Stephen Smith (Perth, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I wish to update the House about the grave humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka.

As members would recall, I delivered a ministerial statement on Sri Lanka on 5 February. At that time, I said that the long-term security and prosperity of Sri Lanka would only be achieved through a political solution or settlement that met the legitimate aspirations of all Sri Lankans. For Sri Lanka to achieve a lasting settlement and an enduring peace, political reform and rapprochement between all parties and communities is clearly required. That remains Australia’s view and the basis of Australia’s policy on Sri Lanka. It is a view I have continued to relay to the Sri Lankan government, including when I spoke to Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama on 30 April. I also relayed to him our profound concern at the worsening humanitarian situation in the north of Sri Lanka.

The safety and protection of civilians must be the absolute priority for all sides fighting in northern Sri Lanka. Tragically, many civilians have been killed and further loss of life is inevitable unless both sides cease hostilities to allow civilians to leave the conflict zone. It is essential that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) allow civilians to leave the conflict zone.

There can be no doubt that the military advance of the Sri Lankan government has been rapid. Having at one stage reportedly controlled about a third of Sri Lanka’s territory, the LTTE leadership is now confined to a small strip of land less than five square kilometers. It is clear that a military victory by the Sri Lankan government is imminent, irrevocably changing the situation on the ground after decades of conflict. All of us in the House and in the Australian community must recognise the qualitatively changed situation in Sri Lanka. Recognising these new circumstances and motivated by our concern for the safety and welfare of civilians, Australia supports the call of the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon for a humanitarian pause in fighting.

In my 30 April conversation with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Bogollagama, I welcomed the Sri Lankan government’s announcement that combat operations using heavy calibre weapons, aerial weapons and combat aircraft which could cause civilian casualties would cease. Noting that then as now there were reports of such operations continuing, I told him that it was vital that these commitments were implemented in full. Mr Bogollagama reassured me this commitment was being met.

I note with deep concern, however, that fighting is continuing in this area and I am aware of reports over the weekend of many civilian deaths as a result of shelling within the conflict zone. Further offensive action will inevitably cause further civilian suffering. As the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator, John Holmes, has said, there are now ‘twin’ emergencies in northern Sri Lanka. The first emergency involves tens of thousands of civilians still trapped in the conflict zone. These people need safety from the fighting. We can be certain that they desperately need food and medical assistance. Their plight deteriorates with each passing day.

The second emergency is the situation of those who have recently escaped the conflict zone. Nearly 200,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) are living in camps in northern Sri Lanka. The United Nations has the full support of the Australian government as it works with the Sri Lankan authorities to address the worsening humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka. Australia commends the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, international and Australian NGOs and the Sri Lankan government for their efforts in meeting the critical needs of civilians in the camps.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon has repeated his call for UN humanitarian teams to gain access to the conflict zone to assess the full extent of the civilians’ situation in the area. Australia strongly supports this call. There is no justification for refusing to allow the United Nations and key humanitarian aid agencies full access to affected areas. Australia also urges the Sri Lankan government to ensure as a matter of urgency that the process of evacuation from the conflict zone is open to monitoring by the International Committee of the Red Cross and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and other UN officials. Such access would underline the Sri Lankan government’s commitment to the protection of its civilians and build confidence in its management of this difficult situation.

With the growing crisis, the Australian government has responded to assist affected civilians in Sri Lanka. I announced last week that, following an urgent United Nations appeal for emergency international assistance, Australia would provide a further $10 million in humanitarian assistance to meet the needs of civilians adversely affected by the conflict, particularly those in displaced people’s camps or those near the conflict zone. The additional funds will be provided through United Nations agencies, including UNICEF and the World Food Program, as well as Australian NGOs. Australian assistance will provide water, sanitation, shelter, food and health care to civilians in need. Australia’s total contribution to assist the victims of the conflict in Sri Lanka since December 2008 now stands at $23.5 million.

Australia also welcomes the commitment and efforts of its international partners. Recent international missions to Sri Lanka have included that of United Kingdom Foreign Secretary David Miliband and French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner. I have spoken to both ministers about their visit and I support their call overnight for the UN Security Council to address the humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka. Mr Miliband’s account of his visit to Sri Lanka, along with reports from others, reveals that there remains much human suffering among the civilians trapped in the conflict zone. Reports of abuses from within the conflict zone include accounts of civilians forced by the LTTE to stay in its territory, of forced recruitment of children and adults by the LTTE, of deaths and injuries from bombs and artillery, and of families desperately seeking news of their loved ones. There are also reports of anxieties among Tamil civilians about their future in government-held areas.

Australia continues to condemn the terrorist tactics of the LTTE. Australia urges the LTTE to allow civilians caught in the conflict zone to leave, to end its practice of forced recruitment and to renounce terrorism. Australia continues to urge the LTTE to lay down its arms. We again condemn the LTTE’s targeting of civilians in or departing the conflict zone and the completely unacceptable use of civilians as human shields. The government further urges the Sri Lankan community in Australia to add its weight to help ensure that civilian life is protected in the north of Sri Lanka.

Many members of the Sri Lankan Tamil community in Australia have written to me concerning loved ones in Sri Lanka. They have recounted stories of their own, often tragic, personal and family experiences. Many others have conveyed their concerns about the humanitarian crisis, including through peaceful demonstrations, letters and dialogue with members and senators on all sides. I have also heard from leaders of Australia’s religious communities, most recently from the Catholic Auxiliary Bishop of Canberra and Goulburn, Pat Power. They have let me know their distress at the grave humanitarian situation of civilians in this conflict.

The Australian government shares fully these concerns. We will continue to convey them forcefully to the Sri Lankan government. There is no military solution to Sri Lanka’s civil conflict. Australia, a longstanding friend of Sri Lanka, urges its government to ensure its civilians have confidence in the government’s commitment to their protection. As my French and United Kingdom foreign ministerial colleagues have made clear, in the Sri Lankan government’s moment of military victory it must show the humanity and self-interest to win the peace.

I ask leave of the House to move a motion to enable the Deputy Leader of the Opposition to speak for nine minutes.

Leave granted.

I move:

That so much of the standing of the sessional orders be suspended as would prevent Ms J. Bishop (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) speaking in reply to the ministerial statement for a period not exceeding 9 minutes.

Question agreed to.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The coalition supports the efforts announced by the Minister for Foreign Affairs to help civilians caught up in the humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka’s north. We welcome the minister’s announcement last Friday, 8 May of a further $10 million in humanitarian assistance to meet the critical needs of civilians affected terribly by this conflict, particularly those in displaced people’s camps or those near the conflict zone.

The minister has responded to the launch on 4 May of an urgent United Nations appeal for emergency international assistance. The United Nations estimates that 6,500 civilians have been killed this year and tens of thousands of civilians have fled their homes. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam or LTTE—the Tamil Tigers, the separatist militant organisation that has fought for independent homeland for Sri Lanka’s Tamil minority since 1983—have been pushed back by government forces into a tiny pocket of territory. It is estimated that, over the 26 years of this conflict between the government and the LTTE, more than 70,000 people have been killed and over 400,000 people have been displaced from their homes.

The United Nations continues to plead for access to the conflict zone so that people can be evacuated and the sick and wounded be attended to. But, with an estimated 50,000 civilians still trapped in this zone just three square kilometres in size, over last weekend the situation has become dire. According to the United Nations spokesman in Colombo, Gordon Weiss, more than 100 children were among a large number of Tamil civilians killed in a weekend.

A doctor inside the zone reportedly estimated that up to 1,400 people may have been killed in two days of air and artillery attacks. Colombo has denied using artillery or aircraft and has accused the LTTE of using mortars to fire on civilians for propaganda purposes. There is little opportunity to verify these claims or casualty figures, particularly because independent journalists are denied access to the conflict zone.

While the government describes the conflict zone as a government designated safe area, the United Nations has described the situation inside that area or zone as a bloodbath. Sri Lanka has objected to the remark and intends to formally complain. However, a statement issued today by the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, reiterated that he is:

… appalled at the killing of hundreds of civilians in Sri Lanka over the weekend. Thousands of Sri Lankans have already died in the past several months due to the conflict, and more still remain in grave danger.

He went on to say he was:

… deeply concerned by the continued use of heavy weapons in this situation. The reckless disrespect shown by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for the safety of civilians has led to thousands of people remaining trapped in the area.

The Secretary-General called once again in the strongest terms possible for both sides to adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law and has demanded that the LTTE allow the estimated 50,000 civilians remaining in the conflict zone to leave immediately. He urged the government to bring the conflict to an end without further bloodshed. The government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE have blamed each other for causing the deaths through each side’s artillery bombardments.

The world is watching events in Sri Lanka closely and is greatly disturbed at the further violations of international law. Mr Ian Kelly, United States State Department spokesman, said overnight that the United States was deeply concerned at the unacceptably high level of civilian casualties. He confirmed that the United States has repeatedly urged the Tamil Tigers to lay down its arms and allow the civilians to leave the safe zone. He went on to say:

The government of Sri Lanka should abide by its April 27th statement that combat operations have concluded and security forces should end the use of heavy weapons which of course could cause civilian casualties.

Back in March, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton expressed to the Sri Lankan government the United States deep concern over the deteriorating conditions and increasing loss of life. Secretary Clinton said:

… a durable and lasting peace will only be achieved through a political solution that addresses the legitimate aspirations of all of Sri Lanka’s communities

Secretary Clinton called on the Sri Lankan government to put forward a proposal to engage Tamils who do not espouse violence or terrorism and to develop power-sharing arrangements to achieve a lasting peace and reconciliation. We join with the government of Australia in strongly supporting this stance of the United States.

We note that United Kingdom foreign secretary David Miliband has also demanded an end to the killing. Mr Miliband has called on the United Nations Security Council to take up this crisis and for all levels of the United Nations to hold discussions on the conditions facing Sri Lankan civilians trapped by the conflict. The coalition notes the efforts made by the two representatives of two Security Council member countries to resolve the crisis—the United Kingdom and France. It is with regret that the international community notes that the visit to Sri Lanka on 29 April of Mr Miliband with French Foreign Minister Kouchner did not result pacifying the situation.

While we welcome the Australian government’s humanitarian assistance to date to help alleviate suffering in northern Sri Lanka, we also join with the government in its view that Sri Lanka’s conflict cannot be resolved through military means alone. We consider a political solution to be essential for long-term peace in this long-suffering nation. The coalition will welcome further announcements of assistance by the government to the thousands of people who remain trapped in the conflict zone. We join international calls for both sides to cease hostilities and allow innocent civilians to leave harm’s way. The coalition believes that there should be a ceasefire to enable urgent humanitarian assistance to reach civilians trapped in the conflict zone and for civilians to safely leave the conflict area. We call for greater access for international humanitarian agencies to the Sri Lankan government temporary camps in order to treat the sick, monitor the activities of both sides of the conflict and to evacuate innocent civilians.

The coalition is saddened to hear of reports today that a shell has killed a local staff member of Caritas Australia who was working in one of the troubled regions in Sri Lanka’s north. Caritas Australia’s CEO, Jack de Groot, said that the tragic death adds to the growing number of innocent victims caught in the brutal conflict. Without an urgent ceasefire, many more innocent lives will be lost.

We consider that the Australian government should raise with the International Monetary Fund the possibility of linking progress on these urgent humanitarian issues to the requests of the Sri Lankan government for a US$1.9 billion loan. Sri Lanka is a country with a rich cultural history and a great natural beauty. It was once described by explorer Marco Polo as ‘one of the finest islands’. It has been the subject of a great body of art and literature and its beauty captured gloriously in a long poem by a Mrs Dent written in 1886:

Here, the proud ocean basks beneath his rays,

As pearl-entangled fringe the golden sands

Caress with murmurs soft, while fitful plays

The diamond spray, whose jewelled and glitt’ring bands

Encircle thee, Queen of the Indian Sea.

Ceylon! what land can e’er compare with thee?

The whole world urges Sri Lanka to again ensure that its citizens can live peacefully on this island of great beauty and serenity. Its citizens deserve no less.