Click here to watch video on Article 13, Freedom to Move
Article 13: (1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state. (2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.
According to Amnesty International, 300,000 people [Tamils] were detained in camps following the May massacres. Tamil detainees were confined to these camps, which were supervised by the Sri-Lankan military. Amnesty International has called for liberty and freedom of movement for the displaced victims who are being detained against their will.
Here are a few excerpts of reports and press releases by Amnesty International:
“By the end of May 2009 an additional 300,000 displaced people had fled fighting and were detained in camps: these internally displaced persons camps remain overcrowded and unsanitary. Management of the camps is supervised by the military. Displaced people are not permitted to leave – they are in fact detained without charge or trial. Amnesty International is calling for the release of all displaced people wishing to leave the camps and for the immediate cessation of arbitrary detention of internally displaced people.” (August, 2009)
“Nearly 300,000 people displaced by the conflict are now held in military-run internment camps without access to basic needs or protection from serious human rights violations. Amnesty International has received reports of family members searching in vain for relatives forcibly separated from them after they exited the conflict area. Young men are also reportedly taken away from the camps by pro-government paramilitary forces and are at high risk of torture and other ill treatment or enforced disappearance.” (May, 2009)
There is no need to detain these people, these Tamils have endured immense suffering –both physical and psychological, and deserve to be released to their communities so that they may try to heal themselves. By detaining them against their will, and separating them from their communities, the Sri-Lankan Government is only increasing their problems and preventing them from ever healing. Keeping them in these camps, where their basic necessities are not men only further strips them with what dignity remains.
Restricting access to family visiting camps also prevents them from grieving and healing with family. All of those who are detained have lost a family member, friend or acquaintance – only if they are allowed to remain in touch with family and friends outside the camp will they see reason to be. The psychological trauma that the massacres caused are immeasurable, without any family or friends to provide support, detainees will only fall further into depression.
The Sri-Lankan Government has said that the need to keep the Tamils in these camps is to find Tamil Tigers who may be among the detainees; however, if this is the case, why are children who can barely talk among the detainees? Why not speed up the process to ensure that families are quickly screened and sent out so that they may have an opportunity to build their lives?
Detainees are even prevented from speaking with aid workers; access into these camps is also restricted. The isolation of camps from mainstream society will result in detainees to build a dependency on the Sri-Lankan military for every need, needs which are currently not being met –whereas if they were able to freely move, they would have the opportunity to find their own solutions.
By having no independent media source present within the camps to monitor that the environment is safe and clean, the Tamil detainees are unprotected. With no protection, a climate arises where enforced disappearances, abductions, arbitrary arrest and sexual violence becomes common.
We all have the freedom to move, and by detaining victims in ill-equipped camps, the Sri-Lankan government is further stripping victims of their rights and dignity.
Credits:
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/news/unlock-camps-sri-lanka-20090807
Tags: Speak Out
