{"id":151036,"date":"2015-09-18T14:10:53","date_gmt":"2015-09-18T08:40:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=151036"},"modified":"2015-09-18T16:22:02","modified_gmt":"2015-09-18T10:52:02","slug":"hybrid-mechanism-should-be-truly-hybrid-north-east-civil-society","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/hybrid-mechanism-should-be-truly-hybrid-north-east-civil-society\/","title":{"rendered":"Hybrid Mechanism Should Be Truly Hybrid: North & East Civil Society"},"content":{"rendered":"

“For a hybrid mechanism to be truly hybrid in character it needs substantive international involvement not just by incorporating international judges, investigators and prosecutors but also in terms of it being in part led by the UN and by being internationally legally mandated.”\u00a022 Civil Society organizations based\/working in the North and East of Sri Lanka has today said.<\/p>\n

\"TCSF<\/a>

TCSF Convener – Bishop of Mannar, Dr. Rayappu Joseph<\/p><\/div>\n

Issuing a statement they said; “Quite obviously the Sri Lankan Government appointing international judges to its domestic mechanism will not constitute a hybrid mechanism. The international component should be given pride of place and control over the domestic component in a hybrid mechanism for it to be deemed credible. We emphasize this because the domestic component in a hybrid mechanism for reasons spelt out in the OISL report will have to be kept to a minimum so as not to affect its overall credibility”<\/p>\n

“We also welcome the call by the UN High Commissioner for Sri Lanka’s ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). We would urge that Sri Lanka while ratifying the Rome statute also submit a declaration voluntarily providing retroactive jurisdiction to the International Criminal Court. This would truly reflect Sri Lanka’s genuine concern for accountability and justice.” North & East civil society organizations said.<\/span><\/p>\n

We publish below the statement in full;<\/p>\n

JOINT STATEMENT ON THE OISL REPORT<\/p>\n

We welcome the report of the Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights’ Inquiry on Sri Lanka (OISL) released on 16 September 2015. The report is to-date<\/span><\/a> the most comprehensive fact-finding report on the atrocities that have been committed in Sri Lanka between February 2002 and November 2011, the temporal mandate of the OISL. We believe that it is essential reading for anyone interested in justice and accountability in Sri Lanka.\u00a0The report should provide to be a key resource for all stakeholders involved in the civil war in Sri Lanka in a much-needed process of introspection and critical reflection.<\/p>\n

We welcome the report’s unequivocal finding that a criminal investigation into the serious crimes committed cannot be undertaken through a domestic mechanism. This is not just because of lack of capacity owing to the systematic distortion and corruption of the security sector and judicial system in Sri Lanka by decades of emergency, conflict and impunity but also, despite the change in regime, an apparent lack of political will. The Sri Lankan Foreign Minister’s address to the UN Human Rights Council<\/span><\/a> on the 14th of September 2015,\u00a0despite calling for a plea to trust the new government is doubtful for\u00a0its\u00a0bona fides\u00a0given his assertion in the same speech that the accountability mechanism will help clear the\u00a0good name of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces.<\/p>\n

It is in this context that we take note of the OISL Report’s suggestion for a hybrid\u00a0mechanism. Given that the report has suggested that the details be worked out in detail\u00a0through a participatory, consultative process we would await the Government of Sri Lanka to make public its detailed proposals and refrain at this point in time from commenting on the adequacy of a hybrid mechanism for accountability in abstract. We however wish to\u00a0emphasize that for a hybrid\u00a0mechanism to be truly hybrid in character it needs\u00a0substantive international involvement not just by incorporating international judges, investigators and prosecutors but also in terms of it being in part led by the UN and by being internationally legally mandated. Quite obviously the Sri Lankan Government appointing international judges to its domestic mechanism will not constitute a hybrid mechanism. The international component should be given pride of place and control over the domestic component in a hybrid mechanism for it to be deemed credible. We\u00a0emphasize this because the domestic component in a hybrid mechanism for reasons spelt out in the OISL report will have to be kept to a minimum so as not to affect its overall credibility. It is our understanding that this would be the\u00a0minimum\u00a0necessary requirement of a genuine accountability process in Sri Lanka. It is important to make sure that victims are not misled and frustrated again with a half-baked attempt at accountability.<\/p>\n

We also welcome the call by the UN High Commissioner for Sri Lanka’s ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). We would urge that Sri Lanka while ratifying the Rome statute also submit a declaration voluntarily providing retroactive jurisdiction to the International Criminal Court*. This would truly reflect Sri Lanka’s genuine concern for accountability and justice.<\/p>\n

We welcome the detailed recommendations of the Report on all other aspects of Transitional Justice and urge the Government of Sri Lanka to implement the recommendations of the Report immediately, particularly those relating to\u00a0inter alia\u00a0enforced disappearances, return of land and de-militarisation. We reiterate Special Rapporteur Pablo de Grieff’s recommendation that a transitional justice process be devised which includes reform of the\u00a0security sector (military, police, intelligences services included), the establishment of independent truth-seeking mechanisms and the design of a comprehensive reparation scheme. Such a process needs to be, as Mr. de Grieff noted, guided by carefully designed and conducted consultations that includes by necessity victims of gross violations. It also needs to be closely monitored and supervised by the UN. None of these, we wish to emphasise are alternatives to criminal justice but rather should be complimentary to a criminal justice process and part of a broader Transitional Justice process.\u00a0 We also wish to draw in particular the Government’s attention to the\u00a0report’s finding that\u00a0most of the\u00a0repressive structures and institutional cultures that remain deeply entrenched\u00a0remain in place. As the report rightly points out crimes continue to be committed to date. Unless these structures are removed, crimes, no doubt will continue to be committed.<\/p>\n

The UN Human Rights\u00a0Council, as the OISL report suggests, should remain seized of the matter.\u00a0The resolution that is being considered for presentation before the current session of the UNHRC should reflect the OISL report in word and spirit.\u00a0If Sri Lanka fails to establish a genuine hybrid mechanism within a specific time\u00a0framework, the UNHRC, other relevant UN organs and member states should initiate necessary steps for a UN Security Council referral to the ICC.<\/p>\n

*Article 11(2) and Article 12(3) of the Rome Statute read together would allow Sri Lanka to make such a declaration.<\/p>\n

Signatories:<\/p>\n

Tamil Civil Society Forum (TCSF)
\nCentre for Human Rights and Development (CHRD)
\nHome for Human Rights (HHR)
\nCentre for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights (CPPHR), Trincomalee
\nVavuniya Citizens Committee
\nMannar Citizens Committee
\nTamil Lawyers Forum
\nNorth East Coordinating Committee of the Relatives of the Forcibly Disappeared
\nJaffna University Teachers Association
\nJaffna University Science Teachers Association (JUSTA)
\nJaffna University Employees Union
\nVanni Christian Union
\nFoundation of Changers\u00a0– Batticaloa
\nEast Civil society Activist Alliance \u2013 Batticaloa
\nCommission for Justice and Peace of the Catholic Diocese of Jaffna
\nBatticaloa Social Workers Network
\nPaduvaankarai People\u2019s Alliance
\nVadamarachchi Christian Union, Jaffna
\nMannar Economic and Social Development Organization
\nHindu Development Society Karaithivu \u2013 Amparai
\nTamilar Valvurimai Maiyam
\nValikamam North Development Board, Jaffna.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[…]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":139140,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,1,2375],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-151036","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-colombotelegraph","category-news","category-stories"],"yoast_head":"\nHybrid Mechanism Should Be Truly Hybrid: North & East Civil Society - Colombo Telegraph<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/hybrid-mechanism-should-be-truly-hybrid-north-east-civil-society\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Hybrid Mechanism Should Be Truly Hybrid: North & East Civil Society - Colombo Telegraph\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"[…]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/hybrid-mechanism-should-be-truly-hybrid-north-east-civil-society\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Colombo Telegraph\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-09-18T08:40:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2015-09-18T10:52:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Bishop_Joseph_Rayappu_of_Manar.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"571\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"COLOMBO TELEGRAPH\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"COLOMBO TELEGRAPH\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/hybrid-mechanism-should-be-truly-hybrid-north-east-civil-society\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/hybrid-mechanism-should-be-truly-hybrid-north-east-civil-society\/\",\"name\":\"Hybrid Mechanism Should Be Truly Hybrid: North & East Civil Society - Colombo Telegraph\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/hybrid-mechanism-should-be-truly-hybrid-north-east-civil-society\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/hybrid-mechanism-should-be-truly-hybrid-north-east-civil-society\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Bishop_Joseph_Rayappu_of_Manar.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2015-09-18T08:40:53+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2015-09-18T10:52:02+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9db3d0cfcfa59e1997e3c3524d454cb3\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/hybrid-mechanism-should-be-truly-hybrid-north-east-civil-society\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/hybrid-mechanism-should-be-truly-hybrid-north-east-civil-society\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/hybrid-mechanism-should-be-truly-hybrid-north-east-civil-society\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Bishop_Joseph_Rayappu_of_Manar.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Bishop_Joseph_Rayappu_of_Manar.jpg\",\"width\":400,\"height\":571,\"caption\":\"Bishop of Mannar, Dr. Rayappu Joseph\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/hybrid-mechanism-should-be-truly-hybrid-north-east-civil-society\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Hybrid Mechanism Should Be Truly Hybrid: North & East Civil Society\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/\",\"name\":\"Colombo Telegraph\",\"description\":\"In journalism truth is a process\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9db3d0cfcfa59e1997e3c3524d454cb3\",\"name\":\"COLOMBO TELEGRAPH\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/920b3181b0bf86b5c339ad9f0963a89f6a8b19c4b971e629987a021ba7a663df?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/920b3181b0bf86b5c339ad9f0963a89f6a8b19c4b971e629987a021ba7a663df?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"caption\":\"COLOMBO TELEGRAPH\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/author\/colombo_telegraph\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Hybrid Mechanism Should Be Truly Hybrid: North & East Civil Society - Colombo Telegraph","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/hybrid-mechanism-should-be-truly-hybrid-north-east-civil-society\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Hybrid Mechanism Should Be Truly Hybrid: North & East Civil Society - Colombo Telegraph","og_description":"[…]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/hybrid-mechanism-should-be-truly-hybrid-north-east-civil-society\/","og_site_name":"Colombo Telegraph","article_published_time":"2015-09-18T08:40:53+00:00","article_modified_time":"2015-09-18T10:52:02+00:00","og_image":[{"width":400,"height":571,"url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Bishop_Joseph_Rayappu_of_Manar.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"COLOMBO TELEGRAPH","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"COLOMBO TELEGRAPH","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/hybrid-mechanism-should-be-truly-hybrid-north-east-civil-society\/","url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/hybrid-mechanism-should-be-truly-hybrid-north-east-civil-society\/","name":"Hybrid Mechanism Should Be Truly Hybrid: North & East Civil Society - Colombo Telegraph","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/hybrid-mechanism-should-be-truly-hybrid-north-east-civil-society\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/hybrid-mechanism-should-be-truly-hybrid-north-east-civil-society\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Bishop_Joseph_Rayappu_of_Manar.jpg","datePublished":"2015-09-18T08:40:53+00:00","dateModified":"2015-09-18T10:52:02+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9db3d0cfcfa59e1997e3c3524d454cb3"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/hybrid-mechanism-should-be-truly-hybrid-north-east-civil-society\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/hybrid-mechanism-should-be-truly-hybrid-north-east-civil-society\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/hybrid-mechanism-should-be-truly-hybrid-north-east-civil-society\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Bishop_Joseph_Rayappu_of_Manar.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Bishop_Joseph_Rayappu_of_Manar.jpg","width":400,"height":571,"caption":"Bishop of Mannar, Dr. Rayappu Joseph"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/hybrid-mechanism-should-be-truly-hybrid-north-east-civil-society\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Hybrid Mechanism Should Be Truly Hybrid: North & East Civil Society"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/","name":"Colombo Telegraph","description":"In journalism truth is a process","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9db3d0cfcfa59e1997e3c3524d454cb3","name":"COLOMBO TELEGRAPH","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/920b3181b0bf86b5c339ad9f0963a89f6a8b19c4b971e629987a021ba7a663df?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/920b3181b0bf86b5c339ad9f0963a89f6a8b19c4b971e629987a021ba7a663df?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","caption":"COLOMBO TELEGRAPH"},"url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/author\/colombo_telegraph\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Bishop_Joseph_Rayappu_of_Manar.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/151036","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=151036"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/151036\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":151038,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/151036\/revisions\/151038"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/139140"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=151036"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=151036"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=151036"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}