Mrs. Iwona Idzikowska Email: iwona.idzikowska@ec.europa.eu Tel: (32-2) 298.67.73 Fax: (32-2) 296.92.90 Ms. Myriam Menchen Email: myriam.menchen@ec.europa.eu Tel: (32-2) 299.08.85 Fax: (32-2) 296.92.90 European Commission Directorate-General for Trade Ms Oksana Zikuna Email: oksana.zikuna@ec.europa.eu Tel: (32-2) 298.61.36 Fax: (32-2) 296.98.50 European Commission Directorate-General for Taxation and the Customs Union Mr Philippe Cuisson E-mail: philippe.cuisson@cec.eu.int Tel: (32-2) 295.27.94 Fax: (32-2) 296.92.90 Mr Benoit Lefort E-mail: benoit.lefort@cec.eu.int Tel: (32-2) 299.86.90 Fax: (32-2) 296.92.90 Mr. Hannu Pitkänen E-mail: hannu.pitkanen@cec.eu.int Tel: (32-2) 296.83.25 Fax: (32-2) 296.92.90 Mr. Robert Light E-mail: robert.light@cec.eu.int Tel: (32-2) 295.07.89 Fax: (32-2) 296.98.50 European Commission Directorate-General for Taxation and the Customs Union
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[Your information will be inserted here] Prefix Firstname Lastname 123 Street Address MyCity, St 12345
Dear [Official's Title and Name will be inserted here]
We are writing to urge the European Union to reject the GSP Plus for Sri Lanka in light of the continued detention of more than 250,000 civilians in Sri Lanka’s internment camps.
Sri Lanka has continued to disregard international calls to free civilian detainees in these camps — 50,000 of whom are children. In late May, Sri Lanka made a commitment to the United Nations that the bulk of the civilians in the camps would be released in 180 days. Today, more than 130 days have passed since that pledge was made and only about five per cent of camp detainees have been released. This slow progress shows a lack of will on the part of the Sri Lankan government to meet its humanitarian obligations, adhere to human rights norms and pursue genuine reconciliation.
These camps have been called illegal by human rights groups around the world, including Human Rights Watch. As Amnesty International noted, detainees are denied basic legal safeguards and are not allowed to leave the refugee camps. The latter right is given to all displaced civilians around the world except in Sri Lanka. In addition, displaced people face restrictions speaking to aid workers and independent media and observers continue to be denied free access to camps. Consequently, Amnesty reports that these restrictions have left many detainees unprotected and at risk from enforced disappearances, abductions, arbitrary arrest and sexual violence.
As United Kingdom Labour MP Siobhain McDonagh said, “Do you really want to spend your money on a government that chooses to lock 300 000 people up behind barbed wire.”
By rejecting this trade concession, the European Union has an opportunity to ensure Sri Lanka is forced to honour its human rights obligations. It also has the opportunity to demonstrate it doesn’t sanction the blatant disregard for human rights norms. As a member of a global movement, www.NoToSrilanka.com, I am seeking preliminary and permanent injunction on economic assistance to the Government of Sri Lanka, making an appeal to the European Union to suspend GSP Plus based on Sri Lanka’s human rights violations.
Sincerely,
[Your full name will be inserted here]
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