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22
nd
Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council
11 March 2013
Geneva
Institutionalized Impunity in Syria & Sri Lanka
Item 4: General Debate
Pasumai Thaayagam Foundation
Delivered by: Tasha Manoranjan
Thank you Mr. President.
The ongoing h ~ m a n rights crisis in Syria has reached a catastrophic level with an estimated
70,000 people killed. The apathy and inaction by some in the international community has
allowed the Assad regiIne to commit crinles against international law with iJnpunity.
When the international comJnunity fails to respond lneaningfully to governments. that
systematically assault th.e basic human dignity of their citizens, impunity for past crimes enables
impunity for present crimes. This is emblematic of the humanitarian and political crisis in Sri
Lanka, which in many ways served as a precursor for the tragedy now unfolding in Syria.
Impunity for the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Sri Lanka in 2009 has
now led to the unconstitutional expansion of the powers of the central government, and the
exacerbated deterioration of the rule of law across the country.
According to the UN Secretmy-General's Panel of Experts report, in the final nine nl0nthsofthe
. civil war in Sri Lanka, tens of thousands of Tamil civilians were killed, overwhelmingly due to
intentional shelling by the Sri Lankan arnled forces.
l
A Jnere five Inonths ago the repOli of the Secretary General's Internal Review Panel on United
Nations Action in Sri Lanka cited credible estimates that over 70,000 Tamil civilians were
I UN Secretary.. General (UNSG), Report ofthe Secretary General's Panel ofExperts 0/1 Accountability in Sri
Lanka, 31 March 2011, available at: http://wwvv.unhcr,Ofl!/ref\vorId/docid/4db7b23c2.html.
killed in 2009, and stated, "there can be no lasting peace and stability without dealing with the
mos1 past violations and withouta political response to the aspirations of Sri Lanka '5
communities. '"2
ParalJeling this statement, High Commissioner Navi Pillay repolied to this CounciJ and identified
ongoing human rights violations.sLlch as extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances,
detention policies that lack basic procedural sai1:guards, and genclered violations resulting from
continuing militarization.
3
As Commissioner Pillay stated, these reports "highlight the urgency of
action to combat impunity". Yet tliese abuses by the Sri Lankan government remain unchecked,
uninvestigated and unprosecuted.
Sri Lanka's long history of impunity is structurally institutionalized. Thus, an independent,
international Conlmission of Inquiry is urgently needed to combat Sri Lanka '5 cycle of impunity
and lay the foundation fora genuine peace.
Thank you, 1',,11'. President.
***
:: UN Secretary-General (UNSG). Report ofthe lnternaJ Review Panel on Unite'cl Nations Action in
Sri Lanka, November 2012. page 29. available al
ThL' Inl(.'rnal RL'\'ic\\ Pal1cl iT!'1 )rl (\11 Sri Lanka.pdf'.
:J Report of the Office oi'the United N8tions High CommissiDner for l-luman Rig.hts on advice and t
e
cl111ical
assistance for the Government of Sri Lanka on promoting reconciliation and accountability in Sri La;lka. A/l-lRCI221
38, .] ] F 2013.