Tag Archives: Sri Lanka

Commission Calls for Consistent Australian Position on Human Rights

Monday 22 November 2010

Brisbane’s Catholic Justice and Peace Commission has urged the Prime Minister to adopt a consistent approach to promoting human rights and democracy in the Asia/Pacific region.

The Commission’s call comes in response to Prime Minister Gillard’s comments on the release of Burmese political leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.

The Commission’s Executive Officer, Peter Arndt, said that Australia should seek to apply the same human rights standards to all its neighbours including Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

“The Prime Minister welcomed the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, but called on Burma’s authorities to release other political prisoners and work towards free and fair elections and political reconciliation,” Mr Arndt said.

“We support those calls as they are consistent with a respect for the human rights of the people of Burma,” he said.

“However, we are concerned that Australia is not as strong an advocate of these values when it comes to other countries in the region,” he said.

“Why isn’t the Prime Minister publicly calling on Indonesia to release people in West Papua who have been jailed for flying flags and peacefully protesting?” he said.

“Why is there no decisive intervention to put an end to the brutal repression of Papuans who are not happy with the way they have been treated since Indonesia took control of the province in the 1960s?” he said.

“It seems to us that the Australian Government is equally reluctant to challenge the Sri Lankan Government’s treatment of the Tamil minority and its political opponents,” he said.

“There are long-standing concerns, both from inside and outside Sri Lanka, about the Government’s level of respect for human rights and democracy, but Australia seems more concerned with maintaining the on-going cooperation of the Sri Lankan Government in relation to stopping boat people coming to Australia,” he said.

“The legitimate concerns of indigenous West Papuans and Tamils should not be ignored if we are genuinely committed to human rights,” he said.

“People who are locked up or mistreated because of their political views in Sri Lanka or West Papua deserve the same strong advocacy as is being given to Aung San Suu Kyi and the Burmese people,” he said.

“At the same time, we should always be looking at our own human rights record and seek to address those issues where we have failed to respect the dignity of vulnerable people in our own land,” he said.

Mr Arndt said the Commission would continue to speak to the Government and local MPs and Senators about the human rights situation in Sri Lanka, West Papua and in our region.

For further information, please contact Peter Arndt on (07) 3336 9173 or 0409 265 476.

NB This release is issued with the approval of the Commission or its Executive under the provision of its Mandate which enables it to speak in its own right. The views expressed in it do not necessarily represent the views of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

World Refugee Week 2010

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World Refugee Week 2010 k theme was Freedom from Fear. The Refugee Council of Australia produced a series of resources for the Week including a poster, facts and figures about refugees, an event planning guide and teacher materials.

Fr Pan Jordan op and Sr Wendy Flannery rsm at World Refugee Rally , Brisbane June 20 2010

Among the more than 200 people who gathered in Reddacliff Square, Brisbane on World Refugee Day, June 20, were representatives from parishes, religious communities and the Brisbane Catholic Justice and Peace Commission.

Fr Pan Jordan OP was one of the speakers and spoke of the plight of Tamil refugees.Fr Jordan quoted the report from the International Crisis Group which has gathered evidence of the ongoing human rights abuses among Tamils. He also called on the Federal Government to lift the suspension of processing of refugee claims by people from Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.

In a recent statement the Brisbane Catholic Justice and Peace Commission noted that many significant international organisations and some major Sri Lankan bodies such as the Superiors of Major Religious Congregations have expressed serious concerns about the Sri Lankan Government’s lack of commitment to the rule of law, democracy, proper governance, human rights and freedom of the media.They also have doubts about the Sri Lankan Government’s commitment to political reconciliation which will see minorities such as the Tamils freed from discrimination and oppression.

Commission Calls on Australia to Back Sri Lankan War Crimes Report

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Monday 24 May 2010

Brisbane’s Catholic Justice and Peace Commission has called on the Australian Government to support the recommendations of the International Crisis Group’s (ICG) report on possible war crimes in the last year of the Sri Lankan civil war which ended a year ago.

The ICG report says there is compelling evidence to suggest the Sri Lankan military intentionally shelled civilians, hospitals and humanitarian operations and that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) intentionally shot civilians and caused them suffering.

It says that it has collected a compelling case to warrant an international inquiry into possible war crimes on both sides of the conflict.

The ICG has put together its report with the help of eyewitness reports, photographs, videos, satellite images, electronic communications and documentary evidence.

Apart from calling on the United Nations to undertake an international inquiry into possible war crimes during the last year of the conflict, the report makes recommendations for action to a number of countries including Australia.

Among these recommendations, the report calls for targeted sanctions such as the imposition of travel restrictions on Sri Lankan officials and their families.

The Justice and Peace Commission’s Executive Officer, Peter Arndt, said that the ICG report criticizes countries like Australia for turning a blind eye to the evidence of human rights violations during the conflict.

“It is important that those responsible for human rights violations be held accountable for their actions,” Mr Arndt said.

“Many governments like the Australian Government want to forget all about the dreadful things which were done both by the Sri Lankan military and the Tamil Tigers, but this is a grave injustice to the thousands of Tamil civilians who were killed and maimed in the conflict,” he said.

“There is no hope for political reconciliation and peace in Sri Lanka if those responsible for these injustices are not held accountable for them,” he said.

“Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II often said there is ‘no peace without justice’,” he said.

“In a petition with over two thousand signatures which we submitted to the Senate last year, we called for a credible investigation into human rights violations in Sri Lanka and we continue to urge the Australian Government to support this,” he said.

”If we believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we must believe that the lives of the individual Tamil civilians who suffered at the hands of the Sri Lankan military and the Tamil Tigers mean something,” he said.

“They are the mothers and fathers and sons and daughters of human beings just like us and they deserve justice,” he said.

“We hope Catholics will read the ICG report and tell their local MP that they want Australia to take strong action for the sake of all those who have suffered in Sri Lanka,” he said.

For further information, please contact Peter Arndt on (07) 3336 9173 or 0409 265 476.

NB:This release is issued with the approval of the Commission or its Executive under the provision of its Mandate which enables it to speak in its own right. The views expressed in it do not necessarily represent the views of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

Commission Criticises Asylum Seeker Decision

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Brisbane’s Catholic Justice and Peace Commission has expressed its concerns about the Federal Government’s decision to suspend processing of protection claims from Sri Lankan and Afghani asylum seekers.

The Commission’s Executive Officer, Peter Arndt, said that the decision shows no respect or compassion for Sri Lankan and Afghani asylum seekers.

“This blanket suspension of processing claims from Sri Lankans and Afghanis does not treat people as human beings with personal stories and experiences but as bureaucratic categories devoid of any human dignity,” Mr Arndt said.

“Our fundamental concern in relation to the refugee policies of both the Government and the Opposition is whether they prioritise the dignity of individual human beings who seek asylum,” he said.

“We are concerned to see that compassion and respect for human dignity underpin their policies and decisions,” he said.

“For us, these ‘strangers’ who come to our shores seeking protection must be treated in the same way as we would treat Jesus himself if he arrived in a boat,” he said.

“Jesus told us that we must welcome strangers and, when we do so, we are welcoming him,” he said.

“These asylum seekers challenge us to be signs of God’s love in the midst of much fear and mean-spirited attitudes,” he said.

“The Government’s decision, besides being heartless and inhuman, simply makes no sense,” he said.

“It is unbelievable that the Government needs time to assess what it says are changing circumstances in Sri Lanka and Afghanistan,” he said.

“It is the job of Foreign Affairs staff in Canberra and embassy staff in these countries to keep abreast of developments in those countries and to keep the Government informed,” he said.

“There should be no need for us to wait for three to six months to conduct an assessment which should be available to the Government and constantly updated as a matter of course,” he said.

“In fact, the Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr Smith, made a statement to Parliament about conditions in Sri Lanka only a couple of weeks ago,” he said.

“We do not need to wait for months for a re-assessment when he has detailed a long list of human rights concerns in Sri Lanka which the Australian Government is monitoring,” he said.

“It is incredible that the Government thinks things have improved in Sri Lanka when there are on-going reports of human rights abuses including ones which suggest that journalists and newspaper editors were arrested or intimidated during this month’s Parliamentary elections,” he said.

“It is just as extraordinary to hear that the Government thinks things may be better in Afghanistan when fighting is still going on there,” he said.

“The Opposition’s policies are just as concerning because they want harsher, tougher and more inhuman treatment of asylum seekers,” he said.

“We, once again, urge Christians to adopt attitudes to asylum seekers which show the same love and generous compassion which Christ showed,” he said.

For further information, please contact Peter Arndt on (07) 3336 9173 or 0409 265 476.

NB This release is issued with the approval of the Commission or its Executive under the provision of its Mandate which enables it to speak in its own right when required. The views expressed in it do not necessarily represent the views of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

Australia Should Challenge Sri Lankan Human Rights Record

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Justice in Sri Lanka Support Brisbane Australia

Monday 1 March 2010

Brisbane’s Catholic Justice and Peace Commission urged the Federal Government to take a stronger position on human rights violations in Sri Lanka in the wake of the European Union’s announcement of its plan to withdraw preferential trade benefits to the South Asian country in six months unless human rights concerns are addressed.

Sri Lanka benefits from trade concessions in the EU’s Generalised System of Preferences Plus (GSP+), an incentive scheme tied to the improvement of human rights and good governance. The scheme provides tariff cuts to support vulnerable developing countries.

The European Union has repeatedly warned Sri Lanka that it must meet 27 international human rights conventions to retain its GSP Plus status.

Sri Lanka’s textile and clothing industry earned $3.47 billion in export income from the European Union in 2008. Suspension of the tariff benefit foreshadowed by the February 16 announcement by the European Union could seriously affect the industry.

The Justice and Peace Commission’s Executive officer, Peter Arndt, said that the Australian Government should add its voice to those of many other Western nations who have expressed serious concerns about the treatment of Tamils during and since the final stages of the conflict between the Sri Lankan military and the Tamil Tigers last year.

“The treatment of Tamil civilians by both the Tigers and the military during the final stages of the conflict last year was appalling,” Mr Arndt said.

“Tamil civilians were killed and injured in great numbers by actions on both sides,” he said.

“Since the end of the conflict, the Sri Lankan Government received repeated criticisms from many quarters for its treatment of the hundreds of thousands of Tamils it detained in camps in the north of the country,” he said.

“Under pressure from the international community, the Sri Lankan Government accelerated the release of detainees late last year, but over 100000 people are still in the camps,” he said.

“Credible reports indicate that camp conditions are squalid,” he said.

“Despite claims of freedom of movement for those in camps, the truth is that people cannot leave without gaining approval and they must report regularly to police,” he said.

“For those who have returned to their home area, there appears to be little support or income,” he said.

“Throughout the whole of this period, the Government has restricted the capacity of international aid and human rights organisations to monitor the treatment of Tamil civilians,” he said.

“Journalists and critics of the Government, including Serath Fonseka who ran in the recent presidential elections, are arrested on what appear to be trumped up charges, are killed or simply disappear,” he said.

“The International Crisis Group is one of many respected international organisations which have released reports and statements expressing grave concerns about the treatment of Tamils and critics of the Government,” he said.

“The International Crisis Group issued a report recently calling for the Sri Lankan Government to address the legitimate Tamil concerns about systematic discrimination against them,” he said.

“The European Union’s threat of removal of trade benefits is part of a very loud and prolonged chorus of concerns about human rights in Sri Lanka and Australia must join efforts to put an end to this dreadful state of affairs,” he said.

“We in the Church in Australia should also heed the cries of those who suffer in Sri Lanka and the concerns expressed by the Church in that country,” he said.

“On the same day as the European Union announcement, the Conference of Major Religious Superiors in Sri Lanka said there was a loss of faith in the democratic process and just governance,” he said.

“They called for the country’s political leaders to respect the rule of law and human rights and to uphold the principles of reconciliation, forgiveness, freedom of media, freedom of speech and the right to dissent,” he said.

For further information, please contact Peter Arndt on (07) 3336 9173 or 0409 265 476.

NB This release is issued with the approval of the Commission or its Executive under the provision of its Mandate which enables it to speak in its own right. The views expressed in it do not necessarily represent the views of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

Other CJPC Statements on Sri Lanka

Commission Urges Continued Pressure on Sri Lanka

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Monday 30 November 2009

Brisbane’s Catholic Justice and Peace Commission welcomed the recent announcement by the Sri Lankan Government of the lifting of restrictions on movement in the country, but urged continued pressure on the Sri Lankan Government in relation to the treatment of Tamils.

The Commission’s Executive officer, peter Arndt, said that some reports indicate that there is continuing harassment of Tamils despite the announcement.

“We understand that Tamils seeking to travel from the north of the country to Colombo must register at the local police station when they arrive,” Mr Arndt said.

“There are also police and military checks being carried out on Tamils as they travel through the country,” he said.

“It is one thing to announce that Tamils can move freely through the country, but it is another thing altogether for that to be happening on the ground,” he said.

“No-one should be rushing to close the book on Sri Lanka just yet,” he said.

“We have a lot of credible evidence of the complete disregard for the human rights of Tamil civilians by both the military and the Tigers during the recent conflict,” he said.

“Thousands of Tamil civilians were killed by appalling actions on both sides and there must be accountability for this,” he said.

“The homes and infrastructure of many Tamil communities was devastated by the Government’s military onslaught and we need to ensure that Tamils will be given all the help they need to re-build their communities,” he said.

“And we must never forget that the long-running conflict is linked to Tamil discontent at their treatment by the Government,” he said.

“Unless there is a genuine commitment by the Government to enter into a process of reconciliation, the bitterness will continue to simmer,” he said.

“Sustained pressure from the international community has pushed the Sri Lankan Government to this point today and it must continue to be applied if the Tamil minority is to be treated with dignity and fairness,” he said.

“The repeated criticism of many Governments and the UN and the threat of economic action by Europe have forced the Sri Lankan Government to improve the situation for Tamils,” he said.

“This pressure must continue so that the Tamils can live in Sri Lanka without discrimination and fear and so that all Sri Lankans can live in peace and security,” he said.

“Some dreadful things have been done to people on both sides in this conflict and efforts must be made to address the root causes if the country is to know peace,” he said.

For further information, please contact Peter Arndt on (07) 3336 9173 or 0409 265 476.

NB This release is issued with the approval of the Commission or its Executive under the provision of its Charter which enables it to speak in its own right. The views expressed in it do not necessarily represent the views of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

Asylum Seekers’ Plight Demands Action on Human Rights of Tamil Detainees

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Monday 19 October 2009

Freedom for Detainees in Sri Lanka

In the wake of the current controversy over the treatment of Sri Lankan asylum seekers, Brisbane’s Catholic Justice and Peace Commission has called on the Prime Minister to take action to end the detention of Tamil civilians in camps run by the military in Sri Lanka.

The Commission’s Executive officer, Peter Arndt, said that the silence and inaction of the Prime Minister on the plight of Tamils in camps in the north and east of Sri Lanka was unacceptable.

“Attempts by our Government to outsource the processing of the refugee claims of Sri Lankan asylum seekers to Indonesia heaps further suffering and inhumanity on those who are already suffering greatly because of the actions of the Sri Lankan Government,” Mr Arndt said.

“Why is Mr Rudd so blistering in his attacks on people smugglers while he remains silent about the appalling conditions faced by hundreds of thousands of Tamils locked up in camps in Sri Lanka?” he said.

“Why is Mr Rudd so keen to stop Sri Lankan asylum seekers from finding refuge from the horrors they have faced at home, yet is so reluctant to take action to challenge the legality of Sri Lanka’s detention of its own citizens?” he said.

“Representatives of the United Nations and many reputable international organisations such as Human Rights Watch and the International Commission of Jurists have spoken out repeatedly about the outrageous conditions and human rights abuses in the Sri lankan detention camps, but Mr Rudd’s Government says nothing but that he will stop Sri Lankans and other asylum seekers from getting to our shores,” he said.

“Other Governments such as Great Britain, France and Sweden are sending senior Ministers to Sri Lanka and preparing to impose sanctions on that country, but all Mr Rudd’s Government is doing is trying to keep suffering Sri Lankans out of Australia,” he said.

Mr Arndt said that the Federal Government should be responding to the plight of asylum seekers with great compassion.

“We should be prepared to accept more refugees from Sri Lanka and should also be part of a much broader international push to find safe homes quickly for the world’s forty million refugees,” Mr Arndt said.

“Mr Rudd promised to be more active in promoting human rights internationally,” he said.

“Why isn’t he urging the British Commonwealth to take strong action against Sri Lanka for its human rights abuses as the Commonwealth did in relation to the coup in Fiji?” he said.

“As Christians, we seek to stand with the Tamil asylum seekers and detainees because Jesus told us that we must respond compassionately to the needs of the hungry, the sick, the stranger who comes to our door and those who are held in prison,” he said.

“We urge Catholics to support those seeking asylum and those in camps in Sri Lanka by continuing to tell their local MPs and Senators that the Government must act to end the suffering of Tamils in Sri Lanka,” he said.

“We must have strong action to address the root cause of this dreadful situation, the Sri Lankan Government’s unacceptable treatment of Tamils,” he said.

Sri Lanka Petition Handed Over

Prayer and Presentation of Tamil Petition October 8 2009

For further information, please contact Peter Arndt on (07) 3336 9173 or 0409 265 476.

NB This release is issued with the approval of the Commission or its Executive under the provision of its Charter which enables it to speak in its own right. The views expressed in it do not necessarily represent the views of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

Sri Lanka Petition Handed Over

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Media Release

Friday 9 October 2009

Sri Lanka Petition Handover October 8 2009

A petition calling on the Federal Government to pressure the Sri Lankan Government to release Tamil civilians detained in camps in the north of the country was handed over to Queensland Senator Claire Moore on Thursday evening during a prayer service.

The petition was organised by Brisbane’s Catholic Justice and Peace Commission and attracted over 2400 signatures.

Over 50 people, including a number of Tamils living in Brisbane, attended the service which was held at St Oliver Plunkett Catholic Church at Cannon Hill.

The Chair of the Commission, Mr Rick Sheehan, presented the petition to Senator Moore who said that the petition would be lodged in the Senate at its next sitting at the end of October.

Mr Sheehan said that, despite claims to the contrary by the Sri Lankan Government, conditions for those detained in the camps were still very por.

Senator Moore said that it was clear that the human rights of people detained in the camps were not being respected.

“I cannot promise you that we will be able to change the situation in Sri Lanka,” Senator Moore said.

“However, if our Government is to continue to act on this dreadful situation, it is vital that people continue to let their local Members of Parliament and Senators know that they are concerned,” she said.

The Commission’s Executive officer, Peter Arndt, said that United Nations officials continue to express grave concerns about conditions in the camps.

“With the onset of the monsoon season, things are likely to get even worse,” Mr Arndt said.

“These people should be released quickly and we hope that Catholics will continue to pray for them and to also tell their MPs that things must change in Sri Lanka,” he said.

The Commission is committed to continuing action on the issue until Tamil detainees are released and a genuine reconciliation process is in place.

For further information, please contact Peter Arndt on (07) 3336 9173 or 0409 265 476.

NB This release is issued with the approval of the Commission or its Executive under the provision of its Charter which enables it to speak in its own right. The views expressed in it do not necessarily represent the views of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

Senate Petition re Sri Lanka

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Sri Lanka petition 2009 Download and print this pdf file using Adobe

To the honourable President and members of the Senate in Parliament assembled:
The petition of the undersigned citizens shows that, following the end of the bloody conflict between forces of the Sri Lankan Government and the Tamil Tigers:
• Almost 300000 Tamils are detained in highly overcrowded camps;
• Sanitation and hygiene standards in camps are inadequate and various diseases are spreading as a result
• Health facilities are inadequate to meet the needs of those detained;
• Aid agencies and human rights organisations are not able to move freely through the camps to assist detainees and monitor
their treatment;
• Detainees are not free to return to their homes and have been given no guarantees about when and where they can resettle;
• Family members are separated from each other, are not aware of the whereabouts of their loved ones and are not able to
reunite;
• No satisfactory process has been established to identify and address possible breaches of the Geneva Convention and other
human rights breaches;
• No clear effort is being made by the Sri Lankan Government to address the longstanding grievances of Tamils.
Your petitioners ask that the Senate takes urgent action to pressure the Sri Lankan Government to:
• allow immediate and unrestricted access to all camps by aid agencies and international human rights monitors;
• Allow detainees to reunite with family members immediately and to return to their homes without further delay;
• Establish an independent inquiry into human rights violations committed during the recent conflict;
• Embark on a genuine reconciliation process which addresses the grievances of Tamils.

Sri Lanka petition 2009 Download and print this pdf file using Adobe

Information Sheet 2009 Sri Lanka Detention Camps

Catholic Justice and Peace Commission of Brisbane

A Commission within the Archdiocese of Brisbane

Tag Archives: Sri Lanka

NB This release is issued with the approval of the Commission or its Executive under the provision of its Mandate which enables it to speak in its own right. The views expressed in it do not necessarily represent the views of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

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NB:This release is issued with the approval of the Commission or its Executive under the provision of its Mandate which enables it to speak in its own right. The views expressed in it do not necessarily represent the views of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

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For further information, please contact Peter Arndt on (07) 3336 9173 or 0409 265 476.

NB This release is issued with the approval of the Commission or its Executive under the provision of its Mandate which enables it to speak in its own right when required. The views expressed in it do not necessarily represent the views of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

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NB This release is issued with the approval of the Commission or its Executive under the provision of its Mandate which enables it to speak in its own right. The views expressed in it do not necessarily represent the views of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

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For further information, please contact Peter Arndt on (07) 3336 9173 or 0409 265 476.

NB This release is issued with the approval of the Commission or its Executive under the provision of its Charter which enables it to speak in its own right. The views expressed in it do not necessarily represent the views of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

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For further information, please contact Peter Arndt on (07) 3336 9173 or 0409 265 476.

NB This release is issued with the approval of the Commission or its Executive under the provision of its Charter which enables it to speak in its own right. The views expressed in it do not necessarily represent the views of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

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For further information, please contact Peter Arndt on (07) 3336 9173 or 0409 265 476.

NB This release is issued with the approval of the Commission or its Executive under the provision of its Charter which enables it to speak in its own right. The views expressed in it do not necessarily represent the views of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

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