Human Rights Council
Humanitarian
Topic: Questioning possible human rights violations during the recent conflict in Sri Lanka.
Topic Brief
After more that 25 years, the Tamil, a minority in North-Eastern Sri Lanka, have been antagonised by the Sinhalese majority. With over 75,000 people killed, the period till mid-2009 was marked by a brokered ceasefire in 2002 that was violently ended in 2008.
The long history of conflict arose after British Administration ceased, and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam formed as tensions escalated between the increasingly nationalistic Sinhalese majority.
On May 2009, the Sri Lankan Government declared victory, but both sides have been accused by the United Nations High Commissioner of human rights abuses. The closing push by the Sri Lankan Army resulted in what was described by the UN as a 'Bloodbath' and around 250,000 refugees are still held in makeshift 'internment camps'. With both sides blaming each other for the abuses, one thing remains clear: the Tigers have been caged and the International Community can now act to protect the Tamil minority or support Sri Lanka's efforts in reconciliation and 'integration'.
Your Background Paper is available HERE.
What is the Human Rights Council?
Created on March 2006 by United Nations (UN) General Assembly Resolution 60/251, the Human Rights Council (HRC) is an intergovernmental body of the UN responsible for strengthening the advocation and protection of human rights worldwide. The Council’s primary purpose is to assess clear situations of human rights violations, and to make recommendations addressing such infringements. Members elected to the HRC must, in accordance to Resolution 60/251, uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights.
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