Protection of Human Rights and Mitigating Impunity (PHRMI) |
The overall objective of this unit is to lobby and advocate human security issues and to assist the vulnerable and the deprived. The scope is founded upon the seven components of human security recognized by the united nations of development fund.
Our human security policy is to provide protection to individuals in a holistic manner ensuring the security of all Sri lankans irrespective of their religion, gender, age, geographical location, physical and mental abilities and racial origins. Our primary concern is to protect all human lives from this critical and pervasive environment which includes economic well- being, adequate food, health care, protection of victims and potential victims from personal and political threats.
Objectives:
- To establish at the district level, an institution easily accessible to the target group to provide information about any violation of their rights and seek assistance to take further action in that connection.
- To Help the target group to obtain speedy relief from state institutions responsible fro dealing with violation of their rights, such the Police , National Human Rights Commission, the court of law etc.
- To provide legal assistance to those victims who had not received adequate and satisfactory relief from the state institutions such as to appeal to a higher authority or the courts in respect of such relief granted or otherwise.
- To provide assistance to the affected persons in the target groups and or his family to restart their lives after being affected by the violations of their rights, as for instance, a physical disability, loss of a breadwinner , displacement etc.
- To conduct programmes to raise awareness among the people of their rights under the law and to conduct advocacy campaigns in the regard.
- To collect and document all information relating to incidents of human rights violation in the respective areas, enter them in to a data for research and analyse by appropriate persons to understand the trends and patterns of such incidents.
- To use the data colleted for advocacy purposes to devise ways and means of preventing human rights violations in the future and dealing with impunity by perpetrators of such violations.
PHRMI IS DIVIDED IN TO TWO SECTIONS:
- Documentation Section
- Human Security Section
Documentation Section
This section consists of personnel having experience in collection and entry of data into a database specially prepared for to store information on human security incidents. The data would be collected from the reports of incidents human rights violations appearing in the newspapers in all three languages (English, Sinhalese and Tamil) and Web sites.
Confirmation of the incidents and particulars about the incidents shall be obtained from the District Offices of the CHA. Such officers will also provide to the documentation section all particulars of incidents that come to their notice by was of complaints or otherwise. The data would be collected by the district officers in a data entry form to be made available by the documentation unit.
The documentation unit has developed a draft control vocabulary to categories the violations in order to systematically analyse the data. In addition, the section assists the Colombo Knowledge Centre (CKC) team in collection of information which is disseminated by the information unit at head office of CHA.
Other services provided by the section:
DATABASE DESIGN & STAT ANALYZE
Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies (CHA) Documentation Unit has been developing databases for requested organizations and data analysis using software named Epi Info and SPSS.In this Epi info software we can create the data bases in 03 languages. (Tamil, Sinhalese and English), Final analyze can generate only in English.
By using this software we have done below Data bases.
- Capture the Human Right Violations (CHA). We used this DB before the Citizens net comes.
- RESIST – This is related to beneficiaries’ details for The Asia Foundation
- PERFECT- District Local authority development Project for The Asia Foundation
- Data Base for JDC Evaluation (CHA)
Training Program
- Training Program on database designing and data analysis using EpiInfo software
- Training program on data analysis using statistical software's (SPSS)
Human Security Section.
- Human Rights Monitoring Group (HRMG) –
In order to monitor and assist victims of human rights violation, an independent advisory group was formed on the initiative of CHA. It systematically monitors incidents of violation of human rights taking place in Sri Lanka. Information on such incidents are provided to it by the Documentation Unit and the District Officers of the CHA. The group comprises of local eminent persons to observe the manner in which investigations and inquiries into grave human rights violations are being conducted. This advisory group consists of human rights activist who are also academics, lawyers, senior civil servants.
The group meets at regular intervals and makes appropriate observations and recommendations to relevant authorities and organizations on the applicable international standards especially relating to the provisions of the International convention on Civil and Political Rights and the Social and Economic Rights towards the better observance of the rule of law in Sri Lanka. Such recommendations often comprise practical measure to address violations of human rights, particularly relating to the plight of people affected by the conflict, the plantations workers, Right of the detainees, conditions in the prisons to name few.
The HRMG also looks into violations of human rights as in the UN Declaration of Human Rights. This unit also makes substantive proposals concerning reform of existing laws and the functioning of the legal system.
For example: The HRMG wrote to the National Human Rights Commission pointing out the impropriety of its decision to impose a time limit of three months for invoking the jurisdiction of the Commission to entertain applications in relation to violations of human rights. Another instance , HRMG inquired from the last of Commissioner of Inquiry into Disappearances on their findings on the complaints made to the Commission as the report had not been made public and also the group issued a statement concerning problems faced by the people when crossing the Meddavachchiya check point.
To facilitate the smooth functioning of the HRMG , CHA has appointed a persons as Human Rights Desk Officer to function in the Ampara, Batticaloa , Trincomalee, Vavuniya, Mannar and Jaffna. The CHA has an officer based in Colombo to record data received from the districts and prepare reports based on the information received and to make them available to the HRMG. A network has been created in the district and national levels to monitor on a monthly basis the human security situation in those districts.
CHA provides the necessary logistical support, including meeting the running cost of the office of the HRMG, the payment of its staff and the maintenance of the office and its equipment.
Under this set of activities, measures will be taken to provide an avenue to entertain complaints and record statements relating to cases of human rights violations. Such information will also be used to ensure effective investigations into the matter. Monitoring the current pattern in human rights violations in the country will enable the law enforcing and implementation authorities to realistically assess the situation.
National and International level networking will be promoted. CHA provides legal assistance with the support of Institute of Human Rights which is a sister organization of the CHA , Livelihood assistance in collaboration with Relief and Rehabilitation unit of the CHA and Psychosocial assistance through CHA’s Psychosocial unit of the CHA.
- Mandate of HRMG
- Annual Report
- Press releases.
- Communication.
- Case studies.
- Picture gallery – fact finding missions.
- General Advocacy and reporting on Human Security related issues at District, Regional and National level.
The CHA’s Advocacy team addresses the issues of vulnerable groups, the underprivileged and victims of human rights violations such as arbitrary arrests with no charges made. This advocacy in partnership with individuals and organizations networked by PHRMI. The persons and organizations are chosen for such advocacy by a process of identifying the best suited to obtain positive results at the administrative or policy determination level. In essence that advocacy team seeks to bring about the equity, dignity and freedom of citizens who need assistance fro redress.
The advocacy team comprises the following staff of CHA and meet on weekly basis with the identified district based issue.
Executive Director – CHA/Manager – Relief and Rehabilitation/Assistant Manager – Advocacy/District Advocacy Officer/Legal Officer/Manager – Peace-related activities/Programme officer – Advocacy/Programme Officer – Human Security/ Coordinator – PHRMI/Programme Officer – Environment/Livelihood Coordinator and Psychosocial district liaising officer."
Issues such as those that relate to livelihood , Poverty alleviation, Chidlren’s rights, Minority rights, women’s rights, rights to the disable housing and educational issues, Rights of plantation workers such as housing, access to health, education facilities for their children and ensuring the upward mobility of this section of our citizens who have been trapped in poverty for nearly two centuries since their arrival in this country as cheap labour for the tea and rubber estates during colonial times.
