{"id":93984,"date":"2013-07-03T18:14:15","date_gmt":"2013-07-03T12:44:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=93984"},"modified":"2013-07-11T11:47:35","modified_gmt":"2013-07-11T06:17:35","slug":"amnesty-launched-sri-lanka-tell-the-truth-campaign-demand-truth-from-sri-lankas-president","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/amnesty-launched-sri-lanka-tell-the-truth-campaign-demand-truth-from-sri-lankas-president\/","title":{"rendered":"Demand Truth From Sri Lanka\u2019s President: Amnesty Launched “Sri Lanka Tell The Truth” Campaign"},"content":{"rendered":"

“Beneath the gloss of progress promoted by Sri Lanka\u2019s authorities lurks a grim reality \u2013 of torture, detention without charge or trial, unlawful killings and other abuses which perceived opponents of the government risk every day because they dare to stand up for their rights.” say the\u00a0\u00a0Amnesty International.<\/p>\n

The Amnesty International\u00a0has launched a campaign around the Commonwealth Summit called “Sri Lanka tell the truth”.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Amnesty says; “Appalling abuses happen every day in Sri Lanka. This can\u2019t go on. Call on the president to take up Amnesty International\u2019s\u00a0six-point agenda<\/a><\/span>\u00a0for change to demonstrate human rights progress in the country. Hurry, the petition closes on 1 September.<\/p>\n

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“The government may have won its 26-year war against the Tamil Tigers in May 2009, but the abuses that became entrenched over that period persist.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Journalists, lawyers, grassroots activists \u2013 anyone who dares to criticize the authorities \u2013 can be picked up under draconian security laws, including the Prevention of Terrorism Act, and detained for years without access to the outside world. Sometimes the authorities bypass legal avenues, resorting to anonymous harassment and assaults. Reports of people being bundled into white vans and later dumped, or never seen again, are alarmingly frequent.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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November\u2019s meeting of Commonwealth leaders in Sri Lanka is our opportunity to demand accountability in the country. In September, we will take your signatures to representatives of the Sri Lankan government at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. From then, the clock will be ticking. It\u2019s up to Sri Lanka\u2019s authorities to take these demands to heart, acknowledge the abuses, and demonstrate that they are improving human rights in the country.”<\/p>\n

The petition;<\/strong><\/p>\n

President Rajapaksa<\/h2>\n

As you prepare for November\u2019s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Colombo, we recall the values and principles which all Commonwealth countries have committed to. These include: the protection and promotion of human rights, freedom of expression and access to justice.<\/p>\n

In line with these values and principles, we call on you to demonstrate before November that progress is being made to stop the systematic violation of human rights in Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n

We ask you to:<\/p>\n