"SELF DETERMINATION IS KEY TO THE WORLD PEACE"
Saturday, 20 August 2011, 1:58
THE TAMIL CANADIAN ELDERS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere “Martin Luther King Jr.
5310 Finch Ave. East, Unit. 10, Scarborough-On. M1S 5E8, Canada.
Phone No. 416 613 2787, Email: humanrights2611@gmail.com
Subject: On this World Humanitarian Day We urge you to think of the Aid workers lost their life and justice to the Victim’s family.
To: David.Sharrock@ec.europa.eu, Irina.Novakova@ec.europa.eu
Cc: koen.doens@ec.europa.eu
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere “Martin Luther King Jr.
5310 Finch Ave. East, Unit. 10, Scarborough-On. M1S 5E8, Canada.
Phone No. 416 613 2787, Email: humanrights2611@gmail.com
August 19, 2011
Honourable David Sharrock – Spokesperson of Hon. Madam Kristalina Georgieva
Honourable Irina Novakova – Press Officer
cc: Hon. Koen Doens – Head of the Spokespersons Service
ATTENTION:- H. E. Kristalina Georgieva – EU Commissioner Responsible for International Cooperation
Humanitarian Aid & Crisis Response. [Through Hon. David Sharrock] – kindly deliver a
copy of this e-mail to H. E. Madam Kristalina Georgieva.
Re: TO DAY IS WORLD HUMANITARIAN DAY: 67 AID WORKERS KILLED IN SRI LANKA. VICTIM’S FAMILIES STILL WAITING FOR JUSTICE:
In August 2006, Seventeen [17] Sri Lankan Aid Workers with the International Humanitarian Agency Action contre la faim [Action Against Hunger – ACF] were gunned down execution style in the town of Muthur Sri Lanka.
It was the worst single attack on aid workers since the 2003 bombing of a UN headquarters in Iraq. Victims’ families are still waiting for justice.
No one has been arrested for the ACF murders, let alone convicted. Sri Lankan police bungled the criminal investigation into the murders, failing even to secure the crime scene. Witnesses were threatened and harassed; family members have been forced into hiding or even into exile abroad.
A Commission of Inquiry appointed in November 2006 by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to investigate this and other “serious violations of human rights” wound up nearly three years later without completing its mandate; it failed to identify the perpetrators in the ACF killings even when presented with substantial, compelling evidence of their identity. According to its Chair, the Commission “ran out of funds” and was hampered by the lack of witness protection. More than anything, the Sri Lankan government, which actively suppresses criticism and opposition, would not allow the Commission to carry out its mandates independently.
During an August 2007 visit, UN Under-Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief John Holmes described Sri Lanka as "one of the most dangerous places for aid workers in the world."
A study released by the Sri Lankan Law and Society Trust in March 2008 concluded that as many as 67 aid workers, most of the Tamils from the north and east, had been killed or forcibly disappeared between January 2006 and December 2007 alone, which amounted to almost one a month during the period. Victims include program, field and administrative staff of humanitarian organisations engaged in demining, development and relief projects; drivers, construction workers and masons; and Catholic and Buddhist clergy engaged in humanitarian service.
Sri Lanka has a long history of serious violations of human rights and humanitarian law and has established a number of ad hoc commissions of inquiry when pressed to account for violations by its forces. Given this track record, the Government’s newest Commission on “Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation” was suspect from inception. It was almost certainly intended to head off renewed calls for an international investigation of war crimes around the anniversary of war’s end, and to derail discussion of its human rights record at the UN. There is no reason to believe it will be any more effective in securing justice for victims.
We Urge that Justice must be delivered to the victims and the killers identified and punished without any further delay. Just remembering these Aid Workers will not do and we must work hard to find ways and means to deliver justice. Thank you.
Yours Truly,
Perampalam Kanapathipillai – Cordinator
Directors:
Kumarathasan Rasingam
Selvarajah Ramupillai
Thiyagarajah Sivasundram
Ms. Umadevi Sivasundram
Ms. Valthurathamma Vethanayagam
Vijayakanthan N. Swaminathan
.
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About us
Global Peace Support Group UK Ltd is a registered organisation based in London. The organisation dedicated to be involved in humanitarian and other related issues. We also work along with other similar organisations to promote peace and harmony among various societies..
GLOBAL PEACE SUPPORT GROUP - UK - TIRELESSLY WORK ON THE CONCEPT OF:
"SELF DETERMINATION IS KEY TO THE WORLD PEACE"
MOURNS ON THE CONTINUED TRAGEDY OF THE PEOPLE OF North & East of Tamil EELAM WITH THE HOPE OF ALL OF OUR ENDEAVOURS WOULD BRING AN END TO THOSE SUFFERING DURING THE YEAR AHEAD.
The International community has a duty towards the long suffering Sri Lankan Tamil population to restore their rights of SELF DETERMINATION.
Global Peace Support Group - believes that this is the ONLY way for a permanent PEACE in Sri Lanka.
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