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Muslim disapora lauds Core Group resolution

03 Oct 2022

BY Mirudhula Thambiah Welcoming the final resolution by the Core Group of countries on Sri Lanka at the 51st United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) sessions, the Sri Lankan Muslim Expatriates Council (SLMEC) yesterday (2) noted that it is heartening to note that it records human rights violations against Muslim people and that related recommendations have been incorporated in points number 5,11, and 14. The resolution, A/HRC/51/L.1 by the Core-Group Countries in point five stresses the grievances and demands of Tamil and Muslim populations, prolonged internal displacement and land disputes. The point 11 urges the Government of Sri Lanka to take measures to address the marginalisation of, and discrimination against, persons from the Muslim community, and to ensure that Muslims and members of other religions are able to continue to practice their own religious rites, including burial rights. Point 14 stresses the importance of effective and independent functioning of the Office of Missing Persons and the Office for Reparations.   SLMEC International Affairs Co-ordinator Aiyoob Azmin told The Morning yesterday (2): “As social and human rights activists, we welcome this resolution. We would like to point out that this resolution further confirms that the governments of Sri Lanka have not acted with sincerity in relation to human rights affairs for the last decade. We urge the Government of Sri Lanka to be committed to the promotion of human rights if these conditions are to be improved.” He noted that violence and discrimination on the Muslim community had occurred in Sri Lanka since 2010, particularly targetting the Sri Lankan Muslim population, and that it has reached a peak over the past few years. “The Muslim population had faced a variety of human rights violations, including illegal arrests of individuals, the expropriation of Muslim land, and threats against women wearing the hijab,” he added. Meanwhile, Azmin also noted that corruption within the Government of Sri Lanka has been the root cause of the current economic crisis as well as human rights violations. “If Sri Lanka is to recover from the current economic crisis, the Government must pay more attention to human rights promotions and curbing corruption,” he said.  He further pointed out that economic mismanagement and human rights violations are interrelated, noting that there is a general observation that the current economic crisis in Sri Lanka will lead to further worsening of the human rights situation in the country. “The longstanding ethnic conflicts in Sri Lanka and the ensuing occupations, repressions, unrest, violence, and reprisals have greatly weakened the Sri Lankan people. To understand these fundamentals and ensure a progressive situation in Sri Lanka, it is necessary for the Government of Sri Lanka, with the help of the international community, to pay full attention to activities related to human rights promotion,” He also noted that it has been pointed out on several occasions that the Sri Lankan Government has used the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) Act and Prevention of Terrorism (Special Provisions) Act to suppress the minorities. “It is our observation that while the resolution reflects the real conditions of the Sri Lankan people, it also contains the concerns of the international community to uplift their lives to a more progressive situation. Therefore, it is our expectation that the Government of Sri Lanka should adopt progressive approaches,” he added.


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