London, 13 May 2009
The Equal Rights Trust has today joined 129 other NGOs from around the world in calling upon the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to hold a Special Session on the current human rights catastrophe in Sri Lanka, as a matter of urgent concern.
If a lasting peace is to be achieved in Sri Lanka, it must be based on principles of justice and human rights for all. The Equal Rights Trust’s Declaration of Principles on Equality is a valuable benchmark which can be utilised to arrest the alarming trend of discrimination in Sri Lanka, and create the space for a more democratic, safe and equal society. The unified approach to equality adopted by the Declaration, together with its comprehensive definition of the notion of discrimination and the link it draws between discrimination and violence, provides a model which transcends the limitations of traditional concepts of equality, and offers greater protection for all vulnerable and discriminated persons.
The progressive jurisprudence of the Sri Lankan Supreme Court has in the past fostered such a holistic approach to equality. Legislative change which mirrors the Declaration and such jurisprudence would be a crucial first step towards rectifying past wrongs.
Executive Director of The Equal Rights Trust, Dimitrina Petrova said:
“As our letter makes clear, the current escalation of the human rights abuses and discrimination in Sri Lanka continues a long-established trend of discrimination, violence and arbitrary detention in the country which must be urgently addressed.
“As the Government cracks down on dissent, it discriminates against progressively larger sections of society in the country, targeting aid workers, journalists and human rights defenders as well as the Tamil minority.
“It is vital that this trend is arrested immediately. The Equal Rights Trust believes that a lasting peace in Sri Lanka can only be based on the recognition of equal human rights for all, irrespective of identity.
“Our Declaration of Principles on Equality – drafted and launched by over 120 human rights experts and signed by many more organisations and individuals from around the world - seeks to move the international debate about equality and human rights beyond identity, and to guarantee equal treatment for all.
“We believe that this approach signals the best route to peace for countries such as Sri Lanka.”
NOTES:
• The joint letter was addressed to the President of the UN Human Rights Council and was co-signed by 130 NGOs. For the full text of the joint appeal, click here.
• An estimated 6,400 civilians have been killed and over 200,000 have been displaced this year alone, as a direct result of the ongoing fighting between Sri Lankan Government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
• There is increasing evidence that the Government crackdown on dissent has resulted in discrimination against progressively larger sections of the Sri Lankan public, including aid workers, human rights activists, lawyers and religious leaders as well as members of the Tamil minority.
• For more information on the work of The Equal Rights Trust and the Declaration of Principles on Equality, and to sign the Declaration, visit: www.equalrightstrust.org.
