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THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

OHCHR-UNOG,

8-14 Avenue de la Paix
1211 Geneva 10,

Switzerland

Dear: Dr. Yakin Ertürk,

“Remember the dignity of your womanhood.  ... Take courage, join hands, stand beside us, fight with us.” - Christabel Pankhurst

I am writing to you to stand in solidarity with Tamil women across the world, and to condemn the violence against Tamil women that is being perpetrated in Sri Lanka by the armed forces.  International Women’s Day represents a day to celebrate the achievements of women in political, social and economical areas around the world. However, there is little reason to celebrate International Women’s Day in Sri Lanka this year.

Sri Lanka has been torn by civil war for the past 25 years. Violence has escalated in the last couple of months, where the government of Sri Lanka has used cluster bombs, and has shelled safety zones indiscriminately.  According to UNIFEM, women and children account for 80% of refugees in Sri Lanka. Women are especially vulnerable at checkpoints that are conducted by the armed forces.  Amnesty International has labeled rape as a “common human rights violation” in Sri Lanka.  Rape is classified as torture under international law, especially when it is inflicted by government officials or armed political groups under in an armed conflict.

Complete impunity with which these violations have been perpetrated by the various armed units of the Government of Sri Lanka against Tamil women has been documented by many International NGOs including the Amnesty International. In the report titled “Sri Lanka: Rape in Custody” Amnesty International has documented several cases. Asian Human Rights Commission’s report “Sri Lanka Legal Reform and Human Rights” has indicated that only a fraction of the actual incidents are reported mainly because of the “prevailing climate of impunity for acts of sexual violence against women from ethnic minorities and the fact that women who are victims of violence frequently have no safe place to stay during investigations or trials are further elements that dissuade women from reporting crimes of violence committed against them”.

Recent military onslaught by the Government of Sri Lanka has boxed in more than 250,000 Tamils in an eighty square kilometers area.  More than 2000 civilians have been killed in the last two months alone due to the indiscriminate bombing and artillery attacks. More than 5000 injured civilians have not received even the basic first-aid because of the absence of any functioning hospitals. Government of Sri Lanka imposed embargo and impediments placed against NGOs to access the affected areas has contributed to enormous sufferings and has put the civilians at risk of death and disease.  Reports have indicated that new born children as well as expecting mothers and mothers who had only given birth recently have been killed or critically injured.

It is important that the International community resolves on the International women’s day to put an end to the sufferings of the women, children, and other civilians affected by the war in Sri Lanka.

Therefore I call on you to act immediately to:

• Condemn the atrocities being committed by the Sri Lanka military and Para-military forces against Tamil Women
• Allow international monitoring systems to oversee investigations and ensure just, prosecution takes place
• Provide distressed and traumatized victims with proper counseling services to overcome their grief
• Help promote peace, justice and freedom in Sri Lanka for all

Sincerely,

[Name]