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Rights group accuses Sri Lanka and Tamil Tigers of human right violations

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] Both the Sri Lankan government and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have committed human rights violations by attacking civilians in the Vanni region, according to a report released Thursday by Human Rights Watch (HRW). The report alleges that both sides "appear to be engaged in a perverse competition to demonstrate the greatest disregard for the civilian population.” HRW asserts that both sides have violated the Hague Regulations of 1907, as well as Protocol I and Protocol II of the Geneva Conventions. Violations by the LTTE relate to the confinement of civilians to the conflict zone and putting civilians at unnecessary risk, by both confining them to an increasingly compact area and by employing civilians as forced labor on the battlefield. The alleged violations by the Sri Lankan armed forces include indiscriminate attacks, attacks on the "Safe Zone," and attacks on hospitals. Last month, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay issued a statement condemning the deteriorating conditions of those trapped in the conflict-ravaged north, calling for investigations and prosecutions for the killings and other human rights abuses. HRW has repeatedly accused both sides of violations, but since 2007 has focused on the government's de facto internment centers and its role in the increase in unlawful killings and other human rights violations.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on February 20, 2009 (boomark / email).