspected links to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) risked maltreatment in Sri Lanka. Amnesty International also said there was evidence showing Tamils forcibly removed from Australia becoming victims of torture upon return to Sri Lanka.

However, the reception that the asylum seekers received was pleasantly surprising and no doubt a positive point for Sri Lankan authorities. The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) recorded their statements and released all 50, laying fears to rest.

However, as luminous as this action was, it emphasises the importance of due process and legal transparency in Sri Lanka. The comment made by External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris that the remaining LTTE suspects would be tried in courts of law is heartening. It is up to the Government to fast-track these procedures so that the dark cloud that hangs over Sri Lanka’s human rights record is dispelled.

It is estimated that there are hundreds of political prisoners in Sri Lanka, leading to reports that are damaging in the extreme. In an atmosphere when the country needs to concentrate on promoting its efforts to protect human rights, these are the actions that will get genuine results not only from the rest of the world but from the Tamil community within the country as well.

At the UN General Meeting, there was much talk about pledges and future action. These need to be backed with action taken on the ground so that the Government’s faultfinders see the real progress that is being made.

Laudable as it is to rehabilitate around 6,000 former LTTE cadres, there are more things to be done. While it is admitted that these procedures take time, it must be remembered that justice delayed is justice denied – for all parties. With peace at stake, it is time to take the initiative to bring more chances for a normal life to these Sri Lankans.