05 July 2024
Dear The Rt Hon Sir Kier Starmer MP,
To say that the Tamil diaspora based in the U.K and British Tamils Forum are delighted is an understatement. The magnitude of your victory leaves us speechless, though the outcome was never in doubt.
To the Eelam Tamils who have made this fair isle their home away from home, a labour victory has brought a new dawn to their long struggle to hold the Government of Sri Lanka accountable to their heinous acts of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
The British Tamils Forum is profoundly encouraged by your commitment to bringing Sri Lanka before an international tribunal to account for the atrocity crimes committed against the long suffering people of the Tamil nation in the island of Ceylon.
We have no doubts that it was your last (18 May 2024) Mullivaikkal Genocide Remembrance Day message that united the Tamil community in their hope that the justice will prevail and the GOSL will be held accountable for subjecting the Tamil nation to the relentless subjugation of its spirit, freedom and the way of life.
We are conscious that you will have competing priorities immediately on gaining the keys to 10 Downing Street, but considering that the time is the essence, we would like to draw the following to your kind attention and prompt action.
· A crucial resolution is expected to be delivered at the 57th UNHRC Session in September 2024 based on the Sri Lanka Accountability Project (SLAP) pursuant to the A/HRC/RES/46/1 and A/HRC/RES/51/1 resolutions of the UNHRC.
· The UK being the penholder of the core-group on Sri Lanka at the UNHRC Geneva, we would urge the UK to take proactive steps to prevent the UNHRC Resolution to prolong the process further two years, but to insist on taking Sri Lanka to an international criminal justice mechanism by referring Sri Lanka on war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
· Referring Sri Lanka to ICC is undoubtedly a long process of seeking UN Security Council’s approval or General Assembly resolution, with the advent of recent developments at the ICJ on number of countries we consider that gaining this path will establish a timely justice to the victims of the crimes.
· Taking Sri Lanka to an international criminal justice mechanism should not preclude taking actions against the perpetrators of the war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide by applying existing apparatus such as Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime Act in the UK. The USA and Canada have already applied sanctions on assets and travel bans on the perpetrators in Sri Lanka we would urge the UK forthcoming government to take steps akin to the USA and Canada to ascertain its commitment to the global human rights. A strong action against Sri Lanka in the past would have been acted as a deterrence of other countries to take the similar path of destruction.
A felicitation message at this hour is most appropriate. It is an expression of our hopes and aspirations. We extend our wishes for a successful full term of premiership. No doubt we will benefit from your sagacious leadership.
Yours sincerely
V Ravi Kumar
General Secretary
Sent from my iPhone
BTF Letter to Prime Minister Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer MP – ICJ
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