John Murphy (Lowe, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Tonight I again raise my deep concerns regarding the rising violence in Sri Lanka, particularly the killing of civilians, including the most vulnerable of victims—children. In what could be a result of the international community’s neglect, apathy or willingness to turn a blind eye, Sri Lanka has been marred in needlessly wasteful interethnic tensions since the late 1950s. It has not been uncommon for the civilian Tamil population to be the target of tragic extrajudicial killings, rape, torture and arbitrary arrest.

Whilst the 2002 cease-fire agreement between the government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam brought hopes of peace for all parties involved in this intractable dispute, it appears the island of Sri Lanka is yet again engulfed in the sort of ferocity that once brought the needless death and displacement of hundreds of thousands of people. It is a situation that all Australians hoped would be at an end following the 2002 cease-fire. Such was the optimism that many, me included, were looking forward to tangible steps being taken towards the resettlement and rehabilitation of Tamils in the war-torn north-east of Sri Lanka, as well as Tamil self-determination. Sadly, these commendable goals now seem further away than ever. This is not a surprise, given that the antecedents to peace are being systematically destroyed.

A Reuters report dated 11 May 2006 notes that Sri Lankan troops have been involved in the killing of ethnic Tamil civilians in the island’s north. Whilst the Sri Lankan government has denied such reports, this is contrary to advice from 60 unarmed monitors from Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway and Iceland. Of concern is a report on 16 May 2006 from Amnesty International that states, inter alia, that there has been:

... a disturbing pattern of incomplete or ineffective investigations by the government, with the result that perpetrators of such violence generally operate with impunity.

If ever proof were needed that the cease-fire now only exists on paper, that is it.

This afternoon I attended a peaceful demonstration, organised by the Australian Federation of Tamil Associations, on the lawns of Parliament House and restated my support for a negotiated peace with the Tamil people. I also had the opportunity today to speak to local Tamils from my electorate of Lowe. Many have been paralysed by the recent turn of events in their homeland. There must be an end to this unnecessary bloodshed. There can be no doubt that all reasonable people in Sri Lanka—be they Tamil, Sinhalese or Muslim—demand a peaceful solution from their government. Following the deaths of over 60,000 people over more than two ferocious decades, the people of Sri Lanka surely deserve peace. No political, cultural or religious dispute can be worth so many wasted lives.

On 1 June 1999 I stood in this House and called on the Australian government to take urgent action to press the Sri Lankan government to (1) withdraw its security forces from the occupied Tamil homeland, (2) lift the embargo on essential food and medicine, (3) seek a political solution to the conflict with the Tamil people that would enable them to choose their own political and national status and (4) recognise the Tamil right to self-determination as stipulated in article 1 of the International Covenant on Social, Economic and Cultural Rights. I reiterate that call again tonight. I also make reference to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which states:

All people have the right of self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.

This must apply equally to the Tamil people as it does the Sinhalese. However, it is a truism that the building blocks of self-determination may only be laid upon a foundation that comprises a cease-fire which is fully adhered to by all parties. It is with this in mind that I again call on the Australian government to make a concerted diplomatic effort to persuade the Sri Lankan government to implement the cease-fire agreement in full, with particular reference to the disarming of the paramilitary forces as agreed to in Geneva.

The previous inertia shown by the Howard government to the bloodbath in Sri Lanka lies in stark contrast to the untiring efforts of the Norwegian government to facilitate peace. The Howard government must seize the opportunity, albeit belatedly, to play a leading role in bringing the Sinhalese and Tamil communities together. Of course, apathy towards the situation in Sri Lanka may remain an option for the government. However, such a course would ensure that Australia is implicitly participating in the destabilising influence of Sri Lanka yet again, melting down into further decades of protracted civil war. Such a civil war can only destabilise our immediate region. The Howard government has an obligation to the thousands of Tamils in Australia, and the million Tamils worldwide, to help bring about a peaceful coexistence that is vital for peace and prosperity in Sri Lanka—as well as our immediate region. Australia can start by lobbying the Sri Lankan government to fully implement the 2002 Norwegian cease-fire agreement.