Tony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On 9 September, I attended with several other MPs and senators a meeting with a delegation of the Ceylon Tamil Association of South Australia, who briefed MPs and senators on the current situation in Sri Lanka and, in particular, on the terrible conditions being endured by many Tamils presently being held in camps. I understand that the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Stephen Smith, also met with some 20 representatives of the Tamil community earlier this week.

This year saw the end of decades of civil war in Sri Lanka—a civil war that, according to reports provided to me by Tamil association members, was horrific to say the least. It claimed the lives of thousands of children, women and elderly people, with some reports claiming that up to 120,000 innocent civilians were killed in the conflict. What was equally concerning was that international observers and journalists were being denied access to conflict areas and camps and had been prevented from observing or reporting on the atrocities being committed.

When the conflict came to an end in May it was hoped that the suffering would also come to an end and that some semblance of normality would be restored for the Tamil people. From the presentation to parliamentarians last week, which included a video clip of some of the campsites, that does not appear to be the case. For people in those camps the suffering continues. I understand that there are some 250,000, and perhaps even more, Tamil people currently held in cramped, unsanitary camps with inadequate food, clean water or medical aid. What is equally concerning are reports that aid that has been offered or provided by international aid agencies is being blocked or frustrated by the Sri Lankan government. The fate of many of the people in these camps is at a perilous stage because the deteriorating conditions within the camps will become much worse as the rains from the monsoon season arrive. Disease will set in in the already unsanitary camps, and there is a very real likelihood that the camps will be flooded.

In all conflicts there are contradictory accounts of events, and only those caught in the conflict know the truth of what is happening. I am not going to stand here and pass judgment on who is right or wrong in this conflict, but from what has been presented to me, and what was presented last week, there are sufficient credible sources of information that raise real concerns about the level of human rights abuse that has occurred, and continues to occur, in Sri Lanka. I welcome the statement by the foreign minister of the increase in aid being provided by the Australian government—an increase in aid to $35 million in the 2009-10 financial year, with a further $2 million being provided for landmine clearance and a further $5 million being provided to help with resettling some of the Sri Lankan people. However, what is just as important is the unrestricted access into all areas for journalists and international aid workers. This will allow independent assessments of need to be made so that the assistance that is being offered can in fact be delivered by the various international governments and aid agencies that are there wanting to assist but are being prevented from doing so. If they could go into those relevant areas, they could then make assessments and determine what other level of assistance can and should be provided by the whole international community, including Australia, so as to ensure that basic human rights, freedom and dignity are restored to the innocent victims of this conflict, who have already suffered enough.

Question agreed to.