seeking justice.”
Similarly, the Nobel Peace Prize winning Amnesty International in its statement said,
“Commonwealth countries must agree new measures to address the continuing
human rights crisis in Sri Lanka and especially to monitor and condemn any
civil society repression around CHOG … Sri Lana has a disturbing record of
repressing civil society activism. Its officials have intimidated, threatened and
even attacked human rights defenders around previous international events. We
are extremely worried about the safety of such activities around the summit in
Colombo in November.”
Similar statements, addressing the erosion of rule of law in the country have been
made by the Committee to Protect Journalists, the Commonwealth Judges and the
Magistrates Association, the Bar Associations of Canada, Australia, England, Wales,
Sri Lanka, and South Africa especially in the light of intimidations against Journalists
and the illegal impeachment of Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake.
Michael Ellmanfidh, an Officer for the Commonwealth International Federation for
Human Rights, states that the Commonwealth is making a major mistake in holding
CHOGM in Sri Lanka when that country is in serious breach of the values set out in
the Commonwealth charter.
Even more recently, Margaret Owen, Director of the Widows for Peace through
Democracy stated:
“Across the world women's organisations are appalled at the systematic
sexual torture, rape, and trafficking for sex slavery of Tamil women and girls
living in the north-east of Sri Lanka, both during the conflict, and continuing
after its brutal end in 2009. And at the inability of the international community
to prevent it, and bring the perpetrators to account. While we have all warmly
applauded the Hague initiative to prevent sexual violence in conflict and postconflict environments, and the support of his declaration by 122 UN member
states, we are deeply shocked that David Cameron has refused to boycott the
forthcoming CHOGG when it is clear that the government of Sri Lanka is
guilty of gross human rights violations.
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