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Friday, November 21, 2008 - 11.52 GMT |
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AI –
Subjective and Misleading on Sri Lankan IDPs “Intent to present skewed picture
unfavourable to lawfully elected Government”
- official response
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Amnesty International (AI) has failed to
present an objective analysis of the
challenges and successes of the Sri Lankan
Government in addressing the needs of Sri
Lankan persons affected by the conflict. Its
account is littered with misleading innuendo
compounded by outright falsehood and, upon a
holistic reading of their report, it becomes
clear that the intent of the report is to
present a skewed picture unfavourable to the
lawfully elected and popularly mandated
Government of Sri Lanka, states the Ministry
of Disaster Management and Human Rights in
its official response to the AI Report of
November 19, on the conditions of the
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Sri
Lanka.
The statement by the MoDM & HR says: “The
Government is fully cognizant of the need to
monitor distribution to forestall diversion
of food and other humanitarian supplies by
the LTTE for its own uses. It is working
with its international partners to
strengthen these measures. Despite being
aware of the LTTE appropriating some of
these supplies meant for the ordinary people
for years, Sri Lankan Governments have
consistently supplied its people in these
areas with essential goods and services.”
It adds that: “Instead of falsely accusing
the Government of failing in its duty to
protect civilians, it would be much more
productive to put pressure on the LTTE to
release all civilian non-combatants held in
the uncleared areas and to permit them to
seek avenues of safety and security offered
by the Government. AI would better serve the
interests of the civilians that they purport
to espouse, by calling on all relevant
parties to enable these persons to seek
safety.”
It further states that: With regard to
international monitoring that AI stridently
calls for, it appears that the organization
is unaware or is wilfully disregarding the
presence of international personnel who have
accompanied the consignments of food to
uncleared areas. Whilst purveying
photographs of doubtful provenance which
creates the worst possible impression of the
situation AI should take pains to access and
study photographic evidence prepared by WFP
which were widely disseminated last week
showing local and international cooperation
in the transport of food supplies.
Here is the text of
the Statement by the Ministry of Disaster
Management and Human Rights:
The statement by Amnesty International (AI)
issued on Wednesday, 19 November, entitled
“Sri Lankan Government Must Act Now to
Protect 300,000 Displaced” is unfortunately
yet another attempt to distort the factual
situation pertaining to the conditions in
which civilians in the north of Sri Lanka
find themselves at present. Regrettably, AI
has failed to present an objective analysis
of the challenges and successes of the Sri
Lankan Government in addressing the needs of
Sri Lankan persons affected by the conflict.
The AI account is littered with misleading
innuendo compounded by outright falsehood
and, upon a holistic reading of their
report, it becomes clear that the intent of
the report is to present a skewed picture
unfavourable to the lawfully elected and
popularly mandated Government of Sri Lanka.
The statement, in its very title, implies
that there are 300,000 persons displaced in
the Wanni. This exaggerated figure is called
into question by the figure of 230,000
mentioned later in the very same report as
being registered for the receipt of food
assistance. Indeed, the nett figure of
displaced persons (displaced after April
2006) for the Districts of Kilinochchi and
Mullaitivu is jointly estimated by UNCHR and
Government agencies to be 207,000 (estimated
numbers as at end-September announced in
November). The AI statement also implies
that WFP is the only source of food for
persons in areas of the Wanni which are yet
to be cleared of the unlawful presence of
the LTTE (uncleared areas). This is totally
misleading and does not convey the true
picture of the extent and scope of food
assistance sent to the uncleared areas.
The statement only refers to 3 convoys sent
by the WFP which conducts these relief
operations in close coordination with the
Ministry of Nation Building and Estate
Infrastructure Development. Since 02
October, the WFP has sent in 6 convoys into
uncleared areas - the latest being today (21
November). The amount of food sent to the
uncleared areas in a 6 to 7 week period
exceeds 240 truckloads delivering 3,500 MT
under this Emergency Food Delivery Programme.
The AI statement, however, does not mention
relief items sourced by the Government and
delivered directly through the Government
Agents/District Secretaries as special food
relief amounting to over 700MT during this
period, to complement the WFP supplies and
build up buffer stocks. Neither does it
mention the almost daily consignments of
consumer items including food, textiles and
kerosene that are dispatched for sale to
consumers in uncleared areas through
Government retail outlets. These supplies,
over a 28 month period, which are being
consigned by the Commissioner-General for
Essential Services, amount to nearly 11,000
MT delivered by over 8,000 truckloads. The
GA convoy that left Vavuniya today included
106,000 litres of kerosene and 126 MT of
food supplies as a continuation of this
initiative. The AI statement also displays
its acute lack of awareness of realities in
these areas by completely ignoring the
supply of nearly 1,400 MT for the fourth
quarter of 2008, of food supplies to
Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu Districts by the
Ministry of Resettlement and Disaster Relief
Services. These supplies are specifically
targeted at IDPs in a situation of
protracted displacement (i.e. those
displaced before April 2006).
The UN, who were facilitated by the
Government of Sri Lanka to conduct a
multi-agency assessment of needs in
mid-October have noted that the food supply
situation is satisfactory in terms of total
calories supplied. The also concluded that
medical and educational services are being
adequately supplied and serviced by
Government. Indeed the UN noted that despite
relocation of some medical facilities, all
necessary supplies of medicines have been
dispatched by the Medical Supplies Division
of the Ministry of Health, based on the
requirements of regional health authorities.
Supplies for all four quarters of 2008 have
been dispatched based on annual projected
needs by District health authorities.
Furthermore, supplementary supplies
including anti-venom and anti-malaria
medical supplies have been dispatched upon
request. In contrast the AI statements hint
of a dire situation and epidemics which the
UN has found no evidence of. As to the
“acute shortage of safe drinking water” the
UN assessment mission found no such evidence
although it noted improvements were
possible. The Consultative Committee on
Humanitarian Assistance at its 25th Meeting
today (21 November) took a decision to
facilitate the transport of large water
tanks, with the assistance of UNICEF, to be
used primarily in schools for the benefit of
IDPs and schoolchildren.
Another canard repeatedly used by interested
parties with an anti-Government of Sri Lanka
agenda is that there is inadequate shelter.
AI appears to be no exception. Indeed their
curiously worded sentence: “Many families
are living in the open under makeshift
shelters”, is evidence of the illogic and
antipathy of these parties. If persons are
living in shelters – makeshift or otherwise
– how could they possibly be in the “open”?
The AI’s disingenuous approach is typified
by their omission of mentioning that many
IDPs are housed in schools and other
Government buildings. The UN mission did
identify shelter as one area in which
greater attention is needed and the Chair of
the CCHA, the Minister for Disaster
Management and Human Rights, requested the
UN and Government agencies to further
discuss the recommendations in the report
and take all possible steps to address the
concerns including shelter, water and
sanitation. The cavalier dismissal of the
Government’s proposal to transport woven
coconut or palm-fronds (cadjan) for use as
shelter material is also indicative of AI’s
total unfamiliarity with local conditions.
Cadjan has been used by Sri Lankans in every
part of the nation as shelter materials for
centuries. Logistical challenges in
transporting these materials are currently
being discussed by Government and its
international partners. It should also be
noted that these materials could be sourced
locally generating income and supporting
livelihoods, are environmentally friendly
and biodegradable.
With regard to international monitoring that
AI stridently calls for, it appears that the
organization is unaware or is wilfully
disregarding the presence of international
personnel who have accompanied the
consignments of food to uncleared areas.
Whilst purveying photographs of doubtful
provenance which creates the worst possible
impression of the situation AI should take
pains to access and study photographic
evidence prepared by WFP which were widely
disseminated last week showing local and
international cooperation in the transport
of food supplies. The Government is fully
cognizant of the need to monitor
distribution to forestall diversion of food
and other humanitarian supplies by the LTTE
for its own uses. It is working with its
international partners to strengthen these
measures. Despite being aware of the LTTE
appropriating some of these supplies meant
for the ordinary people for years, Sri
Lankan Governments have consistently
supplied its people in these areas with
essential goods and services.
The AI statement does make mention of the
LTTE’s intransigence in allowing the captive
populace of the uncleared areas to leave for
their safety and in the interests of their
own welfare. The Government has prepared a
site in Vavuniya away from the theatre of
armed conflict and is prepared to offer all
Sri Lankan civilians who seek refuge there
the full gamut of services including food,
shelter, sanitation and all other services.
It is the LTTE that is violating the rights
of these innocent civilians by denying them
the freedom of movement and the right to
physical safety and security. This is the
most gross violation of all. Instead of
falsely accusing the Government of failing
in its duty to protect civilians, it would
be much more productive to put pressure on
the LTTE to release all civilian
non-combatants held in the uncleared areas
and to permit them to seek avenues of safety
and security offered by the Government. AI
would better serve the interests of the
civilians that they purport to espouse, by
calling on all relevant parties to enable
these persons to seek safety.
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