The British Tamils Forum (BTF) warmly congratulates Judge Navanethem “Navi” Pillay on being awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize by the Norwegian Nobel Committee for her efforts to promote peace and international law. This recognition honours a distinguished career dedicated to human rights, international justice and the protection of human dignity. For the Tamil community, it is also an opportunity to acknowledge her longstanding commitment to addressing grave human rights violations and ensuring that the suffering of victims and survivors is not forgotten.
Judge Pillay’s dedication of this award to “all the survivors of international crimes” and to practitioners of international justice “whose compassion and courage continue to ensure that impunity will not be allowed to reign” deeply resonates with BTF. These sentiments reflect the enduring aspirations of victims and survivors who continue to seek truth, justice, accountability and meaningful recognition of their suffering.
A message of solidarity with the Tamil people
BTF recalls with profound gratitude its engagements with Judge Pillay between 2009 and 2014, when she served as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. During a period of immense suffering for the Tamil people in Sri Lanka, her principled leadership and advocacy for independent international scrutiny helped sustain international attention to victims’ calls for truth, justice and accountability.
Of particular significance was her message to BTF on the tenth anniversary of Mullivaikkal Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day in May 2019. In that message, Judge Pillay recalled her visit to the North of Sri Lanka in August 2013, when she witnessed the anguish of survivors and relatives of those killed and missing. She described distressing scenes along the lagoon at Mullaitivu, where shallow, unmarked graves and the scattered clothing of people who had been shelled lay abandoned.
Her reflections gave powerful expression to the suffering endured by Tamil civilians and the lasting trauma experienced by survivors and bereaved families. She also recognised the resilience of Tamil communities and their determination to secure their rights, emphasising that wounds cannot heal and reconciliation cannot be achieved without respect and remembrance for those who were killed, disappeared, displaced and abused.
A continuing call for accountability and international justice
In her 2019 message, Judge Pillay highlighted continuing human rights concerns affecting Tamils in Sri Lanka, including the occupation of Tamil lands, arbitrary arrests and detentions, military surveillance, allegations of torture and sexual violence, and the persistent absence of meaningful accountability.
She expressed concern over the failure to establish credible judicial mechanisms to address alleged international crimes committed during the war. In this context, she called for support for an International Criminal Tribunal for Sri Lanka, with international participation to safeguard the independence and impartiality of the process.
Her appeal to the international community to remain engaged and vigilant, and to ensure that the Tamils of Sri Lanka are not forgotten, remains deeply relevant to BTF and to victims and survivors seeking truth, justice and meaningful remedies. For BTF, these principles are inseparable from genuine and lasting reconciliation. Peace cannot be secured through silence, denial or impunity; it requires truth, accountability, reparations, recognition of victims’ suffering and respect for the rule of law.
Judge Navi Pillay’s pivotal role in establishing the UN investigation on Sri Lanka
A particularly significant part of Judge Pillay’s legacy is her institutional contribution to establishing the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Investigation on Sri Lanka (OISL). On 27 March 2014, the UN Human Rights Council adopted Resolution 25/1, mandating a comprehensive investigation into alleged serious human rights violations, abuses and related crimes in Sri Lanka. As High Commissioner for Human Rights at the time, Judge Pillay established the investigative team within OHCHR to carry out this mandate.
She also invited three distinguished international experts—former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, former New Zealand High Court judge Dame Silvia Cartwright, and former President of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Asma Jahangir—to provide support and advice to the investigation. The detailed OISL report, documenting its findings and recommendations, was published on 16 September 2015 under her successor, High Commissioner Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein.
BTF recognises Judge Pillay’s pivotal institutional contribution to this important international investigation as a significant step towards documenting alleged grave violations, challenging impunity and advancing the pursuit of truth, justice and accountability for victims and survivors in Sri Lanka.
Recognition with enduring significance for the Tamil community
BTF considers Judge Pillay’s Nobel Peace Prize fitting recognition of her longstanding contribution to human rights and international justice. Her work serves as a reminder that protecting human dignity requires moral courage, principled leadership and a sustained commitment to confronting impunity. Her 2019 message to BTF remains an important expression of solidarity with the Tamil people and a reminder that international responsibility does not end when armed conflict ends.
BTF hopes that this recognition will further strengthen international resolve to uphold international law, protect victims and survivors, and advance credible processes of accountability wherever grave international crimes have been committed.
The British Tamils Forum expresses its sincere gratitude to Judge Pillay for her courage, compassion and steadfast commitment to justice. We extend our warmest congratulations and best wishes for her continued contribution to human rights, international justice and lasting peace.
Dr Navanethem Pillay, Former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights – Message for Mullivaikkal Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day (18 May 2019): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aIzIV9aJVQ
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