Human rights violations are on the increase and humanitarian rules have been violated in Sri Lanka. The situation is worsening in recent times.

This is not an accusation made against the government from within Sri Lanka. This is an accusation made by an international expert panel from outside Sri Lanka. This group has appealed to the UNHCR to take these violations into consideration and to take appropriate action against the Lankan government.

The legal expert panel is confident that UNHCR can restrain human rights violations and breaches of humanitarian laws in Sri Lanka. They have also pointed out that a distinction must be drawn between attacks on civilians and military targets.

They have explained that it is due to the absence of such distinction that civilians are unnecessarily killed during attacks on military. This panel has pointed out that killings of civilians, torture of civilians, forcible displacement of people and recruitment of child soldiers are some of the violations of human rights in Sri Lanka.

Although there is a human rights commission in Sri Lankan, it has no powers to punish people who violate human rights. The offenders can be punished only by instituting legal actions against them in a court of law. But most of the offenders quite easily escaped punishment.

In many countries that respect human rights, there are special courts of law to deal with violations of human rights. In countries where there are no such arrangements for special courts or tribunals to try violations of human rights, human rights commissions are empowered to do so. But in Sri Lanka the respect for human rights and efforts to preserve human rights are not meaningful.

Recently, President Rajapakse appointed a commission of inquiry into human rights violations. He also suggested appointing experts from foreign countries to the commission. The panel committee observes that human rights are violated in Sri Lanka even after the appointments of such committees. This only raises doubt regarding the commitment by the Lankan government to the observance of human rights.

An English translation of the Editorial in Uthayan, a Tamil daily, based in Jaffna

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