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EU to cut Sri Lanka trade benefits over rights

15 February 2010, 23:08 CET
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(BRUSSELS) - European Union nations decided Monday to withdraw preferential trade benefits from Sri Lanka due to "significant shortcomings" on human rights issues, the EU Commission announced.

The decision came after an "exhaustive investigation... identified significant shortcomings in respect of Sri Lanka's implementation of three UN human rights conventions," the commission said in a statement.

The suspension of the GSP+ (Generalised System of Preferences plus) benefits will not take effect for six months "giving Sri Lanka extra time to address the problems identified," the EU executive added.

"I would like to emphasise that I hope Sri Lanka will sit with us over the next six months in order to agree upon a set of measures that will result in rapid, demonstrable and sustainable progress in relation to the human rights shortcomings we have identified," said new EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht.

The European Union's GSP+ scheme gives 16 poor nations preferential access to the trading bloc in return for following strict commitments on a wide variety of social and rights issues.

Sri Lanka's hawkish government has faced almost constant criticism over the past several years because of the way it has conducted a war against Tamil Tiger rebels.

Government forces have been accused of a host of rights violations including the indiscriminate killing of thousands of Tamil civilians, the murder of aid workers and the execution of surrendering rebels.

Sri Lanka gains about 150 million dollars annually due to preferential tariffs, according to trade estimates.

The island's clothing industry is the main beneficiary, using the tax breaks to sell to high street retailers in Europe.

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EU to cut Sri Lanka Trade benefits

Posted by Scrivan Muttu at 15 February 2010, 20:25 CET
This is the nth time we are reading about this over the past 2 years, thereby seemingly aiding and abetting in what happened in the Wanni! Now SL is accusing the US and Norway of aiding Sarath Fonseka, an allegation denied by both countries. Earlier the Psreiednt had accused the EU of "strategic interference in its internal affairs" while all norms of governance and human rights are being openly flouted in that country. Is EU just going 'soft' while Sri Lanka is behaving in a wild fashion?

EU to cut

Posted by CLAUDE WIGNARAJ at 15 February 2010, 21:19 CET
EU must cut all benifits which they are giving to sri lanka.this is the best way then only the RAJAPAKSA will come quite.all thses days he that can do any thing.not only EU, all other countries must do the same.we must teach a lession to him.RAJAPAKSA things that after he took the docterate from RUSSIA he can do any thing.this only to RUSSIA.this docterate is valid only to RUSSIA not to other countries.

Always the oppressor define the path of the struggle not the oppressed

Posted by Kokila at 15 February 2010, 21:57 CET
The current plight of Tamils is essentially a result of the "ideological bankruptcy of the International Community" in not being able to find universal formulas for recognising righteous questions of self determination .
Tamil youths right or wrong took armed struggle because they saw continuously failed political process and law of the country miserably failed to protect the vulnerable Tamils.

The world support for "War on Terror" was nefariously abused by Colombo to brutally oppress the minority Tamils political rights. India's support to Colombo regime is a atrocious crime and an insult to its history

International pressure is being stifled in the United Nations and elsewhere, China ,Russia and India's opposition to censure Colombo at the Security council during the height of the onslaught as evidence that the machinery of the United Nations has been emasculated by China's veto as China considers Recalcitrant Colombo is in its sphere of influence before slamming Beijing's promotion of non-interference with national sovereignty as convenient.
As world history attests, peace sought through the suppression and humiliation of an ethnic community proves to be elusive.First brutally abusing the human rights of a people to shatter their spirit and then in the guise of restoring them blunting the basic political question is the trick experimented with Tamils by the forces of the newly found dangerous "new world order" ?

Colombo still seeks to hold back the truth. Tamil's democratic right for self determination has been brutally crushed by the Govt. Those who speak up are labeled "traitors" or terrorist supporters, underscoring the communal character of the Colombo Govts and its war crime agents.