Are tour operators turning a blind eye to Sri Lanka war crimes?

Top operators in frame

The Sri Lanka Campaign for Peace and Justice has recently uncovered evidence that a range of tour operators are currently offering holiday packages that provide commercial benefit to alleged perpetrators of human rights abuses.

Its investigation draws attention to those flights companies, hotels, restaurants and visitor attractions in Sri Lanka (many of which are included in holiday packages), that benefit individuals or organisations against whom there is credible evidence of war crimes, crimes against humanity or human rights abuses.

The lack of accountability for atrocities committed in the final stages of Sri Lanka’s conflict, in which it is thought at least 40,000 civilians were killed, has engendered a culture of impunity in which continued abuses thrive. There is strong evidence of ongoing torture, murder, discrimination, land-rights abuses and press intimidation in Sri Lanka, with those in power above the law.

The campaign organizers say that they seek to enable holiday-makers to make informed choices about tourism providers to ensure that their holidays do not benefit known human rights abusers, and are at the same time eager to highlight the many positive steps that holiday-makers can take so that their spending contributes to developing local communities.

The supporting details about these relationships, and evidence against the individuals involved, are available here: http://www.srilankacampaign.org

Many of the Sri Lankan providers are included in the holiday packages offered by:
Virgin Holidays, First Choice, Thomas Cook, STA Travel, Expedia, and Kuoni amongst others

The campaign gives examples including the following:
Dutch Bay Resorts: The Government of Sri Lanka has had a major part in the Dutch Bay tourist development in which large tracts of land have been acquired without proper consultation with local residents. The erection of high-barbed wire fences areas around coastal areas by the navy has had a huge impact on local residents, whose livelihoods depend on access to the surrounding fishing waters. Many fishermen now have to walk several miles to access beaches only a few hundred meters away.

And Mullativu Wildlife Sanctuary: The military is establishing a wildlife sanctuary in Mullaitivu, an area in the Northern region that saw much of the heavy fighting during the closing stages of the conflict. Critics argue that the arrangement is designed to prevent local ethnic minority communities from returning to their homes in the area, and that it is simply another means obstructing international investigation of an area suspected of harbouring mass graves.

The campaign points out that even in this context it is still possible for travellers to take positive steps to ensure that their holidays are ethical ones, and they are keen to promote the use of the many family run hotels, small businesses and community projects in Sri Lanka that offer a wonderfully authentic experience while providing benefits to legitimate business and local communities.

Travellers seeking to pursue a more activist role on their holidays can help remedy this by distributing material that is hard to get hold of within the country. A list of free, printable resources on human rights issues and nonviolent resistance is available at their website: http://www.srilankacampaign.org

Some organisations offer homestays with human rights defenders, giving visitors an insight into the country. Where tourists do engage with local people on human rights, they are encouraged to be respectful and also conscious of safety and security issues for local people.

The evidence presented by the Sri Lanka Campaign for Peace and Justice clearly indicates how international tour operators are offering packages to British holidaymakers that are profiting alleged perpetrators of human rights abuses – which sadly includes the Sri Lankan government itself, as well as the national airline. This situation powerfully highlights the need for tour operators to take a rights-based approach, which means conducting human rights due diligence on the destinations and packages they offer, in order to identify where these may be linked to rights abuses or abusers.

Said Rachel Noble, head of policy and research of Tourism Concern: "Tourism Concern has campaigned against the forced displacement and livelihood loss of fishing communities to make way for the Dutch Bay Resort in Kalpitiya, part of government-led mega-tourist resort development drive that is taking place across Sri Lanka. Lands and seas where locals have lived and fished for generations are being sold-off to the highest bidder, with no consultation and little if any compensation. "
See HERE and HERE

"The answer, however, is not to for tourists to stay away from Sri Lanka. Many locals are highly dependent upon tourism for jobs and livelihoods. Tourists could seek out smaller family-run hotels or guesthouses, or community-based tourism schemes, such as those featured in Tourism Concern’s Ethical Travel Guide"

Rachel Noble continued: "Every country in the world faces its share of social and political issues and associated human rights abuses, particularly those that have recently emerged from, or are engaged in civil conflict, such as Sri Lanka, Burma, India and Egypt. Tourists need to look beyond the glossy marketing brochures to inform themselves of such issues through our website, guidebooks, and the FCO, which will help them to make ethical choices about where to visit and who to stay with once there. "

In another story Tourism Concern puts tour operators even more in the hot seat. Child labour, lack of contracts, wages below the minimum wage, gender and ethnic discrimination, and slum-like living conditions are among the human rights violations endured by workers at hotels and other suppliers linked to three of Europe’s largest tour operators in Thailand and Turkey, according to new research by Fair Trade Centre, Sweden.

Read it here:Poor labour conditions in major tour operator supply chains exposed

Valere Tjolle
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