MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the human rights violations in Sri Lanka

20.10.2009

with request for inclusion in the agenda for the debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
pursuant to Rule 122 of the Rules of Procedure

Søren Bo Søndergaard, Helmut Scholz, Joe Higgins, Eva-Britt Svensson on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group

See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B7-0100/2009

B7‑0116/2009

European Parliament resolution on the human rights violations in Sri Lanka

The European Parliament,

–         having regard to Rule 122(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

 

A. considering that it is almost four months since the government of Sri Lanka proclaimed its victory over the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE),

 

B. considering that as a consequence of the civil war, more than 500.000 people have been displaced, and 280.000 of them fled after the proclamation of the end of the war,

 

C. considering that 300.000 Tamil people, almost all of them innocent civilians and 50.000 of them children, are nowadays illegally detained in camps, subject to collective punishment under inhuman conditions, and are now facing very critical death threat because the monsoon will most probably cause diseases and flood a large number of them;

 

D. considering that the Sri Lankan government is denying most international representatives and organisations access to the camp to monitor their human rights situation, and even to provide them humanitarian facilities and health care;

 

E.. considering the frequent human right violations against journalists and media that are expressing critical views on the government's actions, including assassinations, bomb attacks, threat, detention, and visa restrictions;

 

F. considering the fact that on 18 October 2008 the Commission initiated an investigation on the effective implementation of three international Human Rights conventions whose implementation is an essential condition for the GSP+ trade facilities granted to the Sri Lanka government,

 

1. urges the Sri Lankan Government to immediately release all Tamil civilians illegally detained and allow international organisations to have access to them in order to verify their human right situation and to provide them the necessary humanitarian aid;

 

2. urges the Sri Lankan Government to guarantee to freedom of press, to ensure that independent and thorough investigations will be held concerning the human right violations against journalists, and the attacks against media, and to provide international journalist the necessary visa and access to all regions of the country;

 

3. urges the Sri Lankan Government to apply international human right standards to the proceedings of the members of the former LTTE;

 

4. calls on the Council and the Commission to suspend the GSP+ facilities granted to the SRI Lankan government, because of the permanent violations of three main UN international human rights conventions,

 

5. calls on the Commission to increase its efforts to provide humanitarian aid to the endangered population of Tamil refugees;

 

6. instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the government of Sri Lanka.