{"id":219890,"date":"2021-06-10T23:57:03","date_gmt":"2021-06-10T18:27:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=219890"},"modified":"2021-06-11T23:30:10","modified_gmt":"2021-06-11T18:00:10","slug":"eu-parliament-calls-for-suspension-of-gsp-as-noose-tightens-internationally-on-gota-regime","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/eu-parliament-calls-for-suspension-of-gsp-as-noose-tightens-internationally-on-gota-regime\/","title":{"rendered":"EU Parliament Calls For Suspension Of GSP+ As Noose Tightens Internationally On Gota Regime\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

The European Parliament<\/a><\/span> adopted a resolution on Thursday (10) that puts Sri Lanka\u2019s trade concessions for imports to the European Union – the country\u2019s second biggest export market – in grave peril.<\/p>\n

In its resolution adopted by 628 votes in favour in the 705-member legislative assembly of the regional grouping, the EU Parliament called on the EU Commission to consider \u201ctemporary withdrawal\u201d of Sri Lanka\u2019s preferential access to European markets, which cuts trade tariffs significantly for Sri Lankan exports, including apparel, ceramic and rubber.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Gotabaya<\/p><\/div>\n

In the resolution adopted on Thursday, the EU Parliament noted that Sri Lanka had regained access to the GSP+ Scheme in 2017 on the explicit condition that it would repeal or replace draconian anti-terror laws – the Prevention of Terrorism Act – and implement human rights reform.<\/p>\n

The Sri Lankan Government had persistently failed to meet those conditions the Resolution noted, calling on the EU and the European External Action Service to report to Parliament on Sri Lanka\u2019s compliance on human rights issues and consider suspension of the GSP+ concessions.<\/p>\n

The EU Parliament noted that in March 2021, the Government of Sri Lanka had expanded the PTA and allowed for two years of detention without trial for detainees causing religious, racial, or communal disharmony.\u201d The PTA had been systematically used for arbitrary arrests and the detention of Muslims and minority groups, including Ahnaf Jazeem, a 26 year old Muslim teacher and poet and Hejaaz Hizbullah, a well known lawyer for minority rights and the rule of law.<\/p>\n

The EU Parliament \u201cnoted with concern\u201d the detention of former CID Director Shani Abeysekera, and urged the Government to immediately give those detained a fair trial on valid charges or release them unconditionally.<\/p>\n

The Resolution also noted the adoption of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution and expressed serious concern about the resulting decline in judicial independence, reduction of parliamentary control and excessive accumulation of power in the presidency.<\/p>\n

The EU Resolution is a clear indication that international pressure on Sri Lanka\u2019s human rights record will not be confined to the UNHRC session in Geneva three times a year, and will likely be expanded with more bilaterally targeted actions.<\/p>\n

In March this year, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, specifically called on individual member states to consider targeted sanctions, travel bans and other bilateral measures to hold Sri Lankan Government officials to account. A withdrawal of the GSP+ and even a suspension of the preferential tariffs will cause further economic strain for exporters that bring crucial foreign revenue to Sri Lanka\u2019s strained national coffers.<\/p>\n

Gotabaya Rajapaksa\u2019s Government has promised the EU that it will \u201crevisit\u201d the PTA. However a few days ago, the President issued a gazette declaring a previous counter terrorism unit HQ as a special detention centre for PTA detainees, a clear indication that more arrests under the draconian anti-terror legislation were coming.<\/p>\n

The EU Parliament resolution was adopted even as the US Congress considers a resolution on Sri Lanka<\/a><\/span> on its rights record and power sharing with the island\u2019s minority Tamils.<\/p>\n

Read the full Resolution adopted by the European Parliament here<\/a><\/span> or see full text as follows:<\/p>\n

===============================================================================<\/p>\n

European Parliament\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

2019-2024<\/p>\n

TEXTS ADOPTED\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

P9_TA(2021)0290\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

The situation in Sri Lanka, in particular the arrests under the Prevention of\u00a0 Terrorism Act\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

European Parliament resolution of 10 June 2021 on the situation in Sri Lanka, in\u00a0 particular the arrests under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (2021\/2748(RSP))\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

The European Parliament<\/i>,<\/p>\n

\u2013 having regard to its previous resolutions on Sri Lanka,<\/p>\n

\u2013 having regard to the report of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights\u00a0 of 9 February 2021 entitled \u2018Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in\u00a0 Sri Lanka\u2019,<\/p>\n

\u2013 having regard to the UN Human Rights Council resolution of 23 March 2021 entitled\u00a0 \u2018Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka\u2019,<\/p>\n

\u2013 having regard to Regulations No. 01 of 2021 published on 12 March 2021 under Sri\u00a0 Lanka\u2019s Prevention of Terrorism Act,<\/p>\n

\u2013 having regard to the report of the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection\u00a0 of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism of\u00a0 14 December 2018 entitled \u2018Visit to Sri Lanka\u2019,<\/p>\n

\u2013 having regard to the statement by Michelle Bachelet, the UN High Commissioner for\u00a0 Human Rights, of 24 February 2021 on Sri Lanka,<\/p>\n

\u2013 having regard to the final report of January 2020 of the European Union Election\u00a0 Observation Mission to the Sri Lanka Presidential Election of 16 November 2019,<\/p>\n

\u2013 having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948, \u2013 having regard to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of 1966,<\/p>\n

\u2013 having regard to the EU Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+), the special\u00a0 incentive programme of which Sri Lanka is a beneficiary,<\/p>\n

\u2013 having regard to Rule 144(5) and 132(4) of its Rules of Procedure,<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. whereas Sri Lanka has been marred by a decades-long civil war which ended in 2009,\u00a0 during which serious human rights violations were committed by both sides;<\/li>\n
  2. whereas the human rights situation in Sri Lanka has been steadily deteriorating, with the\u00a0 new government rapidly backtracking on the limited progress achieved under previous\u00a0 administrations; whereas the space in which civil society and an independent media can\u00a0 operate in the country is rapidly shrinking;<\/li>\n
  3. whereas the controversial Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) has been in place in Sri\u00a0 Lanka since 1979 and grants the police broad powers to search, arrest and detain civilian\u00a0 suspects; whereas the wide-ranging powers provided for in the PTA have led to consistent\u00a0 and well-founded allegations of torture and sexual abuse, forced confessions and\u00a0 systematic denials of due process;<\/li>\n
  4. whereas in her most recent report on Sri Lanka, the UN High Commissioner for Human\u00a0 Rights reiterated the calls for a moratorium on the use of the PTA for new arrests until it is\u00a0 replaced by legislation that adheres to international best practices;<\/li>\n
  5. whereas the Government of Sri Lanka issued Regulations No. 01 of 2021 on 9 March\u00a0 2021, expanding the PTA and, inter alia<\/i>, allowing for two years of detention without trial\u00a0 for causing \u2018religious, racial, or communal disharmony\u2019;<\/li>\n
  6. whereas the PTA has been systematically used for arbitrary arrests and the detention of\u00a0 Muslims and minority groups in Sri Lanka, including Ahnaf Jazeem, a 26-year-old\u00a0 Muslim teacher and poet, and Hejaaz Hizbullah, a well-known lawyer for minority rights\u00a0 and the rule of law;<\/li>\n
  7. whereas on 19 May 2017 Sri Lanka regained access to generous tariff preferences under\u00a0 the GSP+, on the condition that it replaces its PTA and effectively implements 27\u00a0 international conventions, including human rights conventions; whereas the European\u00a0 Union has repeatedly expressed concern over the PTA and noted Sri Lanka\u2019s failure to\u00a0 repeal the act despite its commitment to doing so;<\/li>\n
  8. whereas on 20 October 2020 the Sri Lankan Parliament passed the 20th Amendment to\u00a0 the Constitution, reinforcing the executive presidency;<\/li>\n
  9. whereas nearly 12 years on from the end of the war, domestic initiatives for accountability\u00a0 and reconciliation have repeatedly failed to produce results, thus more deeply entrenching\u00a0 impunity and exacerbating victims\u2019 distrust in the system;<\/li>\n
  10. whereas there are clear signs of the accelerating militarisation of civilian government\u00a0 functions in Sri Lanka; whereas since 2020, at least 28 serving or former military and\u00a0 intelligence personnel were appointed to key administrative posts; whereas those\u00a0 appointments include at least two senior military officials who were implicated in UN\u00a0 reports in alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the final years of the\u00a0 conflict; whereas many suspects in police custody as well as inmates in Sri Lankan prison\u00a0 complexes have been killed; whereas the most recent cases include deaths in police\u00a0 custody in May 2021; whereas 11 inmates at Mahara prison were killed and 117 others\u00a0 injured when guards opened fire to control a riot over COVID-19 conditions in November\u00a0 2020;<\/li>\n
  11. whereas authorities in Sri Lanka handed down capital punishment sentences for drug related offences in 2019, despite the existence of a moratorium on the use of capital\u00a0 punishment in the country since 1976;<\/li>\n
  12. Expresses deep concern over Sri Lanka\u2019s alarming path towards the recurrence of grave\u00a0 human rights violations as described by the most recent UN report on the country, which\u00a0 lists among the early warning signs the accelerating militarisation of civilian\u00a0 governmental functions, the reversal of important constitutional safeguards, political\u00a0 obstruction of accountability, exclusionary rhetoric, intimidation of civil society, and the\u00a0 use of anti-terrorism laws;<\/li>\n
  13. Reiterates its strong opposition to the continued application of the current PTA; calls on\u00a0 the Sri Lankan authorities to fulfil their pledge to review and repeal the act and replace it\u00a0 with anti-terrorism legislation which adheres to international best practices; further calls\u00a0 for the immediate suspension of the deradicalisation regulations;<\/li>\n
  14. Points out that Regulations No. 01 of 2021 do not provide for procedural guarantees for\u00a0 any person deprived of their liberty as laid down in Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and that they violate Sri Lanka\u2019s own constitutional\u00a0 guarantees under Article 13 of the Sri Lankan Constitution; recalls that deradicalisation, rehabilitation and reintegration centres, which are regulated under similar legislation, have\u00a0 in the past been rife with serious human rights violations such as torture and other ill treatment, including sexual and gender-based violence;<\/li>\n
  15. Expresses grave concern about the arbitrary arrests and detention under the PTA without\u00a0 due process and access to justice, including for civil society activists, lawyers, writers and\u00a0 poets such as Hejaaz Hizbullah and Ahnaf Jazeem; notes with concern the detention of\u00a0 Shani Abeysekara, the former director of the Criminal Investigation Department; urges the\u00a0 Government of Sri Lanka to immediately give those detained a fair trial on valid charges and, if there are no charges, to release them unconditionally;<\/li>\n
  16. Deplores the continuing discrimination against and violence towards religious and ethnic\u00a0 minorities and communities in Sri Lanka, including Muslims, Hindus, Tamils and\u00a0 Christians; calls on the Government of Sri Lanka to unequivocally condemn hate speech,\u00a0 incitement to violence and discrimination against religious and ethnic groups in the country, and to hold to account those who advance such divisions, including within the\u00a0 government and military;<\/li>\n
  17. Notes the adoption of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution and expresses serious concern about the resulting decline in judiciary independence, the reduction of\u00a0 parliamentary control, and the excessive accumulation of power with the presidency;<\/li>\n
  18. Notes with concern the Government of Sri Lanka\u2019s recent proposal to enact a new law on\u00a0 disinformation despite concerns raised by civil society organisations about the threats such\u00a0 a law could pose to the freedom of expression; urges online platforms to take proactive steps to moderate the circulation of hate speech and disinformation online in the Sinhalese\u00a0 and Tamil languages;<\/li>\n
  19. Is concerned that provisions in Sri Lanka\u2019s Penal Code, notably sections 365, 365A and 399, have been interpreted in such a way as to criminalise individuals with diverse sexual\u00a0 orientations and gender identities;<\/li>\n
  20. Calls on the Commission to urgently evaluate its funding for the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and INTERPOL project \u2018Support to Sri Lanka on Counter-Terrorism\u2019 while counterterrorism in Sri Lanka is in certain cases being used as a pretext on which to<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    persecute members of ethnic and religious groups and civil society, including human rights defenders; calls on the EU Delegation to Sri Lanka and the Member States\u2019 representations to increase their support to civil society, especially human rights defenders, environmental defenders and journalists;<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Underlines the crucial importance of ensuring that the national reconciliation process is\u00a0 given the necessary attention and results in concrete actions, including accountability for enforced disappearances and past crimes; regrets Sri Lanka\u2019s withdrawal from the\u00a0 commitments it made to the UN Human Rights Council in the context of its sponsorship\u00a0 of resolution of 14 October 2015 entitled \u2018Promoting reconciliation, accountability and\u00a0 human rights in Sri Lanka\u2019, and encourages it to re-engage with the council, which is\u00a0 instrumental in restoring relations with the international community and creating a process\u00a0 of national reconciliation between the diverse Sinhalese, Tamil, Muslim, Hindu and\u00a0 Christian communities;<\/li>\n
    2. Calls on the Government of Sri Lanka to prevent any hindrance of the investigation and\u00a0 possible prosecution of members of the security forces accused of serious human rights\u00a0 abuses; insists that an investigation be carried out into allegations of grave human rights\u00a0 abuses and war crimes committed during the civil war by senior figures from all sides;\u00a0 asks the Government of Sri Lanka to end the practice of appointing current and former\u00a0 military commanders implicated in serious abuses to senior government positions;<\/li>\n
    3. Calls for a rigorous, impartial and complete investigation into the 2019 Easter Sunday\u00a0 bombings in line with international legal standards; calls, furthermore, for those against\u00a0 whom there is evidence of culpability to promptly be brought to trial, and for those for\u00a0 whom there is insufficient evidence to be released;<\/li>\n
    4. Recalls that the GSP+ scheme offers the incentive of better access to the EU market for\u00a0 the country\u2019s exporters, in return for further progress in fully implementing those\u00a0 conventions; recalls that one of Sri Lanka\u2019s key commitments was to fully align its\u00a0 counterterrorism legislation with international human rights conventions in order to secure\u00a0 a favourable trading relationship under the GSP+; recalls the consequences foreseen in the\u00a0 GSP Regulation1in the event of a persistent failure to adopt and enact the necessary\u00a0 human rights reforms, repeal abusive legislation and reverse the current trajectory of\u00a0 increasing violations;<\/li>\n
    5. Underlines that the GSP+ scheme offered to Sri Lanka has made a significant contribution\u00a0 to the country\u2019s economy, from which exports to the EU have increased to EUR 2.3\u00a0 billion, making the EU Sri Lanka\u2019s second-largest export market; highlights the ongoing\u00a0 monitoring of Sri Lanka\u2019s eligibility for GSP+ status and stresses that the continuance of\u00a0 GSP+ trade preferences is not automatic; calls on the Commission and the European\u00a0 External Action Service (EEAS) to take into due account current events when assessing\u00a0 Sri Lanka\u2019s eligibility for GSP+ status; further calls on the Commission and the EEAS to\u00a0 use the GSP+ as a leverage to push for advancement on Sri Lanka\u2019s human rights\u00a0 obligations and demand the repeal or replacement of the PTA, to carefully assess whether\u00a0 there is sufficient reason, as a last resort, to initiate a procedure for the temporary<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      1 Regulation (EU) No 978\/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25\u00a0 October 2012 applying a scheme of generalised tariff preferences, OJ L 303, 31.10.2012,\u00a0 p. 1.<\/p>\n

      withdrawal of Sri Lanka\u2019s GSP+ status and the benefits that come with it, and to report to\u00a0 Parliament on this matter as soon as possible;<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Notes with concern the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the deteriorating labour\u00a0 rights\u2019 situation in the country; urges Sri Lanka to cooperate fully with the International\u00a0 Labour Organization (ILO) to strengthen the labour rights of factory workers, including\u00a0 health and safety conditions for garment workers in special trade zones; calls on the\u00a0 Government of Sri Lanka to effectively implement and strengthen the National Policy on\u00a0 Elimination of Child Labour; calls on the Sri Lankan authorities to adapt the Board of\u00a0 Investment of Sri Lanka Labour Standard and Employment Relation Manual in order to\u00a0 bring it in line with international standards, notably ILO Convention Nos 87 and 98;<\/li>\n
      2. Reiterates the European Union\u2019s strong opposition to the death penalty, in all cases and\u00a0 without exception; welcomes Sri Lanka\u2019s continued moratorium on the death penalty;\u00a0 urges the government to abolish the use of capital punishment in the country;<\/li>\n
      3. Welcomes the EU\u2019s past support for reconciliation efforts and underscores the EU\u2019s\u00a0 readiness to support Sri Lanka in this field;<\/li>\n
      4. Expresses concern about the growing role and interference of China in Sri Lanka;<\/li>\n
      5. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice President of the Commission \/ High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and\u00a0 Security Policy, the EU Special Representative for Human Rights, the Secretary-General\u00a0 of the UN, the UN Human Rights Council, and the Government and Parliament of Sri\u00a0 Lanka.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":215859,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,2186,1,2375],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-219890","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-colombotelegraph","category-featured-news","category-news","category-stories"],"yoast_head":"\nEU Parliament Calls For Suspension Of GSP+ As Noose Tightens Internationally On Gota Regime\u00a0 - 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\/eu-parliament-calls-for-suspension-of-gsp-as-noose-tightens-internationally-on-gota-regime\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"EU Parliament Calls For Suspension Of GSP+ As Noose Tightens Internationally On Gota Regime\u00a0 - 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