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EU punishes Sri Lanka for human rights abuses
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Colombo News Desk CND on 16 February, 2010 02:52:00
 
The decision comes after an "exhaustive investigation" by the European
Commission into the situation "which identified significant shortcomings in
respect of Sri Lanka's implementation of three UN human rights conventions," the
EU executive said in a statement announcing the measure.
Trade commissioner de Gucht says the decision will be regulalry reviewed
The withdrawal of "GSP Plus" (an extension of the Generalised System of
Preferences) will begin in six months time, it said, during which time Brussels
hopes to engage in a dialogue with Colombo over the matter, "giving Sri Lanka
extra time to address the problems identified."

EU trade commissioner Karel De Gucht said: "I would like to emphasise that I
hope Sri Lanka will sit with us over the next six months in order to agree upon
a set of measures that will result in rapid, demonstrable and sustainable
progress in relation to the human rights shortcomings we have identified."
Unlike many other EU trade relations, the GSP Plus programme is predicated
specifically on adherence to human rights norms.
Under the programme, the EU provides additional preferences to economically
vulnerable developing countries that have ratified and effectively implemented
27 international conventions in the fields of human and labour rights,
sustainable development and good governance.
The commission's investigation found breaches of three of these conventions in
the case of Sri Lanka.
The United Nations reported last year that some 6,500 civilians were killed in
fighting in the government's final assault on Tamil rebels. Human Rights Watch
at the time accused the Sri Lankan Army of "slaughtering" civilians during
indiscriminate artillery attacks, including by shelling hospitals.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa last week placed his main electoral opponent,
retired General Sarath Fonseka, under military arrest and prorogued parliament,
scheduling a general election for April.
Under the current state of emergency, the government has banned strikes,
attacked the media and imposed numerous detentions without trial. Death squads
are accused by campaigners of working with security services to kill activists,
politicians and journalists.
Brussels is to closely monitor the situation and regularly re-evaluate its
position. Once sufficient progress has been made, the decision is to be
reversed.