Government mulling NGO monitoring system

By Dilshani Samaraweera
The government says it is considering an ‘end-to-end-monitoring mechanism’ of NGO supplies sent to the North and East and other controls on NGOs. Along with donor countries, the government also urged the media to stop what was termed ‘the NGO witch hunt.’
“We are looking at coming up with a code of conduct for NGOs and INGOs, for them to know the parameters to operate in this country. This should be done in the course of dialogue with all the stakeholders,” said the Minister for Disaster Management and Human Rights, Mahinda Samarasinghe, speaking to the media this week.

“Another avenue being considered is a monitoring mechanism on end-to-end use of supplies sent to conflict areas,” he said. Stopping information to the public on investigations or allegations against NGOs and INGOs, while an investigation is in progress, is also on the cards.

“No public statement must be made while the investigation is on, unless they are caught in the act. But if it is only an allegation, it will be investigated, and until the investigation is finalised, no public statement is to be made,” said the Minister. The government position was voiced at a press conference convened by 15 of the major donor countries to Sri Lanka, in the face of allegations of increasing harassment of NGO and INGO personnel in the country.

Witch hunt
The donor country ambassadors say that harassment of NGO and INGO personnel is linked to unverified media reports implying that such organisations are covertly assisting the LTTE.“Of recent there has been an increased criticism of NGOs, that endangers them and make it more difficult for them to work,” said the Head of Delegation of the European Commission in Sri Lanka, Julian Wilson.

“Unfortunately some NGOs have been the target of unsubstantiated allegations in the Sri Lankan press and elsewhere. This has resulted in the staff of these NGOs being subject to physical harassment and intimidation,” said US ambassador, Robert Blake. The donor country ambassadors maintain that NGOs based in their countries are under strict surveillance and in some cases subject to anti-terrorism laws.

“All American NGOs are subject to very strict prohibitions under American law against providing assistance to the LTTE, which is listed as a terrorist organisation in the United States,” said Blake. The US ambassador says the US will cooperate with the Government of Sri Lanka in meting out punishments, if any US based NGO is helping the LTTE.

“Australia listed the LTTE as a terrorist organisation in 2002 and there have been a number of raids against persons breaching the laws to assist the LTTE,” said Australian High Commissioner, Greg French. EU countries meanwhile, maintain that NGOs based in their countries can link up only with government approved organisations in Sri Lanka to operate in Sri Lanka.

“For organisations in the EU you can only have one partner – the government. If you go outside the government it must be an organisation approved by the government,” said German ambassador Juergen Weerth. “In Switzerland NGOs are very much controlled because the people give them donations. So NGOs have to be very careful to maintain their credibility,” said the ambassador of Switzerland, Ruth Flint.

Donor country representatives say harassment in the form of threat and red tape is making it harder for NGOs to provide humanitarian assistance to people in need, particularly to the conflict affected thousands in the North and East.

Endangered money
The government and donor countries also point out that a great deal of the money coming into Sri Lanka, comes in through NGOs and INGOs as humanitarian and development aid. Therefore stifling NGO and INGO operations would also stifle flow of funds into the country.

The US for instance is providing almost US$ 160 million for development assistance and tsunami reconstruction in Sri Lanka this year. All of this money is coming in through NGOs. Around 40 of the INGOs in Sri Lanka are based in the US. The government is also fully aware of the economic value of NGOs and INGOs.

“We as the government of Sri Lanka are aware of the increased preference among bilateral as well as multilateral partners to work through NGO and INGOs,” said Minister Samarasinghe. At the moment nearly 3,000 NGOs and INGOs are registered with the national NGO secretariat.