The Australian Senate has rejected Prime Minister Tony Abbotts stance on human rights abuses in Sri Lankan, and called on the Prime Minister to raise an independent investigation into allegations of violations of international human rights la and international humanitarian la ith the President of
Sri Lanka at the !"#$ %ommon ealth &eads of 'overnment Meeting in %olombo( 'reens Senator Lee )hiannon said *Tony Abbotts public comments that human rights abuses in Sri Lanka comes second to his inhumane domestic policies about so called +boat people are disgraceful( ,hile in Sri Lanka last eekend, - found the ongoing abuses of human and
legal rights are so serious that Tony Abbott should have follo ed the lead of the %anadian, -ndian and Mauritius Prime Ministers and boycotted %&.'M( The Australian Senate has no Prime Minister to act passed a 'reens motion calling on the
independent investigation into allegations of violations of international human rights la Sri Lanka( Tony Abbott needs to listen to the Australian Parliament, and commit to at least fulfilling this basic re/uest( and international humanitarian la ith the President of
ill be
ith the Sri Lankan President and calling for a full, independent ar crimes( Tony Abbott has no e2cuse to ignore
this call from the Senate,3 said Senator )hiannon( The motion is as belo 4 5otice of Motion 6 Senator )&-A55.5 and Senator M-L57 #$ 5ovember !"#$ - give notice that on #8 5ovember !"#$ - shall move that4 The Senate notes4 The 95 'eneral Assembly &uman )ights %ouncil )esolution encouraging the Sri Lankan 'overnment to conduct an independent investigation into allegations of violations of international human rights la humanitarian la , as applicable( The Senate calls on Prime Minister Abbott to4 To raise the matter of an independent investigation into allegations of violations of international human rights la la and international humanitarian and international
ith the President of Sri Lanka at the !"#$ %ommon ealth &eads of
said that the situation in the North&ast under $ahinda Ra'apakse regime is dire, that the Sri Lanka army(s involvement in )ivilian life
is pervasive and Australia is turning a blind eye to )redible allegations of )ontinuing torture, rape and )rimes against humanity reported by respe)ted Rights groups and by several video do)umentaries from hannel*+, Rhiannon pointed out the
in)reasingly voi)ed broad )onsensus from several )ountries for an international investigations into the war*)rimes by the Ra'apakse regime, and praised the "#G$ boy)ott of several Prime $inisters
in spotlighting the Sri Lanka(s )ontinuing dismal rights re)ord and la)k of a))ountabililty for war*)rimes, Rhia o de!"ribed the boy"ott o# $a adia %rime
Rhia &arliame t o !&ee"h i 4u!tralia
Ma moha Si )h, Mauritiu! %rime Mi i!ter, *r Navi "ha dra Ram)oolam, a d al!o Tri idad a d Toba)o+! %rime Mi i!ter, ,amla %er!ad-.i!!e!!ar, /ere brave a"t! that have e0&o!ed the i evitability o# Sri 1a 2a havi ) to a""ou t #or the "ommitted "rime! duri ) the /ar3
1ee Rhia o , 4u!tralia Gree Se ator Rhia o !aid !he vi!ited Sri 1a 2a a! !he /a ted 5to be the voi"e the 4u!tralia )over me t ha! re#u!ed to be to hel& am&li#y the voi"e that !&ea2! o# the horre dou! huma ri)ht! abu!e! that the Sri 1a 2a )over me t i! i volved i 6the voi"e that i! &art o# a )ro/i ) i ter atio al "all #or a i de&e de t i ve!ti)atio i to the /ar "rime! "ommitted duri ) the brutal "ivil /ar i /hi"h more tha 40,000 Tamil! /ere 2illed i 7u!t #ive mo th! i 20083
5( have "am&ai) ed o the!e i!!ue! #or ma y year! o/, but !eei ) them #ir!tha d elevated my "o "er ! about the /orryi ) !ituatio !o ma y &eo&le live i i that "ou try, &arti"ularly the /ome 3 ( traveled /idely a d met a ra )e o# &eo&le, &arti"ularly member! o# &arliame t, member! o# &rovi "ial "ou "il!, reli)iou! leader! a d "ommu ity leader!3 ( am ot )ivi ) the ame! o# all the!e &eo&le, be"au!e a#ter ( /a! detai ed ( be"ame more "o "er ed about &eo&le+! !a#ety, eve thou)h ma y o# the &eo&le !aid they /ere ha&&y #or me to u!e their ame!, Rhia o !aid3
She added a $atholi" #ather /ho ha! do"ume ted the detail! o# more tha 2000 &eo&le di!a&&eared a#ter bei ) arre!ted alive had told her that "rime! that have bee "ommitted a d tho!e that "o ti ue to be &er&etrated amou t to )e o"ide a)ai !t the Tamil!3
The Se ator !aid that !he i! a!to i!hed that 4u!tralia "o ti ue! to de#e d the Sri 1a 2a )over me t+! li e that there are o huma ri)ht! a d le)al ri)ht! abu!e! ta2i ) &la"e i Sri 1a 2a3
She added that the relatio !hi& bet/ee 4u!tralia a d Sri 1a 2a i! u healthy, a d added that there i! &er"e&tio that there mi)ht be a deal bet/ee the t/o )over me t! /here the 4u!tralia )over me t doe! ot "riti"i9e the Sri 1a 2a huma ri)ht! re"ord, a d i retur 4u!tralia o##i"ial! li2e tho!e i the 4u!tralia :ederal %oli"e a d 4S(; /or2 out o# the hi)h "ommi!!io a!!i!ti ) the Sri 1a 2a )over me t to !to& the boat!3