The Centre for War Victims and Human Rights (CWVHR) is established in Toronto Canada, to protect the rights of War Victims and promote Human Rights. The Centre uses an internationally (Human Rights Information Documentation System –HURIDOCS) approved data gathering system to document and analyse evidence as reported by individuals about their kith or kin that may have been victims in the recent war in Sri Lanka, as well as war crimes committed since 1948. This internationally approved system enables (CWVHR) to collect evidence on a uniform and consistent basis, which assists us to do quality cross referencing. History has taught us of numerous instances of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. For example, against the Jews and the Romas in Europe, against the Muslims in former Yugoslavia, the Kosovo Albanians, Croats etc and Armenians in the Near East, against the Tutsis and Hutus in Rwanda and Burundi, against Darfur tribes, against the Cambodians and East Timorese in South Asia, against the Palestinians in the Middle East and more recently, against the Tamils in Sri Lanka. Monitoring, documenting, and being vigilant against human rights violations is an important mechanism to prevent such violations. It is the gathering of facts, documentation of the information, collection of evidence and analysis of the gathered data which has enabled the successful charging and prosecution of the perpetrators in the International Criminal Court and State Tribunals. The Centre for War Victims and Human Rights implores/ invites people who are aware of such incidences in Sri Lanka to come forward and provide the Centre with the information that will enable it to document war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. We will focus on the Rights of Women, Children, Seniors, IDPs, Freedom of Expression, Media Freedom, Respect of Law, Lost Generation etc and bring awareness among our people. The Centre in Toronto and their coordinating institution in Australia, New Zealand, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, declare the period from 15th February 2009 to April 15, 2009 as days of documentation of War victims and Human rights violations in Sri Lanka. We would like to recall that there have been several calls for investigation of War Crimes from National, International levels by UN institutions as well as respected Human Rights Organizations. We call upon all those who have information with regards to their relatives who have been killed, disappeared, unlawfully detained, kept in secretive places, maimed, seriously wounded and otherwise, or whose rights have been violated in any form or manner, to come forward and document your case story with us. We assure you full confidentiality and all information submitted would be produced only in a court of law with your consent. Calling for investigation of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide will be successful only when we all commit ourselves in gathering all the information on incidents that have taken place during the last months of the terrible war in Sri Lanka. For more information, please call 416 628 1408 or email:
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Activists and supporters of Amnesty International will launch a week of action on Monday highlighting the continued detention of thousands of displaced civilians in government camps in Sri Lanka.
Activists in more than 10 countries will take action as part of the Unlock the Camps campaign. Events include a ‘Circle of Hope’ in Canada, a street march and signature campaign in Nepal, a poetry reading in Switzerland and solidarity actions in France, Germany, Mauritius and the United States.
Throughout the week, Amnesty International activists based in London and participating sections will write blogs about the events taking place across the world..
Six months after the end of the war between government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Sri Lanka continues to confine people who fled fighting in the north to closed displacement camps in uncomfortable and sometimes hazardous conditions.
Releases from the camps have increased in recent weeks. However, camp shelters have deteriorated as Sri Lanka has entered the rainy season, with funds for shelter repair running out.
This week John Holmes, lead advisor on humanitarian affairs to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, travels to Sri Lanka to assess the situation of the people in the camps.
