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Download CHOGM Journalist Guide.Pdf A MEDIA GUIDE Introduction The biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) is one of the world’s most important global summits when 53 heads of government gather to discuss global issues and to agree upon common policies. Holding this year’s meeting in Sri Lanka has brought great controversy; rather than hosting the Commonwealth’s flagship event, many believe the country ought to be facing an international investigation into allegations of war crimes during the country’s civil war, which ended in 2009. Meanwhile, the Government of Sri Lanka views this summit as a chance to draw a line across the allegations of atrocities, to shore up domestic support, and present an apparently reformed and reconciled Sri Lanka to the world. We have produced this journalists’ guide to CHOGM 2013 to help visitors see what lies behind the veneer of the CHOGM event. By intimidating their critics into silence, carefully managing media opportunities, and clamping down hard on civil society, the Government will try to portray Sri Lanka as a country enjoying a successful reconciliation process. With this guide, it should be possible to expose the full picture and the suffering still endured by too many Sri Lankans. CHOGM will see the largest congregation of the world’s media ever to assemble in Sri Lanka. This guide will assist journalists in telling the story of Sri Lanka and the summit. To this end, we also include useful practical and logistical information to help you to make the most of your visit. In addition, this guide gives a full background to the Commonwealth’s embarrassing decision to allow Sri Lanka to lead an organisation whose values it has repeatedly not respected. We have provided information regarding the security and ethical implications of the media’s coverage of this event, as well as some useful contacts which will help you report on the real story taking place in Sri Lanka. This guide was prepared by the Sri Lanka Campaign for Peace and Justice Ltd and published together with Human Rights Watch We are not affiliated with any political or ethnic group inside or outside of Sri Lanka. Contents Page What is CHOGM and why does it matter? 1 What is happening, and where? 3 - List and descriptions of key events and meetings - Outside the summit Practical information – Getting Around 7 Ethical tourism Accreditation, access, and security 9 - Security and seeing the real Sri Lanka - Accreditation and access - Seeing the North War crimes and other abuses in the final months of the conflict 13 Human Rights Since the Conflict 15 - Media Freedom - Attacks on Civil Society - Enforced Disappearances, Arbitrary Detention, and Extrajudicial Killings - Torture and rape - Sexual Violence - Attacks on Sri Lanka’s Muslims - Democracy, Rule of Law, Impeachment of the Chief Justice - Militarization and Land Grabs Contacts 21 What is CHOGM and why does it matter? CHOGM is the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting at which the leaders of all 53 member states gather to discuss global issues and to agree on collective policies and initiatives. The 22nd CHOGM meeting will take place in Sri Lanka in November. The meeting comes at a time when many believe Sri Lanka to be in contravention of the Harare Declaration committing all Commonwealth nations to the promotion of human rights and democracy under the rule of law, as well as the Commonwealth’s “Latimer house” principles of good governance following last year’s highly politicized impeachment and replacement of Sri Lanka’s Chief Justice—the leader of the judiciary. As host of the event, Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa will become the Commonwealth’s Chairperson in Office—this effectively means that Sri Lanka will lead the Commonwealth, in addition to chairing all Commonwealth meetings, for the next two years. The Commonwealth has just finished a process which ended with the publication of a new “Commonwealth Charter” in spring 2013. This was intended to redefine the Commonwealth as a “community of shared values.” Given Sri Lanka’s behaviour, many are now questioning what these values are. The Commonwealth once stood up to rights violators, making a significant contribution to the struggle against apartheid and demanding human rights’ improvements from the Government of Nigeria before it could host the Commonwealth Summit in 2003. However this kind of robust action now appears to be a thing of the past. The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG)—created to investigate serious or persistent violations of human rights—has inexplicably failed to place Sri Lanka on its official agenda, despite two UN reports and two Human Rights Council resolutions documenting serious human rights abuses within the country. It therefore seems likely that CHOGM 2013 will be a major embarrassment for all those in attendance. The Commonwealth now risks losing its already struggling political relevance. The UK Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Select Committee (FAC) stated in 2012 that: "continuing evidence of serious human rights abuses in Sri Lanka shows that the Commonwealth’s decision to hold the 2013 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Colombo was wrong. The [UK] Prime Minister should publicly state his unwillingness to attend the meeting unless he receives convincing and independently verified evidence of substantial and sustainable improvements in human and political rights in Sri Lanka." In 2013, the FAC delivered a scathing report saying that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office had been “timid and inconsistent” on the issue of human rights in Sri Lanka. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has announced his decision not to attend. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is under pressure not to attend as well. Various international political figures and bodies have voiced their concern about CHOGM taking place in Sri Lanka. These include: Desmond Tutu Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland Malcolm Fraser, former Prime Minister of Australia Political parties from Tamil Nadu state in India. The British Labour Party David Miliband, former UK Foreign Secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind, former UK Foreign Secretary Sir Ronald Saunders, prominent Caribbean diplomat Geoffrey Robertson QC, human rights lawyer Peter Kellner, Royal Commonwealth Society President - 1 - Ricken Patel, founder, Avaaz Those campaigning for justice for murdered British tourist Khuram Shaikh Bloomberg The Washington Post The Guardian Amnesty International The International Commission of Jurists and fifty-six eminent jurists from around the world International Crisis Group Minority Rights Group International International Federation for Human Rights Commonwealth Journalists Association Commonwealth Lawyer’s association (which called for Sri Lanka to be expelled from the Commonwealth) East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project Forum Asia Asian Legal Resource Centre Civicus Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative More importantly, several Sri Lankan activists have voiced their concerns over Sri Lanka hosting CHOGM.1 1 “Holding CHOGM in Sri Lanka “absolute sham”- Dr Saravanamuttu,” Tamil Guardian, June 23, 2013 http://www.tamilguardian.com/article.asp?articleid=8152 (accessed October 19, 2013); Amanda Hodge, “Tamils applaud CHOGM boycott,” The Australian, October 10, 2013, http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/policy/tamils-applaud-chogm-boycott/story-fn59nm2j- 1226735718356 (accessed October 19, 2013); “Much ado about CHOGM,” The Island, October 18, 2013, http://island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=90386 (accessed October 19, 2013); and “Why we need alternative Civil Society forum? – Interview with Dr.Nimalka Fernando,” [n.d.], video clip, YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sC8gRtbgog (accessed October 29, 2013). - 2 - What is happening, and where? Officially opening on November 15 in Colombo, CHOGM will include a number of cultural and civil society fringe events surrounding the main executive sessions and leaders’ retreat. Hambantota, the President’s home town on the country’s south coast, will host the Commonwealth Youth Forum; Hikkaduwa on the south-west coast, will host the People’s Forum; whilst Colombo’s Cinnamon Grand Hotel will host the Business Forum. Events for the spouses of delegates will also take place in Galle and Kandy. - 3 - List and description of key events and meetings What When Where Additional Info Committee of the 17-18 London Meeting of foreign ministers from every Commonwealth Nation. Its purpose Whole (CoW) October was to set the agenda for the Commonwealth Summit and to make any Meeting 2013 significant decisions that are to be made with respect to the Commonwealth and the Summit. Senior Officials 18 Oct London Meeting of senior civil servants attached to foreign ministers to discuss the Meeting implementation of the decisions of the CoW. Information Desks 01 Nov Colombo, open at Hikkaduwa, Airport/Hotels/Venue Hambantota s Pre-CHOGM Foreign 13-14 Nov Bandaranaike Ministers' Meeting Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH), Colombo Commonwealth 13 Nov BMICH, CMAG is the meeting of the foreign ministers of Australia, Bangladesh, Ministerial Action Colombo Canada, Jamaica, Maldives, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago Group (CMAG) and Vanuatu to discuss persistent violations of Commonwealth values by member states. Currently only Fiji is formally on CMAG's agenda. Sri Lanka has been repeatedly raised at CMAG meetings and is likely to be discussed but does not have a formal agenda slot. The Sri Lankan Government has advertised this CMAG meeting as being "to discuss the Harare declaration". This is something of a misnomer as all CMAG meetings are to discuss Commonwealth values as set out in the Harare declaration. We have been assured that this will be an entirely normal meeting of CMAG. Pre-CHOGM Media 13 Nov BMICH, Media briefings organized by the Commonwealth Secretariat Briefing Colombo Daily CHOGM Press 14-17 Nov BMICH, See above. Conferences Colombo Foreign Ministers' 13-16 Nov Colombo, Galle, One of several social events planned for spouses of delegates. Spouse Programme Kandy Heads of 15-16 Nov Colombo, Kandy One of several social events planned for spouses of delegates.
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