Dear Foreign Minister Nakasone,
The undersigned nongovernmental organizations are writing to you to call upon Japan to transform its foreign policy to a one that protects civilians under conflict in Sri Lanka.
Situation of humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka
Although the armed conflict between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have almost come to an end, there have been reports that civilians remain trapped in the narrow strip of the so-called "no-fire zone."
According to United Nations, more than 6,000 civilians have died and over 13,000 wounded from the fighting since late January 2009. Many more are feared to have killed and wounded in the recent deadly final battles. The United Nations has called the situation a "bloodbath" and the International Committee of the Red Cross has called the situation "nothing short of catastrophic." Four UN Human Rights Council experts on summary executions, right to health, right to food and water and sanitation noted in a joint statement on 8 May that "There is an urgent need to establish an international commission of inquiry to document the events of recent months and to monitor ongoing developments."
Both the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government army have repeatedly committed brutal war crimes in this conflict. The LTTE has used civilians as human shields and has forcibly prevented civilians from escaping the conflict zone. At the same time, the Sri Lankan government has also indiscriminately shelled densely populated areas including hospitals.
Marked passiveness of Japan at the UN
However, international community (especially the UN Security Council and the UN Human Rights Council which need to take immediate actions to protect civilians in emergencies) continues to fail to act despite repeated requests from civil society. Japan in particular is beginning to build up a regrettable reputation as a nation that maintains its passive stance on UN's decision to take actions.
We welcome the Japanese government's dispatch of Yasushi Akashi, Representative of the Government of Japan, to Sri Lanka and the government's assertion of its emergency financial and supply aid. At the same time, however, we regret that the Japanese government continues to take a passive stance in urging the UN Security Council and the UN Human Rights Council's to formally take up the Sri Lankan issue and protect civilians who have fallen victim to the humanitarian crisis.
As a result of objections raised by few states including Japan, the Security Council has met only informally on Sri Lanka, and no concrete action has been taken to protect civilians. While a Special Session of the Human Rights Council to discuss the situation in Sri Lanka is scheduled to be held on May 26, 2009 by a call of 17 member states, Japanese government made a very disappointing decision not to join the call despite numerous requests from governments and civil society groups.
On May 13, the Security Council presented its position for the first time in the form of press statement. It expresses "grave concern" over the humanitarian crisis, and demands the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE to "respect their obligations under international humanitarian law." This is a positive step forward. However, this press statement included neither a tenor of the request for a humanitarian cease-fire which should have been realized immediately nor was there tenor of question about the accountability of war crimes against the parties in dispute. Moreover, a mere press statement does not trigger concrete actions by the Security Council.
Japan instead stood at the forefront of setting back the content of the press statement in its drafting process. This passive stance of Japan on UN's actions toward the protection of civilians has become a drag on the UN's effort to take action on protecting civilians under the humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka. Countless civilians including children and women have become victims of the conflict while the Security Council and the Human Rights Council continued to fail to take concrete actions, including the dispatch of international covoy on inquiry.
Now is the time to transform Japanese foreign policy
In 1994, the UN Security Council received extensive criticism for its inaction in the Rwandan genocide. After this historical failure, the UN Security Council resolutions have repeatedly emphasized the importance of the protection of civilians. Resolution 1674 reaffirms the responsibility to protect, adopted at the 2005 World Summit, populations from genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. The UN Security Council must formally take up Sri Lanka and take action against the humanitarian crisis, in which brutal war crimes have been perpetuated by both parties in the conflict.
Japanese foreign policy upholds the principle of human security. The preamble of the Japanese Constitution also declares that Japan desires to "occupy an honored place in an international society" based on its reflection on the past. In order to bring those who committed war crimes in mid of the atrocious "'bloodbath" to justice, and also in order to avoid Japan to be remembered as a nation partially responsible for the failure to stop "the bloodbath" of civilians in Sri Lanka, the government of Japan should immediately advocate for UN action on the humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka including the dispatch of fact-finding mission.
We nongovernmental organizations strongly urge Japan to support of concrete actions by the UN on the humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka.
Women's Active Museum on War and Peace
Pacific Asia Resource Center
Amnesty International Japan
Japan International Volunteer Center
PARCIC Interpeoples' Cooperation
International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Now
