Article 3: Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person. Click here to watch a video on the Right to Life.
As stated in the previous post, Remembering May Massacre, for the next 30 days we will be looking at each of the 30 fundamental human rights outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and will see how each and every human right was not upheld for the Tamils. So far, we have looked at Article 1, We Are All Born Free & Equal and Article 2,Don’t Discriminate. Today, we will be looking at Article 3, The Right to Life.
Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security – but clearly the lives, liberty and security of the thousands of Tamils in Vanni were not protected. Life is something that one human has no right to take away from another human; in fact, many countries have passed laws that punish unsuccessful suicide, because they believe that not even an individual has the right to take away their life. However, in Sri-Lanka, it has been the state that has been the perpetrator of genocide, causing thousands of victims their lives.
It is important to note that while there is no one general consensus on the death toll, the genocide was without witnesses. When independent media sources are banned and censored, and access to the ‘Safe Zone’ is restricted to government officials, then the picture that gets out to the world can be very different than reality. Reporters Without Borders, have ‘urged Sri Lanka to allow journalists access to the war zone in the northeast where a “humanitarian crisis is unfolding” without a media presence, and have stated [in their own words] “It is a disgrace that this war is being waged without independent journalists present.” When journalists have to fear for their lives for reporting the truth, since the Sri-Lankan government was attempting to silence their voices, it becomes difficult to report reality. Last year Sri-Lanka was ranked the 4th most dangerous country to report in by Reporters Without Borders in terms of press freedom, scrutiny, attacks and safety. Clic k here to read an article from the New York Times on Silencing Journalists in Sri-Lanka.
Local sources have said that over 50,000 people have died between May 16th and18th. Channel 4 News has said that over 20,000 people died between May 16th and18th. Gordon Weiss is an Australian who was the UN’s spokesman in Sri Lanka during the war, estimated that the death toll was closer to 30,000-40,000. Click here to read his statement.
But the point is, ddespite the conflicting numbers, thousands of innocent Tamil lives were taken away from them. The Tamils right to life was clearly not regarded for when civilians were attacked through hospital bombing, artillery shelling and their liberty was not regarded for when they were forcibly displaced and held in detention.
And liberty, liberty means to be free arbitrary or despotic government or control, freedom from external foreign rule; it means freedom from captivity and restraint, and freedom from control.
Look at these pictures, and you don’t need numbers, articles, or witnesses to tell you that the Vanni Tamils right to life was clearly violated.
Credits:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/05/world/asia/05lanka.html
