Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 597 relating to the need for the Sri Lankan government to treat the Tamil people who are currently being held, and others, in a better fashion.

Leave granted.

I move the motion as amended:

That the Senate—

(a)

agrees with the recent European Union resolution on Sri Lanka of 22 October 2009, that:

(i)

deplores the fact that more than 220 000 Tamil civilians are still being held in camps, and urges the Sri Lankan Government, in line with its public commitments, to return them to their homes and give humanitarian organisations free access to the camps and areas of return to provide necessary humanitarian assistance,

(ii)

Tamil leaders should commit themselves to a political settlement and renounce terrorism and violence once and for all,

(iii)

the Sri Lankan Government should respect human rights in the conduct of trials of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam members,

(iv)

the Sri Lankan Government should cease its repression of the media in the name of its anti-terrorist legislation, and

(v)

the Sri Lankan Government should put more effort into clearing minefields, which are a serious obstacle to reconstruction and economic recovery; and

(b)

urges Sri Lanka to accede to the Ottawa Treaty (Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction).