MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation in Sri Lanka
20.10.2009
pursuant to Rule 122 of the Rules of Procedure
Véronique De Keyser on behalf of the S&D Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B7-0100/2009
B7‑0105/2009
European Parliament resolution on the situation in Sri Lanka
The European Parliament,
– having regard to its previous resolutions on the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka of 12 March 2009 and on the situation in Sri Lanka of 5 May 2009,
– having regard to the declarations of Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner on Sri Lanka of 16 June 2009 and 21 September 2009,
- having regard to the Council conclusions on Sri Lanka of 18 May 2009,
– having regard to the official statement of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) of 17 May 2009 on acknowledging that the war against the Sri Lankan government troops has come to an end,
– having regard to Rule 122(5) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas five months after the end of the civil war opposing the Sri Lankan army and the sessionist forces of the LTTE in the north of the country, the government still retains almost 300.000 Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in camps under sometimes very harsh conditions, denying them freedom of movement;
B. whereas the Sri Lankan government agues that it must demine vast areas in the former battle zone before these IDPs are allowed home;
C. whereas the Sri Lankan authorities claim to be conducting a screening process to weed out Tamil Tigers from the people kept in the internment camps;
D. whereas the Sri Lankan government has declared that the Tamil population in the north will be allowed to return home at the latest in six months;
E. whereas reports of serious human rights abuses during the last phase of the war have surfaced;
F. whereas freedom of press is still limited and journalists are prosecuted or expelled under Sri Lankan anti-terrorist law;
G. whereas the authorities continue to obstruct the humanitarian efforts of NGOs in the former combat zone and whereas representatives of NGOs continue to be expelled, such as recently a member of UNICEF;
H. whereas the LTTE has announced that it will re-form under the leadership of Selvarasa Pathmanathan, its former leader for international relations;
1. acknowledges the steps already taken by the Sri Lankan government to address the humanitarian situation of those detained in internment camps but reiterates that significant obstacles remain;
2. urges the Sri Lankan government to take, without delay, all necessary steps to facilitate the evacuation of the almost 300.000 civilians detained in camps as well as the urgent delivery of humanitarian assistance to them, in line with its obligation to protect all people under its jurisdiction; emphasises the need to give the ICRC a monitoring role and share with them the lists of persons screened by the government;
3. calls on the government of Sri Lanka to develop a long-promised political settlement for the Tamils such as some measure of regional devolution as included in the country's constitution;
4. reiterates its call on the Sri Lankan authorities to ensure full, open and transparent investigations of all alleged human rights abuses in the war zone;
5. urges the government to stop the repression of the media under the anti-terrorist legal provision and allow for freedom of the press;
6. calls on the authorities of Sri Lanka to permit free and unlimited access of humanitarian organisations to the internment camps in order to provide those detained with the necessary humanitarian assistance, particularly with the imminent arrival of monsoon in the north of the country;
7. calls on the Tamil leaders to seriously engage in a political settlement and to renounce terrorism and violence once and for all;
8. instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Secretary General of the United Nations and the President and Government of Sri Lanka.