Subcommittee on International Human Rights Committee on Nov. 19th, 2013

[David Sweet, Conservative, Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, ON]

So we don't know if that's still continuing right now?

[Susan Gregson]

I can't tell you but I will get that.

[David Sweet, Conservative, Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, ON]

Another thing that concerns me with the testimony that I've heard here today is about how the human rights situation remains poor and is deteriorating in many ways.

There was a program to take former LTTE combatants. They were to be counselled and rehabilitated. That concerns me. Exactly what's happening with the Tamils who are being picked up? Is this still going on? And is the program a legitimate program or are there some concerns around that as well?

[Deborah Chatsis]

We'll have to get you an update on the current status of the program. I know that there have been some concerns, perhaps, about the approach taken with respect to the rehabilitation because of the focus on majority values, majority languages. It was the view coming from the central government, and from the south towards the north.

[David Sweet, Conservative, Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, ON]

That's exactly what I'm alluding to. If we have a regime right now where we are concerned about human rights violations and they are the ones who formulate the future thinking of these individuals who have surrendered and are detained now, I'm wondering what the outcome will be, particularly because the witness said they were spending, in the Sinhalese currency, 2.5 billion on this program. That was at that time, a couple of years ago. I don't know if they're still investing that kind of money or not in that program.

[Susan Gregson]

We'll take your question and get back to the committee with an update on where that stands.

[David Sweet, Conservative, Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, ON]

Also, whoever else is in the coalition of the demining, if you could make that known to us as well, other than our own country?

[Susan Gregson]

Absolutely.

[David Sweet, Conservative, Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, ON]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Scott Reid]

Thank you.

Mr. Jacob, you have the floor.

[Pierre Jacob, NDP, Brome—Missisquoi, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

In 2009, in the final stages of the civil war, the United Nations Human Rights Council examined the situation in Sri Lanka. There was a special session, co-sponsored by Canada. The council passed a resolution that Canada voted against. The resolution congratulated Sri Lanka for defeating the Tamil Tigers and loudly singing the praises of the government's actions.

In 2012-2013, the Human Rights Council passed resolutions critical of the human rights situation in Sri Lanka. The council invited the Sri Lankan government to make more effort to establish accountabilities and reconciliation.

Could you describe for us the inner workings of the United Nations Human Rights Council that led to the change we have seen between 2009 and 2012 and give us your opinion of why the tone of the 2009 resolution is so different from the tone of more recent statements from the council?

[Susan Gregson]

I think the 2009 resolution came right on the heels of the peace agreement. I think it would be normal for the Human Rights Council to welcome the peace accord. In later resolutions, however, in later sessions of the Human Rights Council, it would be normal for the council to look at the progress that has been made towards observation of human rights in Sri Lanka and progress towards peace and reconciliation. In fact, the council found that wanting, so that was reflected in the resolution.

[Pierre Jacob, NDP, Brome—Missisquoi, QC]

Thank you.

In your conclusion, you said that the country is heading in an increasingly authoritarian direction. You mention a lack of real reconciliation and tangible accountability since 2009.

Might it be necessary to call for an international inquiry into the serious violation of international laws on human rights and international humanitarian law in Sri Lanka? What form could it take? Who could conduct it? In your view, what would the conclusions or the probable outcome be?

[Susan Gregson]

I think our first recommendation would be for the Sri Lankan government to set up its own commission, an internal commission, and I believe that recommendation has been made. In order for an international commission to go into Sri Lanka, they would have to be invited by the elected Government of Sri Lanka. It would be a question as to whether that would be welcome or not. We have seen a deterioration in terms of failure to prosecute perpetrators of some of these acts of violence that I described earlier. So I guess it's an open question as to whether there would be any receptivity on the part of the Sri Lankan government to accept an international investigation.

Having said that, they welcomed the visit of Madam Pillay and allowed her to conduct her work even though her recommendations were dismissed after the fact.

[Pierre Jacob, NDP, Brome—Missisquoi, QC]

Thank you.

In your opinion, what can Canadian parliamentarians do to encourage accountability and eventual reconciliation in Sri Lanka?

[Susan Gregson]

As I indicated earlier in my response to a similar question from Mr. Cotler, in many countries there are groups of parliamentarians who have contacts with Canadian parliamentarians or parliamentary associations and friendship associations. I'm not aware of one with Sri Lanka but if there is one or if there were to be one that certainly would be a vehicle for raising Canada's concerns. Otherwise, continuing to raise issues both publicly and with the government would be helpful.

[Deborah Chatsis]

A report by this subcommittee would be very useful in helping to engage with the Sri Lankan parliamentarians and even the community itself.

[Pierre Jacob, NDP, Brome—Missisquoi, QC]

Thank you.

Mr. Chair, I am going to give my colleague the time I have left.

[The Chair, Conservative, Scott Reid]

Instead of doing that, Madam Sitsabaiesan, we'll start again with seven minutes. We have enough time to give you a full seven-minute round. Why don't we do that?

[Rathika Sitsabaiesan, NDP, Scarborough—Rouge River, ON]

Sure. Thank you.

I thank everybody else on the committee for this.

To continue with the comment you just made, Ms. Gregson, I created a Canada-Tamil friendship association. Days later we learned of the Sri Lanka Canada Friendship Association being created or resurrected. Both of those exist right now. I'm not a member of both of them. I'm the chair of the Canada-Tamil Friendship Group. The friendship association has looked into the possibility of sending a delegation of parliamentarians to Sri Lanka, not as government or ministers, but just average members of Parliament who are concerned about the issue to see things on the ground first-hand.

Do you think the ministry or the government would support this type of initiative because it's something you even suggested yourself?

[Susan Gregson]

Of course, that would be up to the government to decide. Should there be a decision to promote that visit then certainly you can count on the officials to provide support on the ground.

[Rathika Sitsabaiesan, NDP, Scarborough—Rouge River, ON]

Thank you.

You know from Navi Pillay's impeachment of Chief Justice Bandaranayake and a lot of the white vans and the enforced disappearances by the white vans and intimidation that violations continue to happen.

What do you suggest we could be doing as parliamentarians in Canada, other than calling for an international, independent, impartial inquiry that's led by the UN? What is on the ground here in Canada that we should be doing to pressure the Sri Lankan government?

[Susan Gregson]

Certainly, one avenue is through the parliamentary association. Also, engaging Sri Lanka on issues that as Commonwealth members we all ascribe to in terms of democracy, rule of law, etc., would be the way to try to engage. We're seeing that culture of impunity now that's a real concern and all of this white vanning. Even when apparently there are identifiable perpetrators, we don't see charges being laid. There's obviously quite a lot of work ahead of us.

[Rathika Sitsabaiesan, NDP, Scarborough—Rouge River, ON]

To follow along with what Mr. Sweet had started about the rehabilitation of child soldiers or former LTTE cadres-—I've forgotten the word they use—we don't really know the outcome of it and I thank you for providing that information to us, the research or whatever you do have available.

Do you have information on the female-led families? I know from other sources or information that's available from journalists that there are more than 90,000 widows from this war and there are many more people who are differently abled or disabled by dismemberment because of the war.

What is being done to help the people who have been disabled to attain some sort of livelihood or be able to work again? Is there anything being done for the widows?

From what I hear on the ground from people, whether it's my relatives who I speak to or just doctors and nurses or nuns who are helping out, women are continuing to be raped every day. Their children are being raped or women are being raped in front of their children. There's continuous ongoing militarization as you mentioned at the beginning. There is development that's occurring in the north but it's not being used for the resettlement of the IDP, internally displaced people.

What is being done for these women and women-led families? How can we ensure that any type of assistance that Canada is providing is actually being used for the betterment of the community as a whole rather than just continuing the ongoing militarization of the entire country?

[Susan Gregson]

Thank you for raising the situation of women in Sri Lanka. This is an area of concern. We know that 52% of the population is female, yet only 6% of the government members are female. This is a very wide discrepancy. Of course, we know what kind of impact the greater participation of women has on a society.

In terms of follow-up on Canadian development assistance, I'll turn to my colleague.