(New York) - Amid an upsurge in violence in Sri Lanka, the withdrawal of three European Union countries from the ceasefire-monitoring mission underscores the urgent need for a strong international human rights monitoring presence to help ensure civilian protection, Human Rights Watch said today.
On August 1, Sweden joined Finland and Denmark in announcing their pullout from the Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission in response to a demand from the armed opposition group the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Since the beginning of the year, about 800 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in conflict-related violence and human rights abuses in Sri Lanka.
“With the dramatic increase in violence in Sri Lanka, more international monitors are needed, not fewer,” said Brad Adams, Asia Director at Human Rights Watch. “The lives of countless civilians are at risk at this critical time.”
Small-scale clashes between Sri Lankan government troops and the LTTE throughout the year have been overshadowed recently by more serious fighting. On July 20, the LTTE closed a reservoir sluice gate in an LTTE-controlled area near the eastern town of Trincomalee, cutting the water supply to about 60,000 people in government-controlled territory. In response, Sri Lankan armed forces conducted air strikes over several days against LTTE positions in the area and on July 30 began a ground offensive to capture the reservoir’s control point.
The LTTE has reportedly attacked government military camps in the east. There are also continuing reports of numerous killings of civilians in the north and east that have been attributed to government forces, the LTTE, the breakaway LTTE faction under Col. Karuna and other armed groups.
While a senior LTTE official said on July 31 that the 2002 ceasefire agreement was “null and void,” a spokesman for the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission said they had received no formal letter from the LTTE about withdrawing from the agreement.
Ceasefire monitors from five Nordic countries have been deployed in Sri Lanka’s north and east since the government and the LTTE signed a ceasefire agreement in February 2002. Following the European Union’s decision in May to list the LTTE as a terrorist organization, the LTTE called upon EU countries participating in the monitoring mission to withdraw their monitors by September 1.
The ceasefire agreement states that the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission shall be composed of representatives from Nordic countries, and requires that any modifications to the agreement have the mutual consent of the government and the LTTE. Denmark, Finland and Sweden apparently agreed to pull out their monitors without agreement from the Sri Lankan government. This withdrawal will leave only the non-EU states of Norway and Iceland as part of the mission by September.
Human Rights Watch urged concerned governments to call on the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE to support the establishment of a strong and widely deployed international human rights monitoring presence. Monitors should be based in Sri Lanka’s north and east, Colombo and other areas of heightened political violence. A mechanism for the public reporting of human rights violations should be established.
Human Rights Watch said it was surprised and disappointed by the decision of the three EU member states to withdraw from the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission.
“By withdrawing their monitors, Denmark, Finland and Sweden will deal a devastating blow to the protection of civilians in Sri Lanka,” said Adams. “Concerned governments must take urgent steps to get more international monitors on the ground.”
