Sri Lankan Ambassadors lies at UNHCR Statement by Sri Lankan Ambassador Aryasinha, 63rd UNHRC sessions, 2 October 2012

http://www.lankamission.org/images/2012images/October2012/Stateme nt%20by%20PRUN%20at%2063rd%20Session%20-%20UNHCR.pdf He speaks of: 1.30-year-long terrorist conflict, end of the conflict three years ago: Its an on-going ethnic conflict of 64+ yrs. There was a 30-yr armed struggle that was brought to an end in May 2009: National Peace Council of Sri Lanka, 14 November 2011: ''When the war ended in May 2009, it was the worst that was over, but the ethnic conflict that spans more than five decades is not yet over. Jayanths Dhanapala (former UN Unde r-Secretary General for Disarmament) told Lessons Learnt and Reconcilition Commission, 25 August 2010: Each and every Government which held office from 1948 till the present bear culpability for the failure to achieve good governance, national unity and a framework of peace, stability and economic development in which all ethnic, religious and other groups could live in security and equality. . Our inability to manage our affairs has led to the taking of arms by a desperate group of our citizens. 2. post-conflict development: a.post-conflict: Sri Lanka is in post-war situation, NOT post-conflict situation: i.Pro-govt media: Focus on post-war challenges: SLN 61st anniversary today, 8 December 2011, http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=articledetails&page=article-details&code_title=40742 . on a brief visit to look into the ground situation in post-war Sri Lanka, 31 December 2011, http://www.dailynews.lk/2011/12/31/news02.asp ii.Defence Secretary: Post-War Achievements, Says Secretary Defence During Kilinochchi Visit for new 'Dagoba' Opening, 29 September 2012, http://www.army.lk/detailed.php?NewsId=5319 b.development:

As the government has been refusing to hold elections for the Northern Province a systemic plan for socio-economic development is not being made. Haphazard development has been the building of main roads for movement of the huge number of military personnel stationed in the North and the huge number of tourists from the South to see the mammoth war memorials and the large number of Buddha statues built all over the North and Prabhakarans bunker. The army runs restaurants and hotels in the North depriving the war-ravaged people from recovering their livelihood. The roads in the villages are in horrible state. They face restrictions in fishing and farming grounds. The army runs delivery service of sand most essential for buildings and restricts people from accessing sand sources. The economist author explains how Foreign Minister G. L. Peiris has been economical with truth further reinforcing the hallmark of the present regime in Political Spin Of The Economic Growth In The North, 27 May 2012, http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2012/05/27/political-spin-of-theeconomic-growth-in-the-north/ Those who seek to do developmental work in the north point out that they have to travel all the way to Colombo, sometimes on several occasions, to get the necessary approval for work to be done in the north. Sometimes those they deal with in the Presidential Task Force are ignorant of the ground situation in the specific locality in which the work is going to be done. Sometimes when the reality of the situation is explained to them, they are prepared to change their minds. But it takes a lot of meetings with them, and lot of travel to Colombo, to make this happen - National Peace Council of Sri Lanka, 25 June 2012 3. Sri Lanka's achievements: Post-War Achievements, Says Secretary Defence During Kilinochchi Visit for new 'Dagoba' Opening, 29 September 2012, http://www.army.lk/detailed.php?NewsId=5319 Are the following achievements? i.While the A9 road running through the Vanni was closed to the public and the war-ravaged IDPs were detained in terribly overcrowded camps surrounded by barbed wire and guarded by the army and aid agents were severely restricted from helping the IDPs in the camps as well as when they were released and when government refused to endorse funding application of humanitarian agencies:

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in Sri Lanka has suspended the distribution of shelter cash grants to displaced returnees due to shortfalls in funding, Earlier this month, HT had reported how both the remaining refugees and the resettled were complaining that food and other donations had been cut - 1.9 lakh Tamils resettled in Lanka, yet no relief in sight, 29 March 2010, http://www.hindustantimes.com/1-9-lakh-Tamils-resettled-yet-no-reliefin-sight/H1-Article1-524454.aspx On the stretch of the A9 highway between Vavuniya and Jaffna, hundreds of released IDP families have put up flimsy tents or taken shelter in broken houses. After months in camps, they now have the freedom of movement. But little else. - The refugees and resettled, Lankas nowhere people, 17 March 2010, http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/srilanka/The-refugees-andresettled-Lanka-s-nowhere-people/Article1-520268.aspx ''The funding crisis follows the governments refusal to endorse the 2010 Common Humanitarian Action Plan (CHAP). The UN and other humanitarian agencies are running out of resources to meet the urgent needs of internally displaced persons in the North - No funds to meet needs of nearly 200,000 Northern IDPs due to govt refusal to endorse 2010 action plan, 13 March 2010, http://transcurrents.com/tc/2010/03/no_funds_to_meet_needs_of_near. html/ We are living in an open prison, said Fr Seemanpillai Jayabalan, parish priest in Aripputhurai. People have no hope for development. They have lost their property and many homes are a total write-off. NGOs are not allowed in the area - Tamil refugees going home to an open prison, 15 September 2009, http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=16332&size=A The Sri Lankan government has told international relief agencies to cut back their activities in the country. But it(ICRC) says an estimated 300,000 displaced people still need food, medicine and help to return home - Sri Lanka orders cuts in aid work, 9 July 2009, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8142550.stm The Red Cross today suspended delivery of supplies to displaced civilians after the Sri Lankan government blocked access to camps in northern Sri Lanka - Red Cross forced to suspend aid to civilians in Sri Lankan former war zone, 20 May 2009, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/may/20/red-cross-unrestrictedaccess-sri-lanka

''The Sri Lankan Government has blocked access to aid workers trying to help the nearly 300,000 civilians displaced by the armys victory over the Tamil Tigers, raising the prospect of a humanitarian catastrophe'' - Sri Lanka on brink of catastrophe as UN aid blocked, Robert Bosleigh in Colombo, 20 May 2009, http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6322658.ece ii.monstrous war monuments were built and grand ceremonies accompanied their unveiling by the President and his brother: President unveiled monument on 9 December 2009, http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20091209_06 Defence Secretary unveiled monument on 30 April 2010 http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20100430_09 Defence Secretary unveiled war memorial on 9 May 2010 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEes9C-TB00 iii.The government had been delaying the release of IDPs from Mullaitivu district coastal villages and then began to dump them in cleared jungles against their wishes away from their coastal villages: Re-displacement of Menik Farm inmates to Kombavil (Mullativu), 3 October 2011, http://groundviews.org/2011/10/03/re-displacement-ofmenik-farm-inmates-to-kombavil-mullativu/ ''Sri Lanka: Very restricted humanitarian space. Following a govt order issued in 2010 to close the ICRCs remaining sub-delegations in the north and curtail planned assistance, several proposed programmes to assist resettling or returning populations did not take place - ICRC Annual Report 2011, 25 June 2012, http://www.icrc.org/eng/assets/files/annual-report/current/icrc-annualreport-asia-and-pacific.pdf 4.resettlement programme: The last batch of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) s was resettled in their villages in Mullaitivu on 24th September 2012 - All IDPs resettled, 25 September 2012, http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=All_IDP_resettled_20120925_02 Is this resettlement? The struggle to go home in post war Sri Lanka: Manthuvil in the Mullativu district, 16 September 2012, http://groundviews.org/2012/09/16/the-

struggle-to-go-home-in-post-war-sri-lanka-manthuvil-in-the-mullativudistrict/ Who burnt houses of returning Muslim IDPs in Mannar?, 15 September 2012, http://groundviews.org/2012/09/15/who-burnt-houses-ofreturning-muslim-idps-in-mannar/ Some Sri Lankan Tamils who left a vast displacement camp this week say they were "left in the jungle" with no means to rebuild their homes and lives - Sri Lanka: Displaced Tamil families 'left in jungle', 27 September 2012, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19748109 (more pictures: http://www.bbc.co.uk/tamil/sri_lanka/2012/09/120929_keppapilavupix.s html ) Nobody is allowed to see the resettled IDPs: .We were rudely told that there was nothing for anyone to see inside a welfare camp and we should not be overly curious. Facilitated largely by the military, it bore all signs of a camp that is still being set up Relocated to nowhere, 29 September 2012, http://www.ceylontoday.lk/59-13681-news-detail-relocated-tonowhere.html Shelter, toilets, and water are regularly unavailable or restricted access for returnees. The jungle is usually not cleared and they have to do this themselves .Mine risk and UXOs is an ongoing concern and has become even more so in the recent rush to get IDPs out of Menik Farm. Many UXOs are found in the houses and lands of returnees - IDPs reseltled: Ampalavanpokkanani, 21 September 2012, http://www.peacesrilanka.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=546:idpsreseltled-ampalavanpokkanani&catid=16:news There are several villages in Mullaitivu, Pudumathalan, Mullivaikal West, Mullivaikal East, Ampalavanpokkanai, Valaignarmadam, Anandapuram and Keppapulavu, all these are coastal areas where people have been living for generations fishing and carrying on their living. They have been asked to go to a place called Kompavil, seven to eight kilometres away from the sea. They have been told, You will have to go. You cannot say, no. You have no choice in the matter. We have chosen a place for you. I am told that steps are being taken to settle fisherfolk from the majority community in this area - TNA leader R.Sampanthans Speech In Parliament, 22 August, 2012, http://sangam.org/tna-leader-psampanthan-mps-speech/ 5.socio-economic, nutitional indicators of IDPs:

UNICEF spokesperson was expelled in September 2009 for commenting on the nutrition of children in the camps. "citing rising food prices, lack of job opportunities, and high levels of poverty as contributing factors, . the World Food Programme (WFP) estimated that more than 19,000 children under the age of five were suffering acute malnutrition - SRI LANKA: Focus on food insecurity in Jaffna, 9 July 2012, http://www.irinnews.org/Report/95828/SRI-LANKAFocus-on-food-insecurity-in-Jaffna SRI LANKA: Too many jobless youth in former war zone, 01 October 2012, http://www.irinnews.org/Report/96422/SRI-LANKA-Too-manyjobless-youth-in-former-war-zone Despite the growing poverty and unemployment in the former war zones which has been encouraging the migration of these people, there have been no moves by the government to alleviate the burden faced by them - Post War: The Cries Of The Desperate And Destitute, 5 August 2012, http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2012/08/05/post-war-the-cries-of-thedesperate-and-destitute/ 6.The former high security zones have ceased to exist: Mr.Sumanthiran told the Daily Mirror that his party discussed matters relating to land issues involving high security zones, particularly Valikamam and Sampur - Govt. commitment questionable: TNA tells UN, 20 September 2012, http://www.dailymirror.lk/news/22085-govtcommitment-questionable-tna-tells-un.html 7. Security Forces have been reduced from 50,000 at the peak of the conflict to 15,000 at present: The army presence is still massive. Travelling across northern Sri Lanka is like criss-crossing from garrison to garrison - Inside Sri Lankan's wartorn north-eastern corner, 4 August 2012, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19096158 Military density in the North of Sri Lanka in ''peace time'' is much higher than the peak conflict time in Iraq, Northern Ireland, Kashmir or French occupation of Algeria - Notes on the Military Presence in Sri Lanka's Northern Province, http://epw.epw.in/epw/uploads/articles/17622.pdf ''More than three years after winning the war, the Sri Lankan Army retains an overwhelming presence in the North and East of the island, deploying 16 out of its 19 divisions in the Tamil-dominated regions'' - Sri Lankan Army still has vast presence in North & East, 19 September 2012, http://www.thehindu.com/news/article3915391.ece

8.The military is no longer involved in civil administration in the North and the East: i.The fact that permission from the Government Agent of the area is not enough to enter an empty space left behind by the IDPs but approval from a competent military authority is required is a crude reminder how militarized the countrys administrative process has become: It is now closed and there is no harm if people visit the site, assured the Government Agent of Vavuniya. we made a visit, and were surprised when told that entry required approval from a competent military authority - Closed and not accessible, 30 September 2012, http://www.ceylontoday.lk/59-13738-news-detail-closed-and-notaccessiblem.html ii.The government is trying to present a new Bill, the Divineguma Bill that takes away the powers of the Provincial Councils and concentrates power at the Centre. There was a case filed against the Bill and the Court ruled that only the Provincial Councils can decide on that. All the Provincial Councils except the Northern Province agreed to give consent to the government decision. As elections are not yet held for Northern Provincial Council and all matters of the Province are effectively decided by the Northern Province Governor appointed by the President and in respect of the Bill the Governor gave his consent. Now a case is filed against the validity of the unelected Governor. Northern and Eastern Provinces only have retired Military personnel as Governors.. iii. The macro-economic decisions that the government makes in terms of developments in the north are not made with the participation of the people or their representatives. An example would be the Presidential Task Force for Northern Development. This governmental regulatory body is located in Colombo and is virtually all Sinhalese in its ethnic composition, even though most of the people in the north are Tamil. Several of its members are retired military officers - National Peace Council of Sri Lanka, 25 June 2012 9. Ex-LTTE cadres are rehabilitated and integrated with their families and society: Several of the detainees had been fighting cadres of the LTTE but others were not involved in fighting at all. Many had been forcibly conscripted by the LTTE. Most of them said they had received very little rehabilitation such as training or counseling while in detention. At least two reported that they got trainings on motor mechanics and masonry respectively, at the tail end of their detention.

Several ex-detainees described the torture they were subjected to while in detention. At least two ex-detainees are still unable to find employment and lead normal lives due to the injuries sustained under torture. Others mentioned that although they were not tortured themselves, they had seen and heard others being tortured. Many had been given official release documents on release. Some documents were in Sinhalese only. But some had not been given any official documents on release. All former detainees stated that following their release from detention, they were required to register themselves with government intelligence officers attached to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Army Intelligence officers in their area. They were required to submit copies of their release order and identity documents to both agencies. Some were asked to bring photographs when registering while others were photographed by the CID and the Army. In one case, the entire family of a former detainee was photographed. We were told that these photographs are used by both agencies for surveillance purposes Threats, Harassments and Restrictions on Former Detainees and Their Families in Vanni, Rev. Fr. Jeyabalan Croos, Deanne Uyangoda and Ruki Fernando, 12 May 2011, http://www.srilankaguardian.org/2011/05/threats-harassments-andrestrictions-on.html In the northern districts of Sri Lanka there are no clashes between the two ethnic communities, but disappearances and suspicious deaths concern the population. The government provides alternative accommodation to IDPs, but denies resettlement in their native villages Sri Lanka: Young Tamils in Mannar and Jaffna still live in fear, 16 March 2011, http://www.speroforum.com/site/article.asp?id=50348&t=Sri+Lanka%3A +++Young+Tamils+in+Mannar+and+Jaffna+still+live+in+fear The war in Sri Lanka is over, but the military still occupies Tamil areas with a heavy hand. Residents say they still live in fear of security forces, and in fear of speaking out. The man explains that former LTTE cadres released from government rehabilitation camps are often intimidated into acting as informants. Implementing the action plan could be a start to gaining the populations trust. But at the moment, I dont see any sharp break with the past in terms of a change of attitude, says Jehan Perera, the director of the National Peace Council - Military lingers in Tamil areas years after Sri Lanka's civil war, Alaina Varvaloucas, 14 August 2012, http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-SouthCentral/2012/0814/Military-lingers-in-Tamil-areas-years-after-Sri-Lankas-civilwar?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed% 3A+feeds%2Fworld+%28Christian+Science+Monitor+|+World%29

Finding paid work - especially for youths - is still difficult in Sri Lankas former conflict zone in the north. [The] bulk of the development activities are large-scale public investments in infrastructure employing skilled and semi-skilled labour from the south, as well as under-employed Sri Lanka Army personnel. . Even though the Northern Provinces economy grew by 27 percent in 2011, according to the Central Bank, this has translated into few new jobs, said Sarvananthan and Wijesinha. Both attributed the spike to the regions large-scale infrastructure projects and low starting point following a decades-long conflict. - SRI LANKA: Too many jobless youth in former war zone, 01 October 2012, http://www.irinnews.org/Report/96422/SRI-LANKA-Too-many-joblessyouth-in-former-war-zone

10.The government released its strategy for the implementation of the recommendations of LLRC: Those who go through the LLRC Action Plan carefully will also note that it is at considerable variance from the LLRC recommendations given in the original report in both spirit and substance. The LLRC Action Plan deals with only about 80 of the LLRC Reports 146 recommendations. The entire section of the LLRC Report that deals with the issue of missing and disappeared persons and the trauma it has wreaked on the lives of possibly tens of thousands of families has been entirely ignored by the LLRC Action Plan. As many as nine LLRC recommendations that are in paragraphs 9.43 to 9.60 are missing from the LLRC Action Plan National Peace Council of Sri Lanka, 23 September 2012

Your Excellency Mr Aryasinha, There are many views about what we must achieve in post-war Sri Lanka. . - An Ideology of Reconciliation Cannot be Built Without Basic Ingredients of Democracy and Rule of Law, Dr. Deepika Udagama (Head, Department of Law, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka), 15 August 2012, http://dbsjeyaraj.com/dbsj/archives/9627#more-9627