October 27, 2011 | Sri Lanka

With the kind assistance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, a Delegation of PGA Legislators, comprised of Ms. Bernadette Lahai, MP (Sierra Leone), Mr. Ashraf Chowdhury, MP (New Zealand), Lord George Foulkes (United Kingdom), Mr. E.M.S. Natchiappan MP (India) and Mr. Asiskumar Gajadien MP (Suriname), accompanied by a senior PGA staff member, participated in a one day, Fact Finding Field Excursion to Vivuniya and Jaffna in the Northern Party of Sri Lanka.

The purpose of this Field Excursion was to allow for this Delegation to better understand and see, at first hand, the current significant rehabilitation and re-location work currently ongoing in this part of the country, following the conclusion of the civil war in Sri Lanka two years ago, funded by the Government of Sri Lanka and numerous international donor agencies and national governments in the region.

During the course of this Field Excursion, the PGA Delegation had the opportunity to see/inspect several ambitious rebuilding/re-location projects in both Vivuniya and Jaffna, funded by the European Union and UNDP, among others.

The Delegation was also kindly received by Mrs. Emelda Sukumar, the Government Agent/District Secretary for Jaffna, in the presence of representatives from approximately 14 active civil society organizations in the Jaffna area. After an initial presentation given by Mrs. Sukumar providing extensive statistical information on the current significant rehabilitation work in the Jaffna region, a lively exchange of views took place. While several issues were raised, the importance of accountability perhaps excited the most debate, with one representative from local civil society present highlighting (in response to a remark from Ms. Bernadette Lahai MP (Deputy Convenor of the PGA International Law & Human Rights Program on the importance of accountability and the dangers of impunity), that there had been recent attacks on journalists and students in the Jaffna region and no arrests had taken place to date. The representative in question suggested that this lack of local accountability was symptomatic of a broader 'malaise' regarding accountability in general when serious crimes had been committed.

The PGA Delegation is most grateful to the High Commission of Sri Lanka to the United Kingdom, the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the local government of Jaffna, representatives of civil society, and, in particular, the people of Vivuniya and Jaffna that it had the privilege and pleasure to meet during their fact finding field excursion to northern Sri Lanka.

For further information on this Fact Finding Field Excursion by PGA to Northern Sri Lanka, please contact Peter. Barcroft, Director of Projects and Senior Program Officer, International Law & Human Rights, PGA at peter.barcroft@pgaction.org