A special session of the UN Human Rights Council is due Tuesday in Geneva where Denmark and Britain are leading a vocal and sustained drive to pin down Sri Lanka. The meeting became possible after Denmark got together 17 of the UN body's 47 member countries to press for the special session to probe charges that Colombo violated human rights and committed 'war crimes'. A minimum of 16 signatures is a must to convene a special session. The regular session of UN Human Rights Council is due in the third week of June, and Sri Lanka could have been discussed then.
An UNHRC special session has ONLY been called only on 10 previous occasions. So, we should take ADVANTAGE of this opportunity!
Please Read more What Amnesty Has said What HRW is saying and use or quote them in your letters.
Please Read more What Amnesty Has said What HRW is saying and use or quote them in your letters.
Please request member states to urge the government of Sri Lanka:
- to give immediate and full access to national and international organizations and observers, including aid agencies,
- human rights organizations and journalists, to all relevant parts of the country to monitor the situation and provide a safeguard against human rights violations.
- The UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross must have immediate and full access, according to their mandates, to critical locations - notably at displaced peoples' registration and screening points, all places of detention and camps for the displaced
- to prevent violations such as arbitrary detention, torture and other ill-treatment, enforced disappearance and extrajudicial executions.
- Set up a fact-finding mission to inquire into allegations of serious violations and abuses of international human rights and humanitarian law by Sri Lankan forces in the recent military hostilities, with a view to establishing the facts and making recommendations on how best to ensure accountability for those violations and abuses.
- Call for the establishment of an effective UN human rights monitoring mission, to assist the government of Sri Lanka in implementing legislative and other reforms that would safeguard human rights for all Sri Lankan citizens.
- Decide to remain seized of the situation in Sri Lanka after the conclusion of the Special Session, which should be the beginning of sustained attention by the HRC to the situation in the country.
Please request member states to urge the government of Sri Lanka. Use these mails in separate blocks please.
contact@mission-angola.ch, mission.argentina@ties.itu.int, geneva@mission.mfa.gov.az, info@bahrain-mission.ch, mission.bangladesh@ties.itu.int, mission.bolivia@ties.itu.int, mission.bosnia-herzegovina@ties.itu.int, mission.brazil@delbrasgen.org, mission.burkina@ties.itu.int, mission.cameroun@bluewin.ch, genev@international.gc.ca,
misionchile@misginchile.org, chinamission_gva@mfa.gov.cn, embacubaginebra@missioncuba.ch, mission.djibouti@djibouti.ch, mission.egypt@ties.itu.int, mission.france@ties.itu.int, mission.gabon@ties.itu.int, mission.germany@ties.itu.int, chancery@ghana-mission.ch, mission.india@ties.itu.int, mission.indonesia@ties.itu.int, rappoi.ginevra@esteri.it,
mission@ge-japan.ch, mission.jordan@ties.itu.int, ambamadsuisse@bluewin.ch, mwgeneva@ties.itu.int, mission.mauritius@ties.itu.int, mission.mexico@ties.itu.int, mission.netherlands@ties.itu.int, mission.nicaragua@ties.itu.int, mission.pakistan@ties.itu.int, mission.philippines@ties.itu.int, mission.qatar@ties.itu.int, mission.korea-rep@ties.itu.int,
mission.russian@vtxnet.ch, saudiamission@bluewin.ch, mission.senegal@ties.itu.int, mission.slovak@geneve.mfa.sk, slovenie@bluewin.ch, mission.south-africa@ties.itu.int, mission-geneve-oi@eda.admin.ch, mission.ukraine@ties.itu.int, geneva_un@fco.gov.uk, mission.uruguay@urugi.ch, mission.zambia@ties.itu.int
misionchile@misginchile.org, chinamission_gva@mfa.gov.cn, embacubaginebra@missioncuba.ch, mission.djibouti@djibouti.ch, mission.egypt@ties.itu.int, mission.france@ties.itu.int, mission.gabon@ties.itu.int, mission.germany@ties.itu.int, chancery@ghana-mission.ch, mission.india@ties.itu.int, mission.indonesia@ties.itu.int, rappoi.ginevra@esteri.it,
mission@ge-japan.ch, mission.jordan@ties.itu.int, ambamadsuisse@bluewin.ch, mwgeneva@ties.itu.int, mission.mauritius@ties.itu.int, mission.mexico@ties.itu.int, mission.netherlands@ties.itu.int, mission.nicaragua@ties.itu.int, mission.pakistan@ties.itu.int, mission.philippines@ties.itu.int, mission.qatar@ties.itu.int, mission.korea-rep@ties.itu.int,
mission.russian@vtxnet.ch, saudiamission@bluewin.ch, mission.senegal@ties.itu.int, mission.slovak@geneve.mfa.sk, slovenie@bluewin.ch, mission.south-africa@ties.itu.int, mission-geneve-oi@eda.admin.ch, mission.ukraine@ties.itu.int, geneva_un@fco.gov.uk, mission.uruguay@urugi.ch, mission.zambia@ties.itu.int
PLEASE WRITE YOUR OWN HUMAN RIGHT ABUSE STORIES IF NOT YOU CAN USE THE SAMPLE LETTER BELOW.
YOUR OWN PERSONALIZED STORIES CARRY MORE VALUES
PLEASE DO NOT COPY THE SAMPLE BUT USE THIS AS A GUIDE.
Sample letter 01: ( Use this Reuters article as a resource )
Dear Madam/Sir,
As I understand that an emergency session has been planned to to discuss the Sri Lanka 's human rights violations and war crimes against the Tamil civilians at the UNHRC.
Over the last many months and years, Tamil minority has faced with immense injustices in the hands of the Sri Lankan government and its armed force. It is the most hurtful thing that can happen to the Tamils that Sri Lanka even escaping condemnation from the peace loving world for its dire and open violation of human rights of Tamils.
UN said, between January 20th to May 7th this year at least 8000 civilians were killed and 17,000 more were injured. That initial analysis suggests an abnormally high number of child casualties, up to 45% of the overall total; a figure closer to 33% would have been expected. That would mean 3,600 children killed and 7,650 wounded, although many are believed to have later died after succumbing to their injuries due to a lack of facilities to treat them.
I humbly urge You all in the name of tens of thousands of Tamil civilians including women and children who were maimed and slaughtered by the Sri Lankan state armed forces in most cruel way, the Sri Lankan president, his defense secretary, his army commander and other officials who were responsible must be held accountable to the mass amount of Tamil civilian deaths. There must be an international war crimes tribunal in which these perpetrators are charged for their actions. Please I beg you all to do your utmost to bring the rouge Sri Lankan state to shame for its brutal and cruel treatments of its Tamil citizens.
Thank you for your support on this important matter.
Sincerely,
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Dear Madam/Sir,
I look foreward to the emergency session that has been planned to to discuss the Sri Lanka 's human rights violations and war crimes against the Tamil civilians at the UNHRC. "I have traveled around the world and visited similar places, but this is by far the most appalling scenes I have seen," said UN chief Ban Ki-Moon after his visit to Sri Lanka.
"Sri Lanka's Manik Farm Camp complex now holds the dubious distinction of being the largest displaced persons camp in the world," said Adams of HRW. "Some of those living at the Manik Farm, the largest of the displacement camps, as a prison or a concentration camp", TimesOnline reported.
Despite all this, the Sri Lankan Government yesterday ruled out complete access for aid workers until rebels hiding among the refugees had been weeded out. And this is troubling since there is no access and no media. We need a quick resolution on Sri Lanka to save children, elderly and others before it is late.
Sincerely,
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Madam/Sir,
As I understand that an emergency session has been planned to to discuss the Sri Lanka 's human rights violations and war crimes against the Tamil civilians at the UNHRC.
Over the last many months and years, Tamil minority has faced with immense injustices in the hands of the Sri Lankan government and its armed force. It is the most hurtful thing that can happen to the Tamils that Sri Lanka even escaping condemnation from the peace loving world for its dire and open violation of human rights of Tamils.
UN said, between January 20th to May 7th this year at least 8000 civilians were killed and 17,000 more were injured. That initial analysis suggests an abnormally high number of child casualties, up to 45% of the overall total; a figure closer to 33% would have been expected. That would mean 3,600 children killed and 7,650 wounded, although many are believed to have later died after succumbing to their injuries due to a lack of facilities to treat them.
I humbly urge You all in the name of tens of thousands of Tamil civilians including women and children who were maimed and slaughtered by the Sri Lankan state armed forces in most cruel way, the Sri Lankan president, his defense secretary, his army commander and other officials who were responsible must be held accountable to the mass amount of Tamil civilian deaths. There must be an international war crimes tribunal in which these perpetrators are charged for their actions. Please I beg you all to do your utmost to bring the rouge Sri Lankan state to shame for its brutal and cruel treatments of its Tamil citizens.
Thank you for your support on this important matter.
Sincerely,
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Madam/Sir,
I look foreward to the emergency session that has been planned to to discuss the Sri Lanka 's human rights violations and war crimes against the Tamil civilians at the UNHRC. "I have traveled around the world and visited similar places, but this is by far the most appalling scenes I have seen," said UN chief Ban Ki-Moon after his visit to Sri Lanka.
"Sri Lanka's Manik Farm Camp complex now holds the dubious distinction of being the largest displaced persons camp in the world," said Adams of HRW. "Some of those living at the Manik Farm, the largest of the displacement camps, as a prison or a concentration camp", TimesOnline reported.
Despite all this, the Sri Lankan Government yesterday ruled out complete access for aid workers until rebels hiding among the refugees had been weeded out. And this is troubling since there is no access and no media. We need a quick resolution on Sri Lanka to save children, elderly and others before it is late.
Sincerely,
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
