Six
non-governmental organisations urged the new Foreign Minister of
Japan Katsuya Okada to address human rights issues in Sri Lanka. Japan
is Sri Lanka's largest donor, and their letter on 22 October called on
the minister to "take strong action" to end illegal detention in the
country.
Six
non-governmental organisations urged the new Foreign Minister of
Japan Katsuya Okada to address human rights issues in Sri Lanka. Japan
is Sri Lanka's largest donor, and their letter on 22 October called on
the minister to "take strong action" to end illegal detention in the
country.

We write to you on the occasion of your inauguration as foreign
minister of Japan to encourage you to make the promotion and protection
of human rights a central priority in Japan's relations with Sri Lanka.
In particular, there is an urgent need to address the plight of
approximately 250,000 displaced civilians detained in camps by the Sri
Lankan government, and establish an independent international
investigation into serious violations of international humanitarian law
during the recent conflict.

Japan has long been a good friend of Sri Lanka. It has demonstrated its
concern about the economic advancement and well-being of Sri Lanka's
citizens by acting as co-chair of the peace process and by being the
largest donor to Sri Lanka.

The end of the quarter-century long armed conflict with the
separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) creates new
opportunities for Sri Lanka to ensure a rights-respecting society. But
since the defeat of the LTTE in May, the Sri Lankan government has made
little effort to improve the human rights situation or to reach out to
the minority Tamil population, undermining efforts by Japan and the
international community to facilitate development and reconciliation,
which are necessary for a future peaceful Sri Lanka.

The government has illegally confined approximately a quarter of a
million vulnerable Tamil civilians in overcrowded, sewage-infested
camps, with the government denying them their right to freedom of
movement and allowing no independent protection mechanisms. With the
monsoon season fast approaching, the health and welfare of these
civilians is increasingly at risk. In addition, five months after what
the head of the United Nation's humanitarian agency described as a
"bloodbath" in northern Sri Lanka, there has been no government
investigation or accountability for the widespread violations of
international humanitarian law committed by government forces and the
LTTE.

Japan's generous aid to Sri Lanka not only improves the lives of its
beneficiaries, it also provides Japan with unique opportunities to draw
the Sri Lankan government's attention to mistaken and counterproductive
policies. Sri Lanka listens to Japan. To date, however, while other
major donors and friends of Sri Lanka have expressed their concerns in
public, Japan has not spoken out against the illegal detention of a
quarter of a million civilians, nor has Japan called for accountability
for serious violations of international humanitarian law by the
government and the LTTE.
It is the time for Japan's new administration to break the silence
and to make use of its unique relationship with Sri Lanka to uphold the
basic rights of all Sri Lankans.

We urge Japan to take strong action so that the Sri Lankan
government will end the illegal detention of civilians. We also call
upon Japan to insist on justice and accountability for serious
violations of international humanitarian law by both sides and to press
for the speedy establishment of an independent international
investigation.

For the complete statement, please click here (IMADR website).