by Melani Manel Perera

Led by the bishop of Mannar, some 133 members of the clergy want the United Nations Human Rights Council to implement the UN war crimes resolution. The group also calls for the demilitarisation of the country's north-eastern region and a stop to government authoritarianism.

Colombo (AsiaNews) - Mgr Rayappu Joseph, bishop of Mannar, and 133 Tamil Christian religious wrote a letter with a list of demands for the United Nation Human Rights Council (UNHRC). They include repatriation of the last civil war refugees, the demilitarisation of north-eastern Sri Lanka and a probe into summary executions and the forced disappearance of people during and after the conflict.

Set to meet next week in Geneva, the UNHRC will discuss, among other things, a United Nations resolution on alleged war crimes committed by the Sri Lankan military and Tamil Tiger rebels during the country's civil.

At present, some 52 camps are still in operation in the Jaffna area and northern Sri Lanka. Security forces are occupying land that could be used to resettle Internally Displaced People and allow them to start their life anew.

Bishop Joseph and the religious who signed the letter are from the predominantly Tamil area, the most affected by the civil war. They want the UNHRC to use last year's UN resolution to check government action.

In the letter, the signatories voice deep concern for rising authoritarianism in the country, as exemplified by unmotivated attacks and threats against peace operators, students, journalists, trade unionists and priests who criticise the government.

 

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