Sri Lanka: Helping those who need it most

26-02-2014 Interview

During a recent visit to Sri Lanka, Anthony Dalziel, the I ! "s hea# o$ o%erations $or South Asia, &et govern&ent o$$icials an# #iscusse# what coul# 'e #one to hel% %eo%le a$$ecte# 'y the conse(uences o$ the %ast con$lict) *he con$lict in Sri Lanka en#e# in 200+) ,ow relevant is the I ! "s work in the country now,aving worke# in Sri Lanka #uring its %ast con$lict, I was intereste# to see $or &ysel$, an# to #iscuss with the country"s lea#ershi% what we coul# #o to hel% %eo%le in a &eaning$ul way) I was receive# 'y .r /ota'aya !a0a%akse, the De$ence Secretary, .r Lalith 1eeratunga, the 2er&anent Secretary to the 2resi#ent, an# 'y other govern&ent o$$icials, all o$ who& highlighte# the i&%ortance o$ hel%ing %eo%le a$$ecte# 'y the %ast con$lict an# welco&e# the e$$orts o$ the I ! ) I also ha# the chance to travel to the north o$ the country to &eet with $e&ale hea#s o$ househol#, %eo%le with #isa'ilities an# others who& we hel%e# in 2013, o$ten in %artnershi% with the Sri Lanka !e# ross) *he I ! has 'een working in Sri Lanka since the 1++0s an# has always a#a%te# its work to &eet evolving nee#s) !ecent #evelo%&ent e$$orts an# the re'uil#ing o$ in$rastructure have enhance# the lives o$ %eo%le %reviously a$$ecte# 'y $ighting an# lack o$ security) 4evertheless, there are still i&%ortant hu&anitarian nee#s ste&&ing $ro& the %ast con$lict an# the authorities have acce%te# the I ! "s involve&ent in e$$orts to a##ress the&) In %articular, we are visiting #etainees an# working on issues relating to %eo%le who went &issing #uring the con$lict)

How can the ICRC help people whose relatives have gone missing?
*he I ! has 'een working on issues linke# to %eo%le &issing as a result o$ the con$lict since its early #ays in Sri Lanka) 5or &ore than 20 years, we have 'een receiving in$or&ation $ro& $a&ilies a'out relatives who went &issing, inclu#ing &ilitary %ersonnel &issing in action) All in all, we have recor#s o$ &ore than 16,000 &issing %ersons) 6ne o$ the reco&&en#ations o$ the o&&ission o$ In(uiry on Lessons Learnt an# !econciliation 7LL! 8 is to trace the wherea'outs o$ &issing %ersons an# reunite the& with their $a&ilies) *he co&&ission urges law en$orce&ent authorities to &ake every e$$ort to achieve these ai&s in coo%eration with relevant agencies such as the I ! ) *he Sri Lankan govern&ent recently agree# to our %ro%osal to assess the nee#s o$ the $a&ilies o$ &issing %eo%le) *his assess&ent will &ake it %ossi'le to recon$ir& e9isting cases or close cases that have 'een resolve#) 6n the 'asis o$ this review, the I ! will %ro%ose ways o$ &eeting the $a&ilies" econo&ic, %sycho-social, legal or a#&inistrative nee#s) Action &ay then 'e taken to co&%le&ent e9isting initiatives, in close coor#ination with govern&ent agencies,

the local a#&inistration an# other organizations) Who are the detainees you are visiting? *hroughout the worl#, the I ! visits %eo%le hel# in connection with ar&e# con$lict or other situations o$ violence) In Sri Lanka, the I ! has 'een visiting %eo%le #etaine# as a result o$ %ast con$licts since 1+:+) urrently, with the agree&ent o$ the Sri Lankan govern&ent, the I ! is visiting %eo%le hel# in %laces o$ #etention un#er the res%onsi'ility o$ the .inistry o$ !eha'ilitation an# 2rison !e$or&, the *errorist Investigation Division, or the ri&inal Investigation Division, an# in %olice stations) During these visits, our #elegates assess con#itions o$ #etention an# the treat&ent o$ all #etainees, share their o'servations with the #etaining authorities, %ro%ose solutions to any %ro'le&s an# %rovi#e #irect assistance to #etainees when necessary) 5or e9a&%le, #uring the %ast year, &ore than 10,000 #etainees receive# hygiene an# recreational ite&s, an# &ore than 2,200 'ene$ite# $ro& re%air work an# other in$rastructure su%%ort in Anura#ha%ura, ;atticaloa an# 4ew .agazine %risons an# the ;oossa #etention centre) *he I ! arranges $or $a&ilies to visit relatives #etaine# in connection with %ast con$licts an# %rovi#es the& with a travel allowance) In the %ast year, as &any as a thousan# #etainees receive# visits $ro& $a&ily &e&'ers every si9 weeks)

You mentioned households headed by women, and people with disabilities. Why are you focusing on them?
*hese %eo%le are a&ong those who &ost nee# hel% resu&ing their #ay-to-#ay lives) *he con$lict su##enly $orce# $e&ale hea#s o$ househol# an# #isa'le# %eo%le to $en# $or the&selves or even su%%ort entire $a&ilies) *hey ha# to $in# a way o$ earning a living without necessarily having the skills or e9%erience) 6ver the %ast year, o$ten in %artnershi% with the Sri Lanka !e# ross, we have 'een ena'ling the& to start inco&e-generating activities an# hel%ing the& to #evelo% a%%ro%riate skills) During &y tri%, I ha# the chance to visit several o$ the %eo%le receiving this kin# o$ hel% an# was always i&%resse# 'y the %ri#e an# in#ustrious nature o$ everyone I &et < whether they were s&all $ar&ers, 'ar'ers, car%enters, electricians or s&all sho%kee%ers) All o$ the& were keen to %rovi#e $or their $a&ilies an# succee# in their new 'usiness ventures)

What can you tell us about the ICRC s position on alleged violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law during the conflict?
*he I ! , as a neutral an# i&%artial hu&anitarian organization, takes no %art in international in(uiries into %ast con$licts) It worke# in the east an# north o$ Sri Lanka throughout the #i$$erent %hases o$ the con$lict there) At the ti&e, we en#eavoure# to &aintain #ialogue with all si#es an# &a#e our %osition clear with regar# to the con#uct o$ hostilities, an# with regar# to the o'ligation o$ all %arties to %rotect civilians an# a##ress hu&anitarian nee#s) 6n a nu&'er o$ occasions, the I ! re&in#e# all si#es o$ their o'ligation to investigate violations o$ international hu&anitarian law an# take a%%ro%riate action)

urrently, the I ! is $ocusing on &eeting the e9isting nee#s o$ %articularly #isa#vantage# %eo%le) 1e welco&e all reconciliation an# reconstruction e$$orts that ai& to hel% %eo%le resu&e nor&al, #igni$ie# lives) In 2013, the I ! su%%orte# &ore than 1,=00 %atients with #isa'ilities 'y &aking availa'le to the >a$$na >ai%ur entre $or Disa'ility !eha'ilitation the raw &aterials an# technical e9%ertise nee#e# to %ro#uce %rostheses an# other &o'ility #evices? covere# the costs o$ reha'ilitation $or @0 econo&ically vulnera'le #isa'le# %eo%le at 4ava0eevana ortho%ae#ic centre in *angalle? &onitore# +60 %eo%le hel# in #etention $acilities an# reha'ilitation centres un#er the res%onsi'ility o$ the .inistry o$ !eha'ilitation an# 2rison !e$or&, the *errorist Investigation Division, or the ri&inal Investigation Division, an# in %olice stations? %rovi#e# hygiene an# recreation ite&s $or &ore than 10,000 #etainees an# $or&er L**A $ighters release# a$ter the #e&o'ilization an# reha'ilitation %rocess? su%%orte# re%air work an# other in$rastructure su%%ort in the Anura#ha%ura, ;atticaloa an# 4ew .agazine %risons an# the ;oossa #etention centre, 'ene$iting over 2,200 #etainees? together with the Sri Lanka !e# ross, %rovi#e# cash grants to 6=0 househol#s in the .ullaitivu #istrict hea#e# 'y wo&en or %eo%le with #isa'ilities, hel%ing the& earn a living? %rovi#e# cash grants to 1=2 $or&er L**A $ighters who returne# ho&e $ro& reha'ilitation centres, to hel% the& return to society an# earn a living? worke# with the Sri Lanka !e# ross to %rovi#e sa$e #rinking water an# 'etter sanitary $acilities $or nearly 13,000 %eo%le, inclu#ing schoolchil#ren, in the ;atticaloa, 2olonaruwa an# .ullaitivu #istricts, 'y #igging wells, installing water tanks an# toilets an# con#ucting hygiene-awareness an# well cleaning ca&%aigns? traine# over =00 &e&'ers o$ the security $orces an# 2,21= %ersonnel set to 'e #e%loye# on %eace-su%%ort &issions in international hu&anitarian law? su%%orte# the e$$orts o$ the Sri Lanka 2olice to inclu#e stan#ar#s on the use o$ $orce in their training through worksho%s, 'rie$ings an# train-the-trainers courses? %rovi#e# training $or Sri Lankan 0u#icial &e#ical o$$icers an# other $orensic e9%erts)