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$ecent notice : t!is ti%e issued / t!e 6inist$ o& ;inance
and lannin" :!as e%!asi)ed t!at all +Os s!ould "et its a$o#al
/e&o$e$ecei#in" &o$ei"n &unds
T!is isn7t t!e 8$st ti%e t!at t!e '$i Lan(an "o#e$n%ent !as
c$ac(ed do.non +Os In 6a 200< : $i"!t /e&o$e t!e ci#il .a$
ended : Raaa(sac$eated t!e$esidential Tas( ;o$ce&o$
Resettle%ent, De#elo%ent, and
'ecu$it in t!e +o$t!e$n $o#ince *T; A !isto$icall Ta%il a$ea,
t!e+o$t!e$n $o#ince .as t!e site o& t!e %ost intense 8"!tin"
du$in" t!et.ent-si3-ea$ ci#il .a$ /et.een t!e '$i Lan(an "o#e$n%ent
&o$ces and t!esea$atist Li/e$ation Ti"e$s o& Ta%il Eela%
*LTTE In $actice, t!e T; .ase%o.e$ed to %onito$, uestion, and
inte$#ene in t!e acti#ities o& an +O.o$(in" in t!e no$t!,
includin" U+ A"encies
$oects .!ic! &ocused on =!a$d.a$e> and
in&$ast$uctu$e-$elatedinte$#entions o$ t!e di$ect $o#ision
o& /asic se$#ices consistentl $ecei#eda$o#al &$o% t!e T;
?o.e#e$, ot!e$ #ital initiati#es : includin" t!ose
e$tainin" to sc!osocial ca$e, "o#e$nance, !u%an $i"!ts,
$esea$c!, andad#ocac : .e$e $a$el a$o#ed @!ile T; a$o#al and
$eo$tin"$eui$e%ents si%li8ed in $ecent ea$s, t!e still $e$esented
aconside$a/le /u$eauc$atic /u$den on t!e al$ead $est$icted ti%e
and$esou$ces o& de#elo%ent o$"ani)ations
@!at7s %o$e, i%le%entin" a $oect *o$ acti#ities in t!e no$t!
.it!out t!eT;7s sta% o& a$o#al al.as ca%e .it! t!e $is( o&
"o#e$n%entinti%idation, o9ce #isits, t!$eats, !ei"!tened
su$#eillance, o$ .o$se T!est$on" %ilita$ $esence t!$ou"!out t!e
no$t! cont$i/utes to t!ese
c!allen"es
T!e "o#e$n%ent $ecentl announced t!at t!e T; !as /een a/olis!ed,
anda ne. Bu$eau o& Reconciliation .ill /e c$eated to 8ll t!e
#oid T!e eects o&t!is %o#e $e%ain to /e seen, !o.e#e$, t!e
%ilita$7s consistent &o$a intoci#ilian aai$s : includin"
de#elo%ent .o$( : is /ound to continue
'$i Lan(a continues to $ecei#e inte$national c$iticis% $e"a$din"
.a$c$i%esalle"ations, .!ic! t!e $e"i%e $e&uses to add$ess
adeuatel And it!as lon" /een susected t!at t!e T; itsel& .as
desi"ned to $e#ent an
in&o$%ation a/out t!ose sensiti#e issues : includin"
e3t$audicial (illin"sand t!e sste%atic s!ellin" o& !ositals :
&$o% /ein" t$ans%itted /eondt!e count$7s /o$de$s I& t!e '$i
Lan(an "o#e$n%ent .ields a ti"!t "$i onde#elo%ent inte$#entions and
t!ei$ i%le%entin" o$"ani)ations :eseciall %atte$s e$tainin" to
!u%an $i"!ts and sc!osocial ca$e in t!ea$ea .!e$e t!e 8"!tin" .as
at its %ost intense : t!en tal(in" a/out .!atactuall !aened du$in"
t!e end o& t!e .a$ .ould /e e3t$e%el di9cultand e#en
dan"e$ous
http://www.dailymirror.lk/news/50038-no-foreign-funds-without-approval-ministry.htmlhttp://reliefweb.int/report/sri-lanka/sri-lanka-president-appoints-new-task-force-rebuild-northhttp://www.sundaytimes.lk/140720/news/task-force-abolished-new-bureau-for-reconciliation-107788.htmlhttp://www.un.org/News/dh/infocus/Sri_Lanka/POE_Report_Full.pdfhttp://www.un.org/News/dh/infocus/Sri_Lanka/POE_Report_Full.pdfhttp://www.dailymirror.lk/news/50038-no-foreign-funds-without-approval-ministry.htmlhttp://reliefweb.int/report/sri-lanka/sri-lanka-president-appoints-new-task-force-rebuild-northhttp://www.sundaytimes.lk/140720/news/task-force-abolished-new-bureau-for-reconciliation-107788.htmlhttp://www.un.org/News/dh/infocus/Sri_Lanka/POE_Report_Full.pdfhttp://www.un.org/News/dh/infocus/Sri_Lanka/POE_Report_Full.pdf
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An =+O /ill> o$ t!e ossi/ilit o& %o$e $est$ictions
&o$ +Os !as/eendiscussed&o$ so%e ti%e, and %an '$i Lan(a
.atc!e$s !a#e e3ectedinc$eased sc$utin on t!is &$ont T!e
"o#e$n%ent7s int$usi#e su$#eillance o&+Os .on7t /e "oin" a.a an
ti%e soon
T!e U+ O9ce o& t!e ?i"! o%%issione$ &o$ ?u%an
Ri"!ts*O??Rin#esti"ationinto alle"ed .a$ c$i%es : a (e co%onent
o& t!e%ost $ecent U+ ?u%an Ri"!ts ouncil $esolution on '$i
Lan(a : !as li(el%ade a a$anoid $e"i%e e#en %o$e s(ittis! Ri"!t
no., t!e "o#e$n%ent o&'$i Lan(a is t$in" to c$eate as
inti%idatin" an en#i$on%ent as ossi/leCostensi/l to discou$a"e
co%%unit %e%/e$s and ci#il societo$"ani)ations &$o% $o#idin"
t!e in#esti"ation tea% .it! an in&o$%ationt!at %i"!t
inc$i%inate t!e "o#e$n%ent
One can e3ect t!e '$i Lan(an "o#e$n%ent to %aintain intense
$essu$e on
+Os &o$ t!e &o$eseea/le &utu$e, at least until 6a$c!
2015 : .!en a $eo$t$e"a$din" .a$ c$i%es in '$i Lan(a is o9ciall
$esented at t!e 2t! sessiono& t!e U+ ?u%an Ri"!ts ouncilin
ene#a
T!e s!$in(in" sace &o$ +Os can /e #ie.ed as a %ic$ocos%
o& /$oade$t$ends on t!e island eoles7 &$eedo% o&
%o#e%ent and &$eedo% o&association a$e consistentl
cu$tailed, eseciall in t!e no$t! A $est$icti#e%edia
en#i$on%entillust$ates t!e &act t!at t!e &$eedo% o&
e3$ession isli%ited T!e "o#e$n%ent7s un.illin"ness to $o%ote !u%an
$i"!ts,$econciliation, o$ accounta/ilit !as %ade a co%le3 ost-.a$
en#i$on%ent
e#en %o$e unsustaina/le And continued *and unnecessa$
%ilita$i)ation!as onl %ade t!in"s .o$se T!e $e"i%e7s $ecent
c$ac(do.n on +Os isanot!e$ e3a%le o& t!e "o#e$n%ent7s
$elentless eo$t to &u$t!e$ cent$ali)eo.e$ and stie dissent ;$o%
initiati#es e$tainin" to li#eli!ood, education,!ealt!, ad#ocac, and
%o$e, t!e #oid t!at %an +Os 8ll in '$i Lan(a isi$$elacea/le But in
o$de$ &o$ t!ese "$ous to /e &ull eecti#e, t!e needto /e
"i#en sace to do t!ei$ .o$(
I%le%entin" !u%an $i"!ts and !u%anita$ian $oects in '$i Lan(a
.asal$ead tou"! +onet!eless, &o$ de#elo%ent $actitione$s and
!u%an
$i"!ts acti#ists .o$(in" on t!e island, t!in"s !a#e /eco%e e#en
%o$edi9cult Un&o$tunatel, t!ese $ecent %o#es a$e ust one a$t
o& .ide-$an"in" conce$ns t!at a$e unli(el to /e allaed anti%e
soon
Taylor Dibbert is an international consultant based in
Washington, D.C. andthe author of the book Fiesta of Sunset: The
Peace Corps, Guateala and aSearch for Truth. Follo! hi on T!itter
"taylordibbert.
http://www.loc.gov/lawweb/servlet/lloc_news?disp3_l205403953_texthttp://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=14772&http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/Pages/AboutCouncil.aspxhttp://lankanewsweb.net/news/6514-rsf-releases-2014-press-freedom-index-sri-lanka-on-165-out-of-180http://lankanewsweb.net/news/6514-rsf-releases-2014-press-freedom-index-sri-lanka-on-165-out-of-180http://www.amazon.com/Fiesta-Sunset-Peace-Guatemala-Search/dp/1450272223http://www.amazon.com/Fiesta-Sunset-Peace-Guatemala-Search/dp/1450272223https://twitter.com/taylordibberthttp://www.loc.gov/lawweb/servlet/lloc_news?disp3_l205403953_texthttp://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=14772&http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/Pages/AboutCouncil.aspxhttp://lankanewsweb.net/news/6514-rsf-releases-2014-press-freedom-index-sri-lanka-on-165-out-of-180http://lankanewsweb.net/news/6514-rsf-releases-2014-press-freedom-index-sri-lanka-on-165-out-of-180http://www.amazon.com/Fiesta-Sunset-Peace-Guatemala-Search/dp/1450272223http://www.amazon.com/Fiesta-Sunset-Peace-Guatemala-Search/dp/1450272223https://twitter.com/taylordibbert
