CFA, key to end Rights violations- Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 December 2005, 13:38 GMT]
“Only creating conditions of normalcy will restore the denied human rights to our people. Sincere and committed implementation of the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) is necessary in the post-war situation as CFA can bring normalcy to a people affected by two decades of war that resulted in large scale displacement and destroyed the social and economic infrastructure,” said Mr.S.P.Thamilchelvan, Head of the LTTE Political Wing in a meeting with Ms. Irene Zubaida Khan, Director, Amnesty International Saturday, 3 December 2005, at the LTTE Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi.

Ms. Irene Khan expressed Amnesty International’s serious concerns over the increasing violence and allegations of underage recruitment by the Liberation Tigers. Ms Khan expressed the need to explore mechanisms to end violence and upgrade human rights standards in conformity with international norms.

Thamilchelvan told the Amnesty official the background to LTTE's armed resistance as a response to state violence. He reiterated the importance of bringing normalcy to peoples lives as an urgent condition to prevent rights violations.

"Continued occupation of Tamil habitats by the Sri Lankan military, designating productive farm lands and sea coasts as High Security Zones, has deprived the Tamil people their basic human right to live freely earning a livelihood. This and the tsunami devastation coupled with anti-Tamil sentiments prevailing within SriLanka's polity have created a political vacuum for Tamils," Thamilchelvan told Ms Khan.

Thamilchelvan expressed LTTE's view that only effective implementation of CFA is necessary and that there is no need for a revision or review of the CFA. He added that strict implementation of Clause 1.8 that prohibits activities of armed groups is imperative to prevent violence, and that the two parties should meet urgently to discuss issues related to commitment and implementation of CFA.

Thamilchelvan extended invitation to Amnesty to send a fact finding mission to Tamil homeland to investigate matters related to child recruitment and other rights concerns.

Ms Khan also met with NorthEast Secretariat on Human Rights (NESOHR) to learn about its functions, staff strength, on complaints received and how the complaints are resolved.

Irene Zubaida Khan joined Amnesty International as the organization’s seventh Secretary General in August 2001. Ms Khan joined the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in 1980, and worked in a variety of positions at Headquarters and in field operations to promote the international protection of refugees. Ms Khan studied law at the University of Manchester and Harvard Law School, specialising in public international law and human rights.

External Links:

Amnesty:

Irene Khan - Biography