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Human rights award for Sri Lankan activists

B. Muralidhar Reddy

Selected for Martin Ennals Award

COLOMBO: Rajan Hoole and Kopalasingham Sritharan, co-founders of the University Teachers for Human Rights (UTHR), Jaffna, and Pierre Claver Mbonimpa of Burundi have been selected for the 2007 Martin Ennals Award (MEA) for `human rights defenders.'

The MEA is a unique collaboration among 11 of the world's leading human rights organisations to give protection to human rights defenders worldwide, a statement by the Foundation said on Friday.

The citation honouring Prof. Hoole and Dr. Sritharan said the two activists monitored and documented reports of human rights abuses committed by the Sri Lanka Government as well as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

Ground-breaking investigations

"At great personal risk, they have reported on the effects of armed conflict on children, women, minorities and displaced persons over the past 18 years. Since the last upsurge in fighting, the UTHR has conducted ground-breaking investigations into the most serious atrocities, including the Trinco 5, the Mullaitivu bombing that killed some 51 young women and girls, and the execution-style slaying of 17 humanitarian aid workers."

Often alone in exposing abuses by all parties, both men were under death sentences from the LTTE. Since the assassination of their colleague, Rajani Thiranagama, they had been forced to work underground for more than a decade, but their reports were well known in Sri Lanka and abroad.

Fought for prisoners

On Mr. Mbonimpa, the citation said he served as a policeman in Burundi until December 1994 and was imprisoned for two years on false charges. "Upon his release, he founded NGOs to help protect the rights of prisoners, including the 9,000 prisoners that have been waiting for trial for years in the country's overcrowded jails".

Hans Thoolen, chairman of the jury, described the laureates as "symbols of the human rights movement in their respective countries, where standing up for human rights and democracy is a dangerous activity."

The statement said he drew attention to the laureates' principled stand to effectively cover abuses committed by both sides in the conflict.

Award ceremony

The 11 organisations on the jury called on the Sri Lankan and Burundi Governments to ensure the safety of the award winners and allow them to work without harassment. The awards ceremonywould be held in Geneva in October.

The jury comprised the Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Human Rights First, International Federation for Human Rights, World Organisation Against Torture, International Service for Human Rights, Front Line, International Commission of Jurists, Diakonie Germany, International Alert and Huridocs.

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