அரசியல்

[ மார்ச் 03, 2012 ] பிராந்திய அரசுகளின் பக்க பலத்துடன் கூடிய அனைத்துலகத்தின் உண்மையான முயற்சி இலங்கைத் தீவில் போர்க் குற்றங்களுக்குப் பொறுப்புக்கூறுவதற்கும் சமூகங்களுக்கிடையே மீளிணக்கத்தைக் கொணர்வதற்கும் வழிவகுக்கும். ஜெனீவாவில் தற்போது நடைபெற்றுவரும் ஐக்கிய நாடுகள் மனித உரிமைகள் சபையின் கூட்டத்தொடரரானது இலங்கையிலே போரின் கடைசிக் கட்டங்களில் இரு பகுதியினராலும் இழைக்கப்பட்டதெனச் சாட்டப்பட்ட போர்க் குற்றங்களுக்கும் மானிடத்துக்கு எதிரான குற்றங்களுக்கும் பொறுப்புக் கூறச்செய்வதற்கு அனைத்துலகச் சமூகத்திற்கு ஓர் அரிய வாய்ப்பாக அமைந்துள்ளது.

Three years have passed since the Government of Sri lanka (GoSL) announced the end of the armed conflict, but to date it has not taken any steps towards a permanent political solution for the genuine grievances of the Eelam Tamil people. Eelam Tamils have been pursuing their just struggle for freedom for more than 60 years; part of that was an armed conflict. Recent years have witnessed some of the most horrendous crimes against humanity committed by Sri Lankan armed forces against the Tamils. The suffering has only strengthened the resolve of the people for justice. To symbolise the continuation of the struggle, and to coincide with the 19th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, three Tamil youths from Europe (Gracian from Switzerland, and Kajan and Selvin from France) have joined together to conduct a ‘walk for justice’ from Brussels to Geneva.

[February 1, 2012 Ottawa, Ontario] Prime Minister Stephen Harper today issued the following statement in recognition of Black History Month: "Every February, Canadians celebrate Black History Month by learning about and reflecting upon the legacy and accomplishments of black Canadians. “In conjunction with the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, we are taking a special look this year at the important contributions made by black soldiers to the historic battles that helped define the country that Canada would ultimately become. "One of the heroes of the fight for Canada was a freed slave named Richard Pierpoint, who, in his late 60s, volunteered and served with distinction in a number of battles in the Niagara Peninsula. “Many of the former slaves and black Loyalists who fought on the Canadian side during the War of 1812 settled in places such as Nova Scotia and south-western Ontario, where they and their descendants formed communities that continue to enrich Canada to this day.

A group of well-known civil society activists have strongly condemned the recent attack on the Colombo head office of Viluthu, a non-governmental organisation working to promote social justice and women’s rights. In a communiqué signed by 35 activists which was released today, the incident is described as a “cowardly act” that was “carried out in order to intimidate the organisation”. The signatories also expressed dismay that the incident occurred in a high security zone and called on the law enforcement agencies to take prompt action to apprehend those responsible for the attack. The attack took place between the night of January 23 and the early hours of January 24. According to the joint communiqué, “Viluthu’s work is focused on good governance and empowerment in the north and east of Sri Lanka in supporting the war-affected community. These kinds of attacks pose a threat to an open society that is founded on democratic values and the rule of law, and upholds freedom of speech and civic activism. It is such a society that we as Sri Lankans should nurture if we are to move towards reconciliation and a lasting peace.”

For Tamils, the end of Sri Lanka’s civil war has brought no peace dividend; for Tamil women, peace has brought with it a continuation – and in some cases an intensification – of violence and insecurity. In the country’s predominantly Tamil-speaking north and east – a region half the size of Nova Scotia – tens of thousands of “war widows” have been living under the control of the central government and Sinhalese security forces since 2009 and the end of the civil war, whose last few months saw as many as 40,000 civilians killed.  There has been an alarming increase in gender-based violence, including domestic violence, within the Tamil community, as well as forced prostitution and trafficking. All of this is against a backdrop of credible evidence of wartime sexual violence by government forces, including video footage showing soldiers making sexual comments while handling dead, naked bodies of female suspected Tamil Tiger fighters, some with their hands bound. At the UN Human Rights Council session opening late next month, there is a chance to finally ensure accountability and to address the current state of insecurity; Sri Lanka and the international community, including Canada, should take it.