For 76 years Tamils in Sri Lanka have endured oppression and discrimination by the Sri Lankan State with its genocidal agenda. In 2008, the British Tamils Forum held an Exhibition in the UK Houses of Parliament highlighting genocide of Tamils.

The British left Sri Lanka in 1948 having made a grave error in handing over power in the hands of Sinhala majority. Sri Lanka had been ruled by unscrupulous, racist and corrupt politicians since 1948. They have passed racist legislations like ‘the Sinhala Only Act’, organised pogroms against Tamils,  killing and destroying their businesses and livelihood, burning libraries with irreplaceable Tamil books with historic significance, killed thousands of innocent civilians including children in the pretext of fighting terrorism and introduced shameful discriminatory standardisation in education.

When Tamils protested for the injustices suffered by them, unfortunately the Sinhala majority stayed silent and supported their leaders to continue various forms of oppression against Tamils. Then albeit late in the day, they realised their unscrupulous leaders were robbing from the public purse. Such despicable act brought down Sri Lanka to its knees destroying the economy and made Sri Lanka bankrupt with mounting debt and no foreign exchange reserves. As Sri Lanka could not service the huge debts built up by unscrupulous leaders for their own benefits, current Sri Lankan leaders started visiting countries with their begging bowls and brought shame on the country. This is what Sri Lanka has achieved in the 76 years of independence. Is it time for celebration or commiseration?

The current President, Mr Ranil Wickremasinghe in 2015 co-sponsored the UN Human Rights Council resolution to create a hybrid mechanism with foreign and commonwealth, investigators, prosecutors and judges to investigate atrocity crimes committed in Sri Lanka, a ploy to deceive the international community to grab the international process and drive the justice process to be a failure. Now having become the President through the back door, he has been on international media saying that he will not allow international investigators into the country. Mr Wickremasinghe who is determined to protect war criminals refuses to publish the names of people including children who were taken into detention by the Sri Lankan army in 2009.

Tamils requested Princess Royal, who visited Sri Lanka recently to ask the President for the list of children in the custody of the Sri Lanka army, in her capacity as the patron of Save the Children.

International community that has been ineffective for the last 15 years should use all available  leverages to reformulate the state to ensure  non recurrence of violence in Sri Lanka that has a history of cycle of violence.

Britain in particular as the pen holder of UN Human Rights Resolution should not invest in Sri Lanka and encourage trade. That would give a wrong signal to the world leaders. UK, the US and countries supporting democracy and upholding human rights should continue to take the lead in United Nations to find justice for the victims in Sri Lanka.

The international community collectively must refer Sri Lanka to International Criminal Justice Mechanism. Finding a permanent solution satisfying legitimate aspirations of the Tamils will lead to prosperity and peaceful co-existence.

Genocide against Tamils continues while Sri Lanka celebrates 76th year of independence

Upon receiving overwhelming support from the British Tamil community including youth, charities, and business entrepreneurs, the demand for attending the celebration was exceptionally high, and the BTF had to have the celebration in two different halls, CPA Room and the Churchill Room in the UK Parliament to accommodate attendees for the event.

The BTF received unparalleled support from cross-party Parliamentarians from Conservative, Labour, LibDem, SNP and DUP in the function. The BTF conveys its sincere gratitude to all the Parliamentarians for facilitating and participating in the hugely successful event.

Several Members of Parliament, Mayors, Councilors and Lord John Mann participated in the event and shared their greetings and wishes with the Tamil people while enjoying the Tamil cultural celebration and traditional food. While appreciating and congratulating Tamil people for their high-spirited passion for their heritage and language, majority of them did not fail to recall the atrocities that Tamil people faced during the genocidal war in Sri Lanka. The majority pledged their continued support for justice for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, and paved the way for a permanent political solution for Tamil people in Sri Lanka to live in peace and harmony with equal rights.

The celebration was exquisite and grand. Folk dances, plays, and musical performances were presented by several beautifully and colourfully dressed children of various ages from different parts of the United Kingdom. These children were honoured with certificates as a token of appreciation for the passion of their own heritage. The BTF sincerely offers their gratitude to the parents and teachers for their diligence and support.

The BTF took this opportunity to honour the charities – Serendip Children’s Homes, The Federation of Saiva (Hindu) temples UK and Ray of Hope People appreciating their devoted volunteering work to the community.

A video presentation depicting “Tamil Heritage” was played as a part of the event.

The following members of Parliament, Mayors, Councilors, Lord and other dignitaries participated in the event:

Martyn Day – MP for Linlithgow and East Falkirk, Former Shadow SNP Spokesperson for Health and Social Care in the House of Commons

Matyn in his speech said “As you celebrate Thai Pongal, it is wonderful to see so many of you here and to see the rich culture and heritage on display. As you know I stand with you on truth, justice and self-determination”.

The Rt Hon Theresa Villiers – MP for Chipping Barnet, Vice Chair of APPG for Tamils, Immense contributor to the BTF on international advocacy.

Being a regular advocate on Tamil peoples’ plight, Theresa Villiers wished Tamil people, including those in Sri Lanka, for a bright future this Thai Pongal day.  Further, by referring to the Tamil culture being older than the European culture and praising the British Tamils in the NHS and other industries expressed her sadness and anger on seeing the Sri Lankan state trying to walk away from its obligations of the UNHRC resolutions.

Steve Tuckwell – MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip

Steve Tuckwell said Thai Pongal celebration was a highlight of his day, praising Tamil people’s contributions to the United Kingdom.

Gareth Thomas – MP for Harrow West, Strong ally of Harrow Tamil community which forms a third of his constituency.

Gareth Thomas is an ardent supporter for the Tamil cause from the outset, ascertained his continued campaign in parliament to bring the perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide to justice. He expressed concern for the European Parliament relaxing the GSP+ concession to Sri Lanka despite Sri Lanka’s human rights records being below the norm. Referring to the sanctions imposed by the United States and Canada, Gareth assured that he would push the Labour Party to do the same in time to come.

Elliot Colburn – MP for Carshalton and Wallington, Chair of the APPG for Tamils

Elliot Colburn, upon wishing happy Thai Pongal to all on behalf of the APPG for Tamils and thanking British Tamils for their contribution in the NHS as well as public services and other places, extended his support for continuously fighting for justice for Tamils in Sri Lanka.

The Rt Hon Sir Ed Davey – MP for Kingston and Surbiton, Liberal Democrat Leader, Vice Chair of APPG for Tamils who accompanied & lobbied along with BTF in UNHRC Geneva and European Parliament Brussels on numerous occasions for justice and accountability.

Sir Ed Davey, after praising Kingston Institute of Culture in his constituency for its excellent work, continued his commitment in pushing the UK government, using the coalition of cross-party support, to follow the steps of the government of Canada to sanction against the perpetrators of atrocity crimes and for ensuring justice for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

The Rt Hon Sir Stephen Timms – MP for East Ham, Vice Chair of APPG for Tamils, an incredible supporter of Tamils, visited UNHRC with the BTF numerous times lobbying for justice and accountability for Tamils in Sri Lanka.

Sir Stephen Timms, upon signifying the suffering that Tamil people are undergoing by the war, economic collapse, enforced disappearances, and the impunity allowing the authorities to get away from their crimes, stated that an efficient independent inquiry on what happened to the Tamil people in Sri Lanka is a must.

James Murray – MP for Ealing North, Shadow Financial Secretary to the Treasury

James Murray, expressing his desire to have “Tamil Heritage Month” in January, and admiring Tamil peoples’ contribution to the British economy, expressed his apprehension that fifteen years lapsed without finding accountability and justice for the victims of war crime, crimes against humanity and genocide.

Janet Daby MP for Lewisham East, Shadow Minister for Youth Justice

Janet Daby, after expressing her pleasure in having a good, lovely, and strong Lewisham Tamil community that is strong enough to stand up against injustice, assured that she would always stand with them.

Sam Tarry MP for Ilford South, Former Shadow Minister for Buses and Local Transport, Vice Chair of APPG for Tamils,

Sam Tarry, upon admiring Tamil peoples’ nature of preserving their culture strong, stated that he would be pressing the new government to use an international mechanism for justice and peace and also securing a permanent political solution for Tamil people in Sri Lanka. He envisioned a day when the young Tamil generation would see their homeland.

Paul Scully MP for Sutton & Cheam, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Energy, and Minister of State for London, former Chairperson (2016 – 2020) and Vice Chair of APPG for Tamils.

Paul Scully, having stated that he visited the UNHRC several times with BTF, assured his commitment to find truth, justice and reconciliation for the Tamil people in Sri Lanka using international mechanisms and pushing the Foreign Minister in this respect.

 Jim Shannon MP for Strangford, Spokesperson for Democratic Unionist Party

Jim Shannon, during his speech, upon confirming that he had spoken out about persecution and human rights deviations that had happened in Sri Lanka against Tamil people, confirmed that he would be the Tamil peoples’ spokesman when it comes to speaking for the Tamils.

Lord Mann, Former MP for Bassetlaw, the UK Government Advisor on Antisemitism and a genuine friend of Tamil people

Lord Mann, an ardent supporter of the Tamil people, assured his continued support in challenging countries, states, and the UN.

Virendra Sharma MP Ealing Southall, Vice Chair of the APPG for Tamils

Virendra Sharma, acknowledging what is happening in Sri Lanka is genocide, and discrimination against Tamil people. He assured continuous support for self-determination and the protection of Tamil people in Sri Lanka.

The Rt Hon Grant Shapps – MP for Welwyn Hatfield, Secretary of State for Defence (Video Message)  

Mims Davies – MP for Mid Sussex, Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work

Wes Streeting – MP for Ilford North, Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Video Message)

Dame Siobhain McDonagh DBE – MP for Mitcham and Morden (Video Message)

Catherine West – MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, The Shadow Minister for Asia and the Pacific

The Rt Hon Valerie Carol Marian Vaz – MP for Walsall South, Shadow Leader of the House of Commons

Mo Ali, Vice Chairman of Conservative Party

Dr Rupa Asha Huq – MP for Ealing Central

Chi Onwurah – MP for Newcastle upon Tyne Central

Sarah Olney – MP for Richmond Park

Fleur Anderson – MP for Putney

John McNally, Scottish National Party MP for Falkirk

Navendu Mishra – MP for Stockport

Several Mayors and Councilors attended the event, and they also admired the high spiritedness of the celebration and equally extended their support for justice for the victims of Sri Lanka’s genocidal war.

Mayor of Harrow, Ramji Chauhan

Migrated from Uganda and being proud of his South Asian origin, stated that the London Borough of Harrow passed the motion of celebrating every January as Tamil Heritage Month upon recognising Tamils contribution to British society and the importance of harvesting.

Cllr Chrishni Reshekaron

Crishni expressed her pride for being a Tamil herself and the achievements of Tamils in the United Kingdom.

Cllr Paul White

Paul, while addressing the audience after greeting with best wishes, inter-alia expressed his anxiety had the international community taken prompt action for what happened in Sri Lanka, then the genocide happening now would have been stopped and the world would be living in peace and harmony.

Cllr Sarmila Varatharaj 

Cllr Elilly Ponnuthurai

Cllr Shanika Mahendran 

Cllr Kuha Kumaran 

Cllr Cumar Sahathevan

 BTF CELEBRATED “THAI PONGAL” AND TAMIL HERITAGE IN THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT

Photos available at: THAI PONGAL EVENT AT PARLIAMENT- 2024 – British Tamils Forum

The panellists were Dr Annamarie Devereux – Head/Senior Legal Officer of the UNHRC mandated  OHCHR Sri Lanka Accountability Project (OSLAP); Ambassador Stephen J. Rapp – a former international prosecutor of atrocity crimes and  former United States Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues; Dr. Beth Van Schaack – Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice, US Department of State; Ms Malliha Wilson – Former Assistant Deputy Attorney General (Civil), of the Government of Ontario and an International Human Rights Lawyer; and, Dr. Anbumany Ramadoss  – an Indian member of Parliament from Tamil Nadu and a former federal Minister of Health and Family Welfare. Councillor Sarmila Varatharaj, former Deputy Mayor of Wandsworth Council, London moderated the event.

The event took place following the scathing report put out by the High Commissioner of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) pointing to the serious accountability deficit for past atrocity crimes in Sri Lanka and the call to the Sri Lankan government to deliver on past commitments and Council resolutions. A clip from a recent interview by a German TV was shown at the event where Sri Lanka’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe angrily rejected any notion of an international investigation demonstrating his desire to protect the perpetrators of atrocity crimes by military and political leaders including his predecessors and endorsing prevailing environment of impunity. 

Dr. Beth Van Schaack, stating that she was motivated by the recognition that measures of accountability for those most responsible, coupled with an honest assessment of the past added the importance of a durable peace and a prosperous future with a comprehensive transitional justice programme to include a justice component but also engage in truth telling, reparation, memorialization, institutional reforms, and other guarantees of non-recurrence. 

Dr Schaack continued that as a member of the core group and Human Rights Council’s resolutions on Sri Lanka, she was aware that Tamil people have been waiting years, indeed decades, for justice processes to begin in earnest and to produce meaningful results. She expressed dismay that the period of hope, following Sri Lanka’s consent and co-sponsorship of a comprehensive transitional justice agenda in the 2015 resolution has since dissipated. 

Ambassador Van Schaack questioned the motives of the Sri Lanka government mooting a Truth and Reconciliation Mechanism without having the required consultations with victims and without providing any link to accountability mechanisms. She stated that Sri Lanka would remain on the Human Rights Council agenda precisely because of the failure over many years to address the abuses of the past and to ensure that those abuses would not go unpunished. 

“In the absence of credible domestic justice processes, the options elaborated by the HRC resolution remain the most viable pathways to justice and accountability. This would include universal jurisdiction where applicable, sanctions and visa ban to support truth telling, accountability and to recognise harm to victims and survivors, and continued support for United Nations Sri Lanka Accountability Project. This panel may also wish to discuss ways to strengthen the resolution and to seek better compliance with international human rights treaty obligations. Though worthy of consideration, the prospect for other judicial pathways, however, remain remote and challenging,” Ambassador Beth Van Schaack concluded. 

Ambassador Stephen Rapp, emphasising the importance of pursuing accountability in Sri Lanka, if not possible there, then elsewhere in third countries or in international bodies, for the violations and crimes committed, cited that very serious crimes were committed by the Sri Lanka government during the conflict. Referring to murders of surrendered, intentional, and disproportionate attacks on civilians and torturing, violating sexually on those, who were detained, deserved full investigation. Ambassador Stephen Rapp added that those alleged committing crimes deserved opportunities to defend their innocence. Despite it was promised in 2015, it was never delivered. 

Referring to impunity, Ambassador Stephen Rapp said that when some people would get away with these things, other people would think that they would do the same – hence the rise in incidents of detention, torture and ransom. Ambassador Rapp was confident that the OHCHR’s Sri Lanka Accountability Project (#OSLAP) would bring the truth out.  

Dr. Anbumany Ramadoss expressed his concern of the suffering of Tamil people in Sri Lanka due to racism, discrimination, and other many forms of intolerance for decades and emphasised on the importance of the OSLAP to provide path for justice for the victims and to curtail on-going destruction of Hindu temples and proliferating Buddhist viharas in traditional Tamil homeland.

Ms Malliha Wilson spoke on many past and ongoing important issues in Sri Lanka and explained new avenues of operationalizing Universal Jurisdiction with recent examples of advancement in Canada. Based on the serious nature of findings by the Secretary General’s Panel of Experts and the OISL report, Ms. Wilson pointed out that its incumbent upon the OSLAP investigation team to determine whether the mass atrocities and war crimes committed against the Tamils in Sri Lanka rise to the level of genocide as often asserted by the victim community. 

Dr. Annamarie Devereux of the OSLAP team first explained the terms of reference of the Sri Lanka Accountability Project. Referring to the HRC 46/1 Resolution as the main pillar established in 2021 followed by the October 2022 Resolution HRC 51/1 extending it for a period of two years, Ms Devereux reiterated the importance of collecting, consolidating, analysing, and preserving information to develop strategies for future accountability and serious violations of international humanitarian law and to support relevant judicial and other proceedings.

Stating that the adoption of Resolution 46/1 was for the need to be seen against the background of the ongoing concern of the Human Rights Council of serious violations that have occurred over many years, Annamarie touched on the events such as the Secretary General assigning a Commission of Panel of Experts in June 2011, Human Rights Council requesting UN Mission to undertake a comprehensive investigation of alleged serious violations and abuses and subsequent finding (OISL report), among many, to deal with a deep seated institutionalised culture of impunity.

She added that processing SLAP itself would involve complex task of ensuring documentation to maximise its potential use in future proceedings with a recovery system to make it more accessible including exploring options of providing various online translation services. 

She further added while prioritising areas with available resources OSLAP is trying to establish connection between individuals and specific violations for the purpose of accountability. She also stated that the SLAP work involves reviewing the existing information in detail on matters of enforced disappearances and violations against children. Witness identities will be protected and risk analysis will be undertaken before any data is shared with potential prosecution entities or States.

The OSLAP work entails an emphasis on the importance of a comprehensive approach incorporating judicial and non-traditional processes to ensure the rights of victims, justice and reparations. In its activities the project integrates gender perspectives as well as approaches ensuring the protection of children with their best interests, Dr Devereux stated.

UN Webex meeting recording Video link: https://youtu.be/6JrbH18h8GQ

Questions and answers on OHCHR’s mandate under resolution HRC 46/1 & Terms of Reference of the OHCHR Sri Lanka accountability project link: https://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/hrc/sri-lanka-accountability/index#:~:text=In%20its%20resolution%2046%2F1,Lanka%20with%20a%20view%20to

Photos: Parallel event at the UNHRC 54th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council – British Tamils Forum

Parallel event at the UNHRC 54th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.docx

-end-

The Australian Tamil Congress, (ATC), British Tamils Forum (BTF), Irish Tamils Forum, Solidarity
Group for Peace & Justice, South Africa (SGPG), Swiss Tamil Action Group (STAG) and the United
States Tamil Action Group (USTAG) welcome the thorough report by OHCHR and thank the team
constituting the Sri Lanka Accountability Project for their meticulous work. While highlighting key
aspects of the report we also intend to point out a few deficiencies to be addressed.

We strongly support the assertion that “Lack of accountability at all levels remains the fundamental
human rights problem” in Sri Lanka, while we believe that Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism which results
in extreme centralization of power is the fundamental political issue.

We greatly appreciate the suggestion by the High Commissioner that bilateral and multilateral
efforts to assist Sri Lanka in the current economic crisis must consider “economic, social and cultural
rights and pay special attention to issues of accountability, governance and diversity when negotiating
or implementing support programs.”

The report calls on the Government of Sri Lanka to develop a coherent time-bound plan for post-war
transitional justice that connects the elements of truth, accountability, redress, and non-recurrence. We
appreciate the calls throughout the report for victim participation and for consideration of the needs of
victims. The report, however, fails to explicitly call for a political solution to the national question
guaranteeing non-recurrence perhaps through the good offices of countries like India and the United
States which helped Sri Lanka to emerge from the recent economic crisis.

The failure to repeal or issue a moratorium on use of the Prevention of Terrorism Act is highlighted. The
deficiencies in the proposed replacement Anti-Terrorism Bill were pointed out by a joint communique
issued by ten UN Special Rapporteurs. Some Appeal Court and High Courts continue to sentence PTA detainees to disproportionately long jail terms, ignoring even the 15 years of pretrial detentions
suffered by some detainees.

Land disputes between the State and citizens from local communities continue to be reported, with 26
such disputes recorded between October 2022 and June 2023, mostly in the Tamil-majority Northern
and Eastern provinces. Over the reporting period, the main state actors involved were the Army (10
cases), the Department of Archaeology (six cases) and the Mahaweli Authority (five cases). However,
the report fails to document the frequent occurrences of Buddhistisation in Tamil areas including
building of Buddhist temples, destroying Hindu deities, and preventing Hindu religious rites. These illegal
acts – supported implicitly or explicitly by state forces – have serious potential to deteriorate into
communal violence. Land disputes with the direct or indirect involvement of the state have been a
feature of the national question for decades and were a direct cause of the war as Tamils interpret such
disputes as efforts to change the demography of the North and East to dilute Tamil political
representation and shrink the ‘areas of historical habitation of Sri Lankan Tamil speaking peoples.’ 1

We welcome the importance given in the report to security sector reform. The Sri Lanka government
gave commitments to OHCHR to reduce the troop strength of the Army from 208,000 to 135,000 by
2024 and to 100,000 by 2030. The report further urged that “These measures should be accompanied
by deeper security sector reform, including a comprehensive and transparent vetting process that
removes individuals and disbands units that have been implicated in serious human rights or
international humanitarian law violations. It should also comprise the phasing out of military
presence from former conflict areas, where current deployments seem disproportionate to current
security requirements.” On the ground, however, we have not seen any signs of troop demobilization
and the people in the NorthEast continue to live under a suffocating military presence dominating their
lives and livelihoods.

The report details Sri Lanka government attempts to set up a truth-seeking mechanism. It points out
that without proper consultations with victims and stakeholders and without an enabling environment
such a mechanism cannot achieve its goals. “Truth-seeking alone will not suffice. It must also be
accompanied by a clear commitment to accountability and the political will to implement far-
reaching change,” Türk said, in a press release accompanying the report. Nine leading Human rights
organizations including the ICJ, HRW and Amnesty released a statement denouncing the flawed
truth-seeking body as currently constituted. Our organizations and the victim community in Sri
Lanka reject the so-called truth-seeking mechanism and express great reservation that it is an
attempt by the Sri Lanka government to delay and distract the OHCHR’s Accountability Project.

The OHCHR report gives visibility to the mandated work of the Sri Lanka Accountability Project in
Collecting, consolidating, analysing and preserving information and evidence, Advocating for Victims and
Survivors, Supporting relevant judicial and other proceedings, including in Member States, with
competent jurisdiction, and Developing possible strategies for future accountability processes. The team
had consultations with over 120 civil society organizations and women groups in and outside of Sri
Lanka. We are heartened to hear that the Project briefed representatives from 29 States drawn from
national prosecutorial authorities and/or law enforcement agencies on the mandate and work of the project, and to explore potential collaboration. We urge swift action towards strong legal action against
perpetrators of serious international crimes in all potential justice mechanisms.

We learn from the report that four priority areas were selected for investigation: (1) unlawful killings, (2)
sexual and gender-based violence and torture in detention settings, (3) enforced disappearances and (4)
violations against and affecting children, including the recruitment and use of children in hostilities.
While this is a good list, it leaves out one important category of violations. We urge OHCHR and the
Project team to investigate incidents of large-scale civilian killings spanning decades, including aerial
bombing of schools, churches and temples, the Kumuthini boat massacre (1985), the many massacres in
the East including Sathurukondan (1990), Kumarapuram (1996), the 1983 Black July pogrom, the use of
cluster munitions, etc. It is critical to analyze the systemic nature of the war crimes, crimes against
humanity and genocide committed against the Tamils before, during and after the war in order to
develop strategies for accountability, along with processes and avenues to ensure non-recurrence.

While the report provides a window into the work done by the Sri Lanka Accountability Project, we are
disappointed not learning about concrete suggestions or referrals for prosecution based on the two and
a half years of their work. The victims should not be left waiting till next September to see some interim
results on accountability.

We appreciate the High Commissioner reiterating the recommendations made in reports to the Human
Rights Council and Member States in 2021 and 2022. We recall that one such recommendation by
former High Commissioner Michele Bachelet on January 12, 2021 stated: “Member States have a
number of options to advance criminal accountability… In addition to taking steps towards the referral
of the situation in Sri Lanka to the International Criminal Court, Member States can actively pursue
investigation and prosecution of international crimes before their own national courts, including under
the principles of extraterritorial or universal jurisdiction.”

The recent calls by many in the Sinhala polity, including the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, for
an international investigation following allegations by the UK’s Channel 4 on the ‘Easter Bombings’ with
respect to the complicity of the same cast of perpetrators involved in serious international crimes
against the Tamil people during and after the war – namely the highest echelons of the Sri Lankan
regime, military, and Intelligence personnel – adds impetus to the High Commissioner’s
recommendations. We urge that these calls strengthen the resolve of Member States that domestic
accountability in Sri Lanka is not possible and a strong international process is essential.

The High Commissioner recommends Sri Lanka to “Invite OHCHR to strengthen its country presence.”
We fully endorse this call to increase OHCHR’s country presence in Sri Lanka and urge OHCHR to protect
and strengthen the efforts of human rights defenders, to help in tracing the missing and to offer
assistance in exhuming mass graves and identifying remains following international best practices.

Finally, we look forward to the High Commissioner’s reports on Sri Lanka over the coming year, urge
HRC member states to fully take advantage of the Sri Lanka Accountability Project’s efforts to provide
judiciable material to victims and courts for justice for the serious international crimes committed in Sri
Lanka, and look forward to the Project’s recommendations to the Human Rights Council for future
avenues for justice to be delivered at the 57 th session in September 2024.
For more information, please contact:

Mr. Krish Illungko
Chairperson, Australian Tamil Congress (ATC)
chairperson@australiantamilcongress.com
V. Ravi Kumar
General Secretary, British Tamils Forum (BTF)
www.britishtamilsforum.org@tamilsforum

Irish Tamils Forum (ITF)
0035389959270
irishtamilsforum@gmail.com

Solidarity Group for Peace and Justice (SGPJ –
South Africa)
padayacheepregasen@gmail.com

Swiss Tamil Action Group (STAG)
+41764450642

swisstamilag@gmail.com

Anandaraj Ponnambalam
President, United States Tamil Action Group
(USTAG)
www.theustag.org
@UstpacAdvocacy

20230910 Joint Tamil Diaspora PR on OHCHR Report on Sri Lanka Fn

On behalf of the British Tamil community, the British Tamils Forum (BTF) convened the 40^th anniversary observance of the Black July pogrom on 19 July 2023 in Committee Room 10 in the Parliament of the United Kingdom, hosted by Rt Hon Sir Stephan Timms, MP.

Sir Stephen Timms, being the member of Parliament for East Ham since 1994, has always been voicing against the atrocity crimes inflicted on Tamil people by the Sri Lankan state and attending UNHRC meetings in Geneva with British Tamils Forum to reinforce the international community support for the justice and accountability for the victims of the war crimes, crime against humanity and genocide. His last visit was to the 51^st UNHRC Session in March 2023.

BTF panelist on Failed Commissions and the upcoming TRC Model in Sri Lanka

The Government of Sri Lanka has a long, long history of setting up these “justice mechanisms” whenever there is a national issue that needs addressing – it is the very first thing the Government does. Yet to date, none of these commissions have led to any meaningful legislative or executive reform whatsoever. The recommendations of each successive commission have never been implemented. This has led to a culture of impunity among the security services personnel; we have seen perpetrators of human rights violations walk free every single time.

They’ve been setting up many such Commissions since 1977, such as the “Sansoni Commission.”
Several commissions were set up to investigate premeditated massacres and enforced disappearances from 1989 to 2005; however, the reports of the commissions were either not made public, or the Government did not take any action upon hearing the findings of the commissions.

That’s not to mention the mother of all failed commissions – the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), set up in 2010 at the end of the Civil War. Human Rights lawyers slammed this particular commission, as it was not independent of the Government, did whatever it could to downplay allegations of human rights violations, and did not provide protection to witnesses giving evidence. We are yet to see a commission that has delivered justice to victims of governmental wrongdoing.

In her speech to the United Nations Human Rights Council on the 21^st of June, 2023, the UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights said: “Sri Lanka has witnessed too many ad hoc commissions in the past that failed to ensure accountability.” She specifically mentioned the Office of Missing Persons, which has “not achieved the results that provide satisfaction to victims.” In fact, the Office has failed to solve even a single case, of a missing person.

Under the provisions of the Commissions of Inquiry Act of Sri Lanka, a Commission of Inquiry is a “fact-finding” mission – no judicial powers are granted to them. It just so happens that the same model is used for every commission relating to human rights abuses.

The President can decide whether a commission’s findings should be made public, whether partly or fully, owing to reasons related to (quote) “national security”. But this provision has been misused by successive governments to hide incidents of serious human rights violations and protect the names of the perpetrators. To top it off, it is the President alone who decides whether they want to implement recommendations of a Commission of Inquiry. This is but a taste of the many fatal flaws that the Commissions face. The commissions are not given the tools to enforce their recommendations, leaving the government and its security services free to do anything they like.

The many failed commissions of Sri Lanka have all been set up to deceive the international community.

There have been far too many sham commissions set up to waste everyone’s time. Sri Lanka has been using these commissions to ensure the international community does not get involved; the Truth and Reconciliation Commission is yet another attempt at this tactic of stalling. The oppressors will continue to be in power and lead the TRC whilst the oppressed remain oppressed and will cease to exist in the future.

The Tamil Community has been calling for an international independent justice mechanism with the power to prosecute war criminals and human rights abusers. It is our firm belief here at the British Tamils Forum, that if there is to be any form of justice for the victims of human rights abuses in Sri Lanka, an international Criminal Justice Mechanism into the wrongdoing of the Government is required.

Among many other things, Sir Stephen, in his speech, explained the importance of setting up an international independent inquiry and clarified why the British government should take steps to sanction perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide following the example set by other countries.

Executive Director of the Oakland Institute, USA, Anuradha Mittal’s video presentation about the persistent violence and identity annihilation of the Tamils, with the focus on land grabs, was displayed. Eyewitness accounts of an international Diplomat and two other victims and a documentary film about the anti-Tamil Pogrom in 1983 in Sri Lanka produced by our sister organisation USTAG narrated the horrendous violence perpetrated against Tamils. This documentary portrayed Indra Gandhi’s statement, “There is a Genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka.” She immediately dispatched her external affairs Minister Narasimha Rao to Colombo. Rao saw with his own eyes the violence and requested the then President J R Jayewardene, “Can you stop this violence, or shall we stop it?“. This was the message from Prime Minister Indra Gandhi to J R Jeyawardene. JR replied, “We will do it ourselves.” The violence, which had been going on nonstop for 4 days, came to a halt in a matter of hours.

Subsequently, many other Members of Parliament of all major political parties shared similar views and widespread discontent with the further deterioration of the Tamil people’s situation in Sri Lanka, especially since the 1983 Black July pogrom.

The First Chair of APPG for Tamils when BTF initiated and became the Secretariat of the APPG for Tamils and Vice-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils, Mr Virendra Sharma MP, added that he would be committed to protecting the human rights of Tamils in Sri Lanka, and throughout the world in his speech.

The Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG For Tamils), Mr Elliott Colburn MP, said that he would continue to fight along with his Parliamentary colleagues to recognise the genocide, sanction war criminals, and find justice for the Tamil people.

Mr Ben Morris, from Sri Lanka Campaign, in his speech, stated that various commissions hitherto set up by the Sri Lankan governments had gone nowhere, Mr Ben questioned the credibility of the current President Ranil Wickremasinghe, who is the nephew of J R Jayawardena, the man who oversaw the anti-Tamil pogrom. He also posed the question, ‘how can one expect justice from President Ranil Wickremasinghe, a cabinet minister since 1977 and was in J R Jayawardena’s government’s cabinet’?

The inference of Mr. Ben’s concerns reflects what underlies the quote of the then Sri Lankan President J R Jayawardene at an interview with Ian Ward, the editor of London Daily Telegraph on 11 July 1983, two weeks before the state-sponsored the Black July 1983 Anti Tamil Pogrom.

“I am not worried about the opinion of the Jaffna (Tamil) people now. Now we cannot think of ‘THEM’. Not about their lives or their opinion on ‘Us’…. The more you put pressure in the North, the happier the Sinhala people will be here… really, if I starve the Tamils out, the Sinhala people will be happy…”

Martyn Day MP, Scottish National Party’s Spokesperson for Health in the House of Commons: Spoke about the Genocide of Tamils and assured that he would stand in solidarity with Tamils.

Sarah Olney MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for the Treasury, Business and Industrial Strategy and Vice-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils criticised the inadequate response from the international community during the atrocities committed against the Tamils. She, on behalf of her party, called on the British government to recognise the atrocities committed against the Tamils as Genocide. Sarah Olney also said that the cycle of violence against the Tamils must come to an end.

Bob Blackman MP (Conservative), Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils, Conservative Friends of India and British Hindus: After describing the Sri Lankan government’s attempt to wipe out the Tamils as genocide, added that the Muslim community in Sri Lanka was also badly affected by the Sri Lankan State. By further adding that the Chinese influence in Sri Lanka should be curtailed, Bob Blackman said that India and Britain would have important roles to play. After mentioning that economic sanctions should be applied to force the Sri Lankan government to come to the negotiating table., Bob Blackman confirmed his continued support for the Tamil for achieving their aspirations.

Sarah Champion MP, Chair of the International Development Select Committee and a Member of National Security Strategy: After expressing her concern that the Black July 1983 was something none of us could forget, extended her solidarity to the Tamils to get to the truth as to what went so horribly wrong and why and how it was orchestrated. Stating that it would be difficult to move forward to prevent it from happening again and that prevention would be the one important to her, Sarah added that she would stand united to prevent genocide in future.

A video of the Mayor of Brampton, Canada Patrick Brown’s interview to the British Tamils Forum was displayed at the event, where Patrick Brown upon describing the atrocities committed against the Tamils as genocide, said that the war criminals should not only be sanctioned but also should be tried in an international Court of Justice and put in prison for the rest of their lives. It is construed that Patrick Brown’s strong view has been that the Tamils should have their right to self-determination in their homeland.

Referring to the UK being the pen-holder of the core group on Sri Lanka at the UNHRC in Geneva, the UK’s reluctance to impose sanctions against the perpetrators of the war crimes, the crimes against humanity and the genocide but, in lieu, continuing to trade with Sri Lanka Mayor Patrick Brown expressed that a democratic country like the UK should not set a poor precedent by tolerating Sri Lanka’s human rights abuses. He added that tens of thousands of Tamils were butchered by the Sri Lankan war criminals and should not be swept under the carpet.

In short, there was consensus amongst dignitaries that what has hitherto happened and what is continuously happening to Tamil people in Sri Lanka is genocide. Ranil Wickremasinghe showing a reconciliatory face to the world, is stealthily carrying out a genocidal agenda in a multifaceted fashion against Tamils in Sri Lanka. Under his leadership, Buddhist statues spring up in Tamil areas where there are no Buddhists living or ever lived. Tamil lands are being taken over under the pretext of archaeological research. Successive governments have used things like irrigation projects to settle Sinhalese people in predominantly Tamil areas as a way of colonisation.

The United Nations Human Rights Council’s current resolution, which is not time-barred, is very clear in its mandate to collect evidence, analyse and prepare case files for future prosecutions for the atrocity crimes committed in Sri Lanka.

President Ranil Wickremasinghe’s latest ploy to protect war criminals is the advent of yet another commission akin to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission used in South Africa after the end of Apartheid. His attempt to hoodwink the international community is widely described as half-witted that challenges the intelligence of world leaders like President Biden, Chancellor Scholz, President Macron, Prime Minister Sunak and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The meeting concluded with the following notes of the moderator.

• It has become very clear that the application of the TRC model in Sri Lanka, after a lapse of 14 years of ending the war is another hoax to hoodwink the international community and prolong the justice for the victims of the war crimes, the crime against humanity and the genocide.
• It is a ploy to deceive the international community to jeopardise the strong UNHRC Resolutions 46/1 and 51/1 merely to protect its perpetrators of the war crimes, the crime against humanity and genocide.
• It is therefore imperative that an international criminal prosecution mechanism is paramount to establish the accountability and justice.
• Sri Lanka domestic commissions had always proved to be ruse and so the TRC be.
• We are in the crucial stage to strengthen the Sri Lankan Accountability Project (SLAP). We must endeavour to collect evidence to use in judicial proceedings.
• Two years since the start of the SLAP and there has been no public report on the progress, a comprehensive report for the public should be published without delay.
• The North and East of Sri Lanka as a war affected region torn apart by 30 years of civil war and neglected by all the Sri Lankan governments before and after the war. Resettlement, Reconstruction, Rebuilding the economy of North and East in par with other regions of Sri Lanka are the need of the hour.
• The Sri Lankan government has not carried out a comprehensive need assessment survey in the war affected North and East region. Thus, an interim administration must be set up to do this in the North and East by elected representatives immediately.
• This interim administration must conduct civil, political, and economic affairs and address the issues of ongoing land grab, intimidation and harassment of civilians and civil society. This interim administration should focus on resettlement and reconstruction to stop Tamils beingforcibly pushed into poverty and dependency.
• To avoid history repeating itself institutional restructuring is needed including a socio economic and political contract between the Tamil Nation and Sinhala Nation, arbitrated by the international community for peaceful co-existence.
• To ensure non-recurrence the Sri Lankan security forces need to be demilitarised from the North and East as well as demobilised in the island.
• Sri Lanka will continue to be a pawn for global powers to exploit if serious structural changes are not carried out immediately. This sensitive island will experience more violence, more conflicts and be without peace and prosperity.
• Any future mechanisms must be international and support the judicial process. Member states must also take meaningful action for criminal prosecution and set up an International criminal justice mechanism.

40th anniversary of Black July Westminster – BTF Fn1

இன்றைக்கு 14 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன்பு சர்வதேச சமூகத்தினரால் கைவிடப்பட்ட, ஈழத்
தமிழர்கள் யாருமற்ற அனாதைகளாக , சிங்கள அரசினால் பல்லாயிரக் கணக்கில்
சிறுவர்கள் முதல் முதியவர்கள் வரை படுகொலை செய்யப்பட்டும், சித்திரவதைகளுக்கு
உட்படுத்தப்பட்டும் காணாமலாக்கப்பட்டும் முள்ளிவாய்க்கால் மண்ணையும்
கடலையும் செந்நிறம் ஆக்கி, மானுட வரலாற்றின் கருப்பு பக்கங்களை
உருவாக்கியதனை உலகின் முன் வைத்து நீதி கோரும் குரல்களின் சங்கம தினமாகும்.

இலங்கை தீவானது 1948ஆம் ஆண்டில், பிரித்தானியாவிடம் சுதந்திரம் அடைந்த
தருணத்தில் இருந்து சிறிலங்கா அரசினால் ஆரம்பிக்கப்பட்ட, தமிழின அழிப்பானது,
கடந்த 75 வருடங்களாக இடையறாது தொடர்ச்சியாக பல்வேறு வடிவங்களில் தமிழ்
மக்களின் மேல் கட்டவிழ்க்கப்பட்டு, இன்றளவும் தொடர்ந்து கொண்டிருப்பது நவீன
உலகின் மாபெரும் அவலமாகும். இந்த இனப்படுகொலைகளின் உச்சமாக 2009 ஆம்
ஆண்டு மே மாதம் முள்ளிவாய்க்காலில் ஒரு லட்சத்து நாற்பதாயிரத்துக்கு மேற்பட்ட
தமிழ் மக்கள் சிறிலங்காவின் சிங்கள அரசினாலும் அவர்களது நட்பு சக்திகளின்
துணையோடும், தமிழினப்படு கொலையை அரங்கேற்றியதன் மூலம், மானுட தர்மம்
இன்று குற்றவாளிக் கூண்டில் நிற்கின்றது.

இப் பேரவலம் நிகழும் போதும் சர்வதேசத்தில் உள்ள சகல நாடுகளும், ஐக்கிய
நாடுகள் சபை போன்ற நிறுவனங்களும், மற்றும் சர்வதேச செய்தி நிறுவனங்களும்
வாய்மூடி மௌனிகளாக மறுபுறம் திரும்பி இந்த நூற்றாண்டின் மிகப்பெரும் மனித
அவலத்தை பொருட்படுத்தாத வன்கொடுமையை தமிழ் மக்கள் எக் காலத்திலும்
மறக்கவோ மன்னிக்கவோ மாட்டார்கள்.

2009இல் யாருமற்ற அனாதைகள் ஆக்கப்பட்ட தமிழ் மக்களின் சார்பில், கடந்த 14
வருடங்களாக பிரித்தானிய தமிழர் பேரவையும், அவர்களுடன் கூட்டாக
தாயகத்திலும், மற்றும் உலக நாடுகளிலும் உள்ள பல அமைப்புகளும், தற்போதைய
உலக ஒழுங்குகளுக்கு அமைவாக ஜனநாயக வழியில், எவ்வித விட்டுக்
கொடுப்புமின்றி, ஈழத்தமிழ் மக்களின் சுயநிர்ணய உரிமை கோட்பாட்டின்
அடிப்படையில், ஈழத் தமிழ் மக்களுக்கு தாயகம், தேசியம், தன்னாட்சி என்ற
வழிமுறையில் நிரந்தர தீர்வு ஒன்றை உருவாக்குவதற்கும், ஈழத் தமிழ் மக்கள் மீது கட்டவிழ்த்து விடப்பட்ட இனப்படுகொலைக்கு சர்வதேச குற்றவியல் விசாரணையின் மூலம் நீதியை நிலைநாட்டி குற்றவாளிகளை தண்டிக்கவும், பாதிக்கப்பட்ட தமிழ்  மக்களுக்கு நீதியை பெற்றுக் கொடுக்கவும், எவ்வித இடைவெளியுமின்றி
தளர்வுமின்றி உறுதியாக சர்வதேச நாடுகளையும், ஐக்கிய நாடுகள் சபையின் பல உப
அமைப்புகளை நோக்கியும் கட்டம் கட்டமாக தொடர்ச்சியாக அரசியல், ராஜதந்திர,
மற்றும் பல்பரிமாண தொடர்பாடல்களை மேற்கொண்டு வருகின்றனர்.

ஐக்கிய நாடுகள் சபையின் மனித உரிமை பேரவையில் எங்களினால் தொடர்ச்சியாக
மேற்கொள்ளப்பட்ட பல முயற்சிகளின் விளைவாக முதலில் உள்நாட்டு பொறிமுறை
மூலம் போர் குற்றம், மற்றும் மனித குலத்திற்கு எதிரான குற்றங்கள் பற்றிய
விசாரணைகள் நடத்தப்பட வேண்டும் என்ற ஆரம்பத் தீர்மானங்கள், தொடர்ந்து
வந்த காலங்களில் படிப்படியாக மாற்றப்பட்டு , கலப்பு பொறிமுறை
பரிந்துரைக்கப்பட்டு, பின்பு அதுவும் கைவிடப்பட்டு தற்போது உலகலாவிய
நியாயாதிக்க கோட்பாட்டின் (Universal Jurisdiction) அடிப்படையில், பாதிக்கப்பட்ட
தமிழ் மக்களுக்கு, மூன்றாம் நாடுகளில் நீதியை வழங்கக்கூடிய பொறிமுறைகளை
நோக்கிய தீர்மானங்களாக வலுப்படுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளது.

இந்த அடிப்படையில் மனித உரிமை பேரவை இறுதியாக நிறைவேற்றிய 51/1
தீர்மானப்படி இலங்கையில் இடம் பெற்ற சகல மனித உரிமை மீறல்களும் குற்றம்
நிகழ்ந்த கால வரையறை கட்டுப்பாடுகளின்றி திரட்டப்பட்டு குற்றவியல்
விசாரணைக்கு ஏதுவான கோப்புகள் உருவாக்கும் பொறுப்பு ஐ.நா. மனித உரிமை
பேரவையின் கீழ் விசேடமாக உருவாக்கப்பட்ட ஒரு பணிக் குழுவிடம்
கையளிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. 1948 தொடக்கம் தமிழ் மக்கள் மேல் தொடர்ச்சியாக
கட்டவிழ்த்து விடப்பட்ட சகல குற்றவியல் விவரங்களையும் சான்றுகளையும் மேற்படி
பணிக் குழுவிடம் சமர்ப்பித்து இந்த சாட்சியங்கள் திரட்டும் பொறிமுறையை மேலும்
வலுப்படுத்தி, தமிழினப்படுகொலையினை சர்வதேச சமூகத்துக்கு தெரியப்படுத்த
சட்டரீதியிலும், அரசியல் ரீதியிலும், சர்வதேச கருத்து உருவாக்க ரீதியிலும்
உறுதிப்படுத்துவது நம் தமிழ் மக்களின் கைகளிலேயே உள்ளது.

எனவே கிடைத்த சந்தர்ப்பத்தை தவறவிடாது தேவையான உண்மையான
சாட்சியங்களை சேகரித்துக் கொடுப்பதை எமது தலையாய கடமையாக காலத்தின்
கட்டாயமாக உணர்ந்து செயல்படும் நேரம் இதுவாகும்.
14 ஆண்டுகளின் முன் 2009 மே மாதத்தில் லண்டன் மாநகரின் பாராளுமன்ற
சதுக்கத்தில் இருந்து பிரித்தானிய தமிழர் பேரவை சிறிலங்காவிற்கெதிரான சர்வதேச
சுயாதீன விசாரணை வேண்டும் என்று ஒற்றைக் குரலாக ஓங்கி ஒலித்தது. இன்று அது
உலகெங்கும் எதிரொலிக்கத் தொடங்கி உள்ளது.

எமக்கான காலம் ஒருநாள் உருவாகும். அன்று சர்வதேச சமூகம் எமக்கு நடைபெற்ற
இனப்படுகொலையின் உண்மையை ஏற்றுக்கொள்ளும். சமாந்தரமாக தாயக
விடுதலைக்கான கதவுகள் திறக்கும். எங்கள் காலத்திலோ அடுத்த சந்ததியினரின்
காலத்திலோ அது நிறைவேறும். அது வரை நாங்களும் எம் இளையோரும்
உறுதியுடனும் செயல் திறமையுடனும் பணிகளை தொடர்வோமாக.

தமிழரின் தாகம் தமிழீழத் தாயகம்.

முள்ளிவாய்க்கால் நினைவு தினத்தில் அறிவிப்பு

It was the seed of Thai Pongal & Heritage celebration that the BTF planted in 2011 in Harrow Council, that have grown vastly not only in the United Kingdom but around the world receiving significant recognition today. It is a pleasure to see Tamil Heritage Month and Thai Pongal is celebrated globally with several Tamil cultural events.

Based on its strenuous research, time and effort in collating facts, the BTF launched a new video “Tamil Heritage Pioneered Maritime Expedition & Globalisation” as a part of this event. This video depicts how courage the Tamil people were even circa 1,000 years ago. Their long-distance sea-faring naval expeditions without receiving logistical support from land in those days is incredible. The research provides, that only after 500 years the European expeditions started on long sea-faring voyages to establish their empires around the world.

Twenty-three members of Parliament from the three major parties in the UK, Councillors, and a member of the House of Lords and several well-wishers participated in this colourful event that exhibited the richness of the Tamil Heritage and ancient culture of Tamils.

The event started with a minute silence as a mark of respect for the lives lost during the Tamil genocidal war staged by the Sri Lankan government.

The members of Parliament, the Lord and the audience were elated to watch a wide variety of programmes of the event. Tamil cultural programmes delighted the audience with orchestras of Veena, Thavil and Naathaswaram, vocal music, Tamil folk and traditional dances with participants wearing colourful Tamil traditional costumes that received great applauses from everyone.  It was great to see Tamil youths’ coordination and participation in the event.

By praising Tamil peoples’ contribution to the world at large, especially to the United Kingdom, all these distinguished guests of the Members of Parliaments and the Councillors collectively voiced that the international community must intervene and save Tamil people who are being subjected to genocide in Sri Lanka.

All those participated members of Parliament including the members of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils (APPGT), affirmed their stand with Tamil people for their rights in Sr Lanka. Their speeches contained the following salient points.

• Tamil peoples’ enormous contribution to British institutions such as National Health Service commercial and business sector and the like
• Tamil people have been and are being targeted and tortured for several decades in Sri Lanka
• The Mullivaikkal war in 2009 can only be classified as the genocidal war
• The Tamil people must have their right to self-determination
• Sri Lankan state is now trying to talk to the Tamil political leaders
• To reach a successful negotiation, an international arbitration mechanism with chairs of the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, India is crucial
• Sri Lanka’s hardship is now felt by the whole country mainly because of appalling corruption, over-spending on defence, unfunded tax-cuts and horrific behaviour of the Sri Lankan government
• Our thoughts must be about those people in Sri Lanka suffering with hardships while we celebrate here in London
• Although it is good news that President Ranil Wickremasinghe is talking to leadership of Tamil people in Sri Lanka about a political solution, the sceptical and suspicious nature of Tamil people on the Colombo government is understandable due to their bad experiences in the past including the Norwegian efforts
• Exerting international pressure on the Sri Lankan government to deliver human rights and justice for Tamil people is crucial
• Praised the Canadian government who recently passed sanctions against former Presidents Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and Mahinda Rajapaksa
• The UK Parliament and the UK government to follow the lead of Canada and sanction these outrageous individuals who have caused so much damage to everyone in the island of Sri Lanka

The members of Parliament thanked the BTF and the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils, for supporting the British Tamil community and the Tamil people in Sri Lanka as a whole.

The members of Parliament participated in the event:

1) Rt Hon Theresa Villiers, 2) Rt Hon Sir Ed Davy, 3) Rt Hon Sir Stephen Timms 4) Steve Baker, 5) Catherine West, 6) Janet Daby, 7) Louie French, 8) Sarah Olney, 9) Sarah Jones, 10) Bambos Charalambous, 11) Dawn Butler, 12) Yasmin Qureshi, 13) Ruth Margaret, 14) Ben Everitt, 15) Sarah Champion, 16) Chi Onwurah, 17) Bob Blackman, 18) Gareth Thomas, 19) Stephen Morgan, 20) Paul Bristow, 21) James Grundy, 22) Tan Dhesi, 23) Fiona Bruce and Lord Mann. 

The Councillors participated in the event:

1) Sarmila Varatharaj (Deputy Mayor, Wandsworth Council), 2) Krishna Suresh, 3) Sasi Suresh, 4) Chrishni Reshekaron, 5) Ellily Ponnuthurai, 6) Sharmila Sivarajah, 7) Paul White, 8) Kuha Kumaran.

This event is an important part of the British Tamils Forum’s objective to bring the ongoing genocide and extermination of Tamil people in Sri Lanka and to solicit support for justice, peace, prosperity and equal rights for them. The attendance of more members of Parliament this year than in the past indicates that the UK parliament recognises the BTF’s veracious efforts on Tamil peoples’ legitimate aspirations in Sri Lanka.

The BTF conveys its sincere gratitude to the Lord, members of Parliament, Councillors, artists and volunteers for taking part and making this event successful.

For More Images: Thaipongal & Tamil Heritage Month Parliament-2023 January – British Tamils Forum 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=859174542059398

For More Videos : https://youtu.be/PAWP1gCdSrk

: https://youtu.be/Jazn-7vjp0I

: https://youtu.be/4uzTTWlmoyw

: https://youtu.be/Ty5VIxAGweU

: https://youtu.be/t3EhF7HMb3g

: https://youtu.be/atxw7mMIkEk

: https://youtu.be/LpQsCPWcSeo

: https://youtu.be/SJ2TuYzZfyE

: https://youtu.be/RRPZkiQcf8E

: https://youtu.be/F9WsJNY3upA

: https://youtu.be/ggEdCJM2Z08

: https://youtu.be/S7RzERBuIOk

: https://youtu.be/Cp5-OHyFHNk

: https://youtu.be/QzGneGTgs1U

Tamil Heritage & Thai Pongal Celebration In the British Parliment-Press Release

 தை மரபுத் திங்கள் மற்றும் தை பொங்கல் விழாவினை கடந்த பல வருடங்களை போன்று மிகவும் சிறப்பான முறையில்  17 ஜனவரி 2023 அன்று பிரித்தானிய பாராளுமன்றின் உள்ளரங்கத்தில் (Jubilee Hall) பிரித்தானிய தமிழர் பேரவையினால் நிகழ்த்தப்பட்டது.

உலகளாவியரீதியிலும் குறிப்பாக பிரித்தானியாவிற்கும் தமிழ் மக்களின் சிறப்பான பங்களிப்புகளை பாராட்டி சிறிலங்காவில் இன அழிப்பிற்கு ஆளாகி வரும் தமிழ் மக்களை சர்வதேசம் தலையிட்டு பாதுகாக்க வேண்டும் என்று பல்வேறு கட்சிகளை சார்ந்த பாராளுமன்ற உறுப்பினர்கள் ஒருமித்து குரல் கொடுத்தனர்.

தமிழ் மக்களை பிரதிநிதித்துவப்படுத்தும் பல்வேறு முக்கியஸ்தர்கள் கலந்து கொண்டதுடன் பிரித்தானிய தமிழர் பேரவை 2011இல் ஹரோ மாநகர அவையுடன் (Harrow Council) இணைந்து தை பொங்கல் விழாவை நடத்தி ஒரு விதையை விதைத்து தொடர்ச்சியாக அதனை வருடா வருடம் வளர்த்து மக்கள்மயப்படுத்தியதன் விளைவு பிரித்தானியாவில் மட்டுமல்லாது பல்வேறு நாடுகளிலும் “தமிழ் மரபு திங்கள்” மற்றும் “தை பொங்கல்” எனும் கருப்பொருளில் பல்வேறு நிகழ்வுகள் முன்னெடுக்கப்பட்டு வருகின்றதனை நினைவுபடுத்தினார்கள்.

பல்வேறு ஆய்வுகளின் அடிப்படையில் தொகுக்கப்பட்ட “கடல்சார் பயணம் மற்றும் உலகமயமாக்கலின் முன்னோடியான தமிழ் பாரம்பரியம்” (Tamil Heritage Pioneered Maritime Expedition & Globalisation) என்ற ஒரு காணொளி வெளியிட்டு வைக்கப்பட்டது. இக் காணொளி தமிழ் மக்களின் பிரமாண்டமான ஆக்கத் திறனையும் திரை கடலோடி திரவியம் தேடுதல், உலகமயமாக்கம் மற்றும் படைநகர்த்தலில் தரைவழி பாதை இன்றி ஆயிரக்கணக்கான கடல் மைல்கள் ஆழ்ந்த சமுத்திரத்தினூடு நெடு நாட்கள் பயணித்து தொலை தூர நாடுகளை வசப்படுத்தும் பிரமிக்கத் தக்க ஆற்றலை தமிழர் படை 1000 வருடங்களின் முன்னே முன்னோடியாக சாதித்தமையை சரித்திரப்பூர்வமான ஆதாரங்களின் அடிப்படையில் விளக்குகின்றது. இது நடந்து ஏறத்தாழ 500 வருடங்களின் பின்னரே ஐரோப்பாவிலுள்ள நாடுகள் நீண்ட தூர கடற்படை கட்டமைப்புகளை உருவாக்கி தத்தம் சாம்ராஜ்யங்களை நிர்மாணிக்கத் தலைப்பட்டன.

கலந்து கொண்ட அனைத்து கட்சி பாராளுமன்ற உறுப்பினர்கள் (All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils – APPG T) அனைவருமே தமிழ் மக்களின் உரிமைக்கான போராட்டத்தில் தாம் உறுதுணையாக நிற்பதனை மீண்டும் வலியுறுத்தினார்கள்.

அவர்களது உரையில், பின்வரும் விடயங்கள் முன்வைக்கப்பட்டன.:

• சுகாதார சேவை, வணிகம் மற்றும் பிற துறைகளில் பிரித்தானிய நாட்டில் தமிழ் மக்களின் அளப்பரிய பங்களிப்பு,
• பல தசாப்தங்களாக தமிழ் மக்கள் துன்புறுத்தப்பட்டு சித்திரவதை செய்யப்பட்டு வருவது,
• மனித உரிமைகள் மறுக்கப்படுவது
• 2009 இல் நடந்த நிகழ்வுகளை இனப்படுகொலை என்று மட்டுமே விவரிக்க முடியும்,
• தமிழர்களுக்கான சுயநிர்ணய உரிமை வழங்கப்பட வேண்டும்,
• சிறிலங்காவில் தமிழர்கள் மட்டுமின்றி தற்போது சிங்களவர்களும் அனுபவிக்கும் துன்பத்திற்கான காரணம் ஊழல், பாதுகாப்புக்கு அதிக செலவு மற்றும் சிறிலங்கா அரசின் கொடூரமான நடத்தை.
• தமிழர்களுடன் பேச்சுவார்த்தை நடத்த முற்படும் சிறிலங்கா
• தமிழர்கள் ஏன் கொழும்பு அரசாங்கத்தின் மீது சந்தேகம் கொண்டுள்ளனர் என்பதை நோர்வே அனுபவத்தின் மூலம் எம்மால் புரிந்து கொள்ள முடிகிறது.
• பேச்சுவார்த்தை வெற்றி அளிப்பதற்கு அமெரிக்கா, ஐரோப்பிய ஒன்றியம், பிரித்தானியா, இந்தியா பிரதிநிதித்துவத்தை கொண்ட  சர்வதேச நடுவர் மன்றம் (International Arbitration) அமைக்கப்பட வேண்டும் .
• தமிழ் மக்களுக்கு மனித உரிமைகள் மற்றும் நீதியை வழங்குவதற்கு சிறிலங்கா அரசாங்கத்தின் மீது சர்வதேச அழுத்தங்களை உறுதி செய்ய வேண்டும்.
• முன்னாள் ஜனாதிபதிகளான கோட்டாபாய ராஜபக்ச மற்றும் மஹிந்த ராஜபக்ஷவிற்கு எதிராக தடைகளை நிறைவேற்றிய கனேடிய அரசாங்கத்திற்கு பாராட்டுக்கள் மற்றும் பிரித்தானியா உட்பட ஏனைய நாடுகளும் தடை விதிக்க வலியுறுத்தல்.

தமிழர்களுக்கான அனைத்து கட்சி பாராளுமன்ற உறுப்பினர்களுக்கு உதவி வரும் பிரித்தானியத் தமிழர் பேரவைக்கு குறிப்பாகவும், இங்கு வாழும் அனைத்து தமிழ் மக்களுக்கும், சிறிலங்காவிலுள்ள தமிழ் மக்களுக்கும் ஆதரவாக நாங்கள் செய்ய விரும்பும் பணிகளில் அனைத்துக் கட்சிகளிலிருந்தும் உதவியவர்களுக்கு உரையாற்றிய பாராளுமன்ற உறுப்பினர்கள் பாராட்டு தெரிவித்தனர்.

தமிழ் பாரம்பரியத்தின் செழுமையை வெளிப்படுத்தும் வண்ணமயமான நிகழ்வில் இங்கிலாந்தின் மூன்று பிரதான கட்சிகளின் 23 பாராளுமன்ற உறுப்பினர்கள், தமிழ் கவுன்சிலர்கள், பிரபுக்கள் சபையின் உறுப்பினர் ஒருவர் மற்றும் பல முக்கியஸ்தர்கள் கலந்து கொண்டனர். இந்த நிகழ்வினை பிரித்தானிய தமிழர் பேரவையின் இளையோர் முன்னின்று நிகழ்த்தினார்கள்.

கலந்து கொண்ட பாராளுமன்ற உறுப்பினர்கள்:

1) Rt Hon Theresa Villiers, 2) Rt Hon Sir Ed Davy, 3) Rt Hon Sir Stephen Timms 4) Steve Baker, 5) Catherine West, 6) Janet Daby, 7) Louie French, 8) Sarah Olney, 9) Sarah Jones, 10) Bambos Charalambous, 11) Dawn Butler, 12) Yasmin Qureshi, 13) Ruth Margaret, 14) Ben Elliot, 15) Sarah Champion, 16) Chi Onwurah, 17) Bob Blackman, 18) Gareth Thomas, 19) Stephen Morgan, 20) Paul Bristow, 21) James Grundy, 22) Tan Dhesi, 23) Fiona Bruce மற்றும் Lord John Mann.

கலந்து கொண்ட மாநகர அவை உறுப்பினர்கள்:

1) Sarmila Varatharaj (Deputy Mayor, Wandsworth Council), 2) Chrishni Reshekaron, 3) Ellily Ponnuthurai, 4) Sharmila Sivarajah, 5) Paul White, 6) Kuha Kumaran, 7) Krishna Suresh, 8) Sasi Suresh

பல செழுமையான பங்களிப்புகளை உலகிற்கு வழங்கிய தமிழ் இனம் இலங்கை தீவில் படிப்படியாக இனவழிப்பிற்குள்ளாக்கப்பட்டு வேரோடு அழிக்கப்படுவதை உலகின் கண் முன்னே கொண்டு வந்து நிறுத்தி நீதி கிடைக்க வேண்டும் என்ற பிரித்தானிய தமிழர் பேரவையின் மூலோபாயத்தின் ஒரு முக்கிய அங்கமான இந்த நிகழ்வு, இந்த வருடம் கடந்த காலங்களை விட மிக அதிகமான பாராளுமன்ற உறுப்பினர்கள் கலந்து கொண்டு சிறப்பித்தனர்.

The arm-struggle for the freedom of the Tamil nation ended in 2009 in the face of the overwhelming military might of the Sinhala nation, whose military might could directly be attributed to the supply of arms by a few nations friendly to the Sri Lankan state, who began to equate the legitimate freedom struggle of long-oppressed nations to the acts of terrorism of individuals and groups. The bombing of the twin towers in the United States fuelled the concept that any arms struggle is a wanton act of terrorism. The international community very often did not pause to distinguish between the legitimate aspirations of long-suffering nations and acts of individuals for whom the goals are different.

The Tamil nation within the island of Sri Lanka has a long historical claim to a nationhood. When deprived of its rights, the Tamil nation initially attempted to regain the lost political rights through political dialogue and, when pushed to the wall with the state terrorism used to suppress the political dissent, took to arms as the last legitimate resort as recognised in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1949, which is the right to defend.

The Tamil diaspora world over and the Tamil brethren still remaining in the troubled island of Sri Lanka are the living witnesses to the human rights abuses, war crimes, crimes against Humanity and acts of genocide let loose against the Tamil nation with total impunity by the Sinhala nation.

The Tamil nation might have been forced to temporarily end its struggle for independence in May 2009, but the quest for independence burns deep in the hearts and minds of every Tamil belonging to Tamil Eelam. Due to the state terrorism practised in various forms in the island of Sri Lanka, the Tamil nation is unable to find its voice within the island as the reprisal has always been swift. The theatre of conflict has inevitably moved out of the Tamil nation to be waged from countries where the Tamil diaspora has found refuge.

The struggle itself has gone through a metamorphosis. Now it is more political and legal, waged within the international framework.

Since the voice of the Tamil nation was throttled to silence in May 2009, the Tamil diaspora has begun to canvass the international fora, including the UN bodies, to secure their backing to force the Sri Lankan state to account for their breaches of various international conventions and covenants.

Due to the untiring efforts of the enlightened section of the Tamil diaspora, the UN Human Rights Council, under its mandate, has moved to consider the atrocities committed against the Tamil nation. Resolutions have been successfully carried through with the support of nations including the UK, the US and the European Union. The resolution passed in March 2021 mandated the UNHRC to collate the evidence in regard to the human rights abuses and the war crimes, crimes against Humanity and acts of genocide committed by the Sri Lankan state since it gained independence. This process will appear to be quite time-consuming, but it is inevitable, as securing the support of the member states is a tedious task. We have had an appreciable success.

The recent events in Sri Lanka have given us a window of opportunity to ensure that the momentum of this process is hastened. It requires legal research to understand what is possible and what is feasible. The politics is an art of possibilities, after all.

The persons who stood accused of perpetrating human rights violations before the UNHRC were able to take cover under various immunities as applicable to diplomats and state functionaries. The silver lining in the protest of the Sinhala youth, as far as the Tamil nation is concerned, is that those perpetrators of heinous crimes have now almost lost their immunity from prosecution. In this context, the Tamil diaspora is researching the possibilities of bringing those offending individuals before the international courts such as the ICJ, ICC and the special adhoc international tribunal for Sri Lanka under the international jurisdictions. It is not a mean task. The Tamil nation and diaspora will almost certainly face obstacles from known and unknown quarters. To overcome the obstacles, whatever moves to be taken by the Tamil nation and the Tamil diaspora ought to be underpinned by legal and political research, with a profound understanding of the geopolitical realities.

Fortunately, a group of law graduates have grouped themselves voluntarily to undertake research into this area for the benefit of those activists who can then translate the research findings into action plans.

It is essential that the Tamil diaspora and the Tamil politicians who represent the Tamil nation within the island of Sri Lanka act responsibly to ensure that we succeed in our attempt to bring the Sri Lankan state and its agents who perpetrated war crimes, crimes against Humanity and acts of genocide to justice. We seek your kind co-operation.

 British Tamils Forum

Press Release ”It is time to act”

Sri Lanka’s pretence that India failed to provide valid reasons for not allowing Yuan Wang 5 to dock in Hambantota port is another act of Sri Lankan state’s deception. Sri Lankan state has always been hostile to India, which Sri Lanka inherited for generations in the past.

Albeit India was unequivocally made it clear that allowing Chinese “Spy Ship” would create security concern to its region, Sri Lanka ignored such clarifications and duped India by playing with words.

The foregoing infers that Chinese are becoming more dominant in Sri Lanka, and Sr Lanka is unable to defend its position due to its indebtedness to China. Although Chinese dominance prevails in the west and south of the island, its authority is diminutive in the north and east, inherited by Tamil people who are the natural allies to India for its generosities whenever in need.

There is a great possibility for China to cynically explore the missile interceptor base at Hambantota to destabilise the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The risk is therefore significantly high.

While we, the British Tamils Forum (BTF) conveys its best wishes to the President, the Prime Minister and the people of India concerned on their 75th Anniversary, Diamond Jubilee Independence celebration, we expect India to be more vigilant on China’s and Sri Lanka’s future actions as we, the native Tamil people have been experiencing such Sri Lanka’s hypocrisy for the past 74 years.

Press Release-Chinese “Spy Ship” Yuan Wang 5 Arrives Hambantota Port on 16 August 2022