Asian Human Rights Commission

(Ed. note: This statement was issued on May 17, 2005.)

The increase in death threats and intimidation of activists and journalists in Sri Lanka is alarming. In particular, there is concern that the situation may degenerate into the terror of the late 1980s.

The law enforcement authorities have lost all semblance of control with extrajudicial killings and death threats being made openly. Two prominent journalists have recently received death threats as have individuals from the Centre of Policy Alternatives. These threats, consisting of nasty letters, were common in Sri Lanka during the late 1980s and were followed by killings, even in broad daylight. The number of disappearances in the South itself during that time is estimated to be about 30,000.

During that period, the prevailing lawlessness was taken advantage of to settle personal grievances as well. A large number of children were killed in the 1980s just because of a family rivalry and pure pettiness with some political pretext as a cover. It is quite likely that the current threatening letters will soon multiply around the country and be used as a cover for many crimes. Life throughout Sri Lanka is becoming extremely dangerous yet again.

One of the groups most attacked today are independent non-governmental organisations (NGOs). These groups are being portrayed as traitors to the motherland, which is the latest justification for extrajudicial killings and other abuses. However, the existence of these independent organisations is essential to the functioning of a democracy and the defence and protection of vulnerable and marginalised groups in society, such as the poor.

There are two major causes for the present instigation of violence. One is the arrival of foreign money for projects responding to December's tsunami. As is usual all over the world, part of this money is channelled through independent NGOs in order to ensure that the money and services reach the recipients as promptly and effectively as possible. In Sri Lanka, however, this decision has caused resentment within the government bureaucracy and certain political parties. While their criticism of these independent groups is that they may swindle the money, in reality, the bureaucrats and politicians, in fact, want control of the funds for political or even personal gain. It is for this reason that a tremendous struggle to wrestle the tsunami funds from these organisations is occurring.

Secondly, Sri Lanka is a country with a long history of caste discrimination and little consideration for the poor. With the poor now becoming more vocal and making claims for themselves, resentment has been generated among the ruling elite. There have been many instances where affluent groups and individuals have attempted to grab the share of goods for the poor, such as when "three posha" (food with three ingredients), designed for malnourished pregnant women, was taken to feed pigs owned by the wealthy. There are also political groups who want to gain influence among the people and want to use these funds for poverty alleviation for their own work.

The uncertain political situation in the country is also an impetus for the current instigation of violence and intimidation. The likelihood of elections in the not-so-distant future is an opportunity to create greater chaos that can be mobilised for various political purposes. Such chaos also makes it possible to engage in voter intimidation and electoral fraud on a larger scale as well as to intimidate and assassinate political opponents. Above all, political participation by ordinary people can be seriously hampered by creating a cycle of fear.

Ultimately, however, the root cause for the persistence of this violence and its possible degeneration is the ineffectiveness of law enforcement agencies, which the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has consistently pointed out. By this ineffectiveness, the agencies play a passive role in the prevention of grave human rights abuses. In Sri Lanka, as elsewhere, the connivance of the police, either directly or by their passivity, is what leads to the escalation of violence. Despite constant calls for improved law enforcement through better investigations and facilities, the situation continues to worsen. There is no way out of this situation but to pressure the Sri Lankan police to perform its duties competently and without corruption.

We thus urge the Sri Lankan government, the opposition parties and the public to intervene forcefully to push the law enforcement agencies to perform their basic tasks properly. A thorough investigation into the police's law enforcement performance is essential. To avoid this issue may mean not only a large-scale loss of life but a return of society to a more primitive state. Sri Lanka's prospect of being caught up in another brutal cycle of violence is now very real. If action is not taken immediately, there may hardly be time to reverse this process. We urge the international community to take note of this situation and to encourage and assist Sri Lankans to address it.