By Alok Bhatt
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – The European Union (EU) recently imposed a deadline on Sri Lanka’s human-rights report.  The consequences of failure to adhere to the EU deadline include a termination of trade concession worth up to $116 million dollars under the GSP Plus program.  The GSP Plus program functions to allow Sri Lanka tax-free exports to Europe on principle products such as domestic garments.  Only fourteen countries in the world currently enjoy such an economic relationship with the EU.

The tariffs cut would entail significant economic ramifications for Sri Lanka, while European countries would face minor inconveniences such as price increases for Sri Lankan import textiles.  The refusal for second-round tariffs would have the effect of eliminating thousands of jobs in Sri Lanka’s textile industry.

The Sri Lanka report to the EU must demonstrate the progress of the Sri Lankan government’s resettling initiatives for the hundreds of thousands internally displaced persons following the end of a twenty-five year war against the Tamil Tigers insurgency group.  Since the defeat of the Tamil minority’s fighting force, the Sri Lankan government has been confining scores of Sri Lankan nationals in refugee camps.  Due to the inadequacy of essential resources, dwellers in the camps, jointly funded by the UN and the Sri Lankan government amongst other groups, endure sub-human conditions.  Furthermore, recent flooding has increased the risk of water-borne diseases spreading in the camps.  Weather-worn roads have also made transportation of food and clothing to the camps difficult.  

The EU report concerning Sri Lankan’s practices include allegations of indiscriminate killing of civilians and arbitrary imprisonment.  EU officials stated that the observations made by the Sri Lankan government in its reports would be scrupulously examined before the EU can further consider the continuation of trade concessions.  The EU’s intense scrutiny of Sri Lanka’s government practices seems to stem from the Sri Lankan government’s prior failures to fulfill promises expedient resettling of internally displaced persons.  Furthermore, the international community expressed skepticism with the Sri Lankan government’s claim of conducting internal investigations in the form of a screening process to identify rebel attacks amongst the encamped civilians.

Sri Lankan officials voiced their dissatisfaction of apparent lack of clarity in some of the EU’s reporting demands.  The Sri Lankan government claims to have responded to specific human rights issues raised by the EU, although it never mentioned whether or not it compiled a full report until this morning (November 6).  The EU has yet to send its response to the Sri Lankan government.

Without the continuation of the trade concession, Sri Lanka’s textile workers will lose their business to other Asian countries such as Vietnam, India, and China.  The job cuts would be massive, and the inability to freely export garments would significantly strain Sri Lanka’s economic interests.  Considering the submission of the report, the EU suggested that it will continue discussions with Sri Lanka concerning the continuation of trade concessions.  

For more information, please see:

Al-Jazeera – Sri Lanka faces EU tariffs – 05 November 2009

Lankaweb – Sri Lanka’s observations on EC GSP Plus report handed over – 06 November 2009

Tamil Guardian –Sri Lanka hardens stand on GSP Plus – 29 October 2009