Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

While there have been some improvements in living conditions in the north and east of Sri Lanka, areas formerly held by the LTTE, there are still many matters of concern. The north and east remains heavily militarised. The Sri Lankan army is closely involved in daily life, with the local population under surveillance by soldiers and military intelligence.

I am concerned at reports of continued violence against the local population by the Sri Lankan military. Suggestions that people are being moved into the north and east from other parts of Sri Lanka are extremely worrying. Approximately two-thirds of the people who were displaced by the war have now returned home. The intention of the Government of Sri Lanka in regard to the remainder are unclear. In September 2011, the Emergency Powers Regulation and the Prevention of Terrorism Regulation were not renewed. However, the more comprehensive Prevention of Terrorism Act remains in force.

Despite the best efforts of the United Nations and the wider international community, the Sri Lankan Government has, to date, refused to co-operate with the Panel of Experts on Accountability appointed by UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon and has failed to address the recommendations contained in their report concerning allegations of atrocities and human rights violations during the war. Ireland is supportive of the mandate of the UN Secretary General's Panel of Experts on Accountability in Sri Lanka. I urge the government in Colombo to co-operate fully with the UN and address the recommendations made by the panel.

A Lessons Learned and Rehabilitation Committee, with a limited mandate, was established by the Government of Sri Lanka in May 2010. The committee's focus was on restorative justice, not on tackling impunity for actions during the war. It is due to submit its report by 15 November 2011.

Overall, there is an urgent need to initiate a comprehensive peace and reconciliation process in Sri Lanka. It would be important to address impunity and the crimes of the past as part of that process. Officials from my Department have conveyed our positions to the Sri Lankan authorities, directly in bilateral contacts and in multilateral fora, including through the European Union and at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva and at the UN in New York.

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