புலம்பெயர் தமிழர்கள் தமது கலாச்சர பண்பாடுகளை பேணி பாதுகாக்கும் முகமாக புலம்பெயர் தேசத்தில் பல்வேறு  தமிழ் பண்டிகைகளையும் கலாச்சார நிகழ்வுகளையும்  மிக முனைப்போடு முன்னெடுத்து வருகின்றமை மிக பாராட்டுதலுக்குரியது. இப் பண்டிகைகள் தமிழர்கள்  தமக்கிடையில் மட்டும் கொண்டாடும் நிகழ்வாக அல்லாமல் உலக அரங்கில் தமிழர்களின் தனித்துவ அடையாளத்தையும் எமது கலாச்சரத்தையும் உலகறியச் செய்வதன் முக்கியத்துவம் கருதி பிரித்தானிய தமிழர் பேரவையினர் ஆகிய நாம் முதன் முதலில் பிரித்தானியாவின் ஹரோ கவுன்சிலில் தை பொங்கல் திருநாளினை சில பாராளுமன்ற உறுப்பினர்கள் மற்றும் அரசியல் தலைவர்கள் சகிதம் ஒழுங்கு செய்திருந்தோம். அதன் பிற்பாடு பிரித்தானியாவின் பாராளுமன்றத்தில், கடந்த பல வருடங்களாக தொடர்ச்சியாக தை மாதத்தினை தமிழர் மரபுரிமை மாதமாக அங்கீகரிக்க கோரி  பாராளுமன்ற உறுப்பினர்களின் பிரசன்னத்துடனும், பிரித்தானிய வாழ் தமிழ் இளையோர்களின் ஆதரவுடனும் சிறப்பாக முன்னெடுத்திருந்தோம்.

இச் செயற்பாடுகள் தொடர்பில் எமக்கான ஆதரவு உலக தமிழர்களிடம் இருந்து கிடைக்கப் பெற்றது மட்டுமன்றி தமது நாடுகளிலும் இவ்வாறான முயற்சியை உலகத் தமிழர்கள் முன்னெடுத்து இருந்தனர். முக்கியமாக கனடா வாழ் தமிழர்களின் முயற்சியினால்  அக்டோபர் 2016ம்  வருடம் கனடா தேசம் தை மாதத்தினை தமிழர் மரபுரிமை மாதமாக அங்கீகரித்து தமிழர்க்கும் தமிழுக்கும் பெருமை சேர்த்து இருந்தது. கடந்த வருடமும் இவ் வருடமும்  பிரித்தானியாவிலும் எமக்கான உத்தியோகபூர்வ அங்கீகாரத்துக்கான நடவடிக்கையாக,   பாராளுமன்றத்தின் இரு உள்ளரங்கங்களில் பெரும் எண்ணிக்கையான பாராளுமன்ற உறுப்பினர்கள், அரசியல் தலைவர்கள், சமய குருமார்கள் மற்றும் பொதுமக்கள் என பலரும் பங்குபற்றும் நிகழ்வாக முன்னெடுக்கப்படவுள்ளதுடன்  பிரித்தானிய பிரதமருக்கு, ஜனவரி மாதத்தினை தமிழர் மரபுரிமை மாதமாக அங்கீகரிக்குமாறு கோரும் உத்தியோகபூர்வ விண்ணப்பம் ஒன்றும் சமர்பிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

பிரித்தானிய பிரதமருக்கான இவ் உத்தியோகபூர்வ விண்ணப்பத்திற்கு தம்மையும் ஈடுபடுத்தி எமக்கான முழு ஆதரவு வழங்கிய ஏனைய தமிழ் அமைப்புக்கள் மற்றும் அனைத்து நிர்வாகங்களுக்கும்  இச் சமயத்தில் எம் மனப்பூர்வ நன்றியை தெரிவிப்பதுடன்,  தொடர்ச்சியாக எமக்கு கிடைத்து வரும் தமிழர்களின் ஆதரவினால் மற்றுமொரு விண்ணப்பம் சமர்ப்பிக்கும் செயல்திட்டத்தினை தற்போது முன்னெடுத்து வருகின்றோம். இச் செயற்பாட்டிற்கு ஆதரவு  தர விரும்பும் அமைப்புகள் அல்லது ஏனைய தமிழ் பாடசாலை, ஆலய மற்றும் ஊர்ச் சங்க நிர்வாகங்கள் உட்பட தமிழர் நலன் பேணும் சமூக நிறுவனங்கள்  கால தாமதமின்றி எம்மை தொடர்பு கொள்ளுமாறு அன்புடன் கேட்டுக் கொள்கிறோம்.

இதுவரை தமது ஆதரவினை வழங்கியுள்ள தமிழர் நலன் பேணும் அமைப்புகளின் விபரம் இங்கே தரப்பட்டுள்ளது.

1. Agaram Senthamizh Foundation

2. Arivu Foundation
3. Federation of Tamil Organisations Waltham Forest
4. Sri Katpaga Vinaygar Temple
5. Sri Merupuram Kali Amman temple
6. Tamil Catholic Chaplaincy
7. Emmanuel Christian Fellowship
8. Waltham Forest Tamil Sangam
9. Tamil Elders Welfare Association
10. Waltham Forest Sai Centre
11. London Tamil Centre
12. Milton Keynes Murugan Temple Trust
13. OSA CMMV UK
14. Ray of Hope People
15. Tamil Association of Brent (TAB)
16. Tamil Academy of Language and Arts (TALA)
17. Tamil Learning Centre- Crawley
18. Thaaitamil Sangam, A Coventry & Warwickshire Tamil Community
19. Thamilavai
20. The Milton Keynes Tamil Forum
21. Tamil Studies UK (TSUK)
22. Federation of Saiva (Hindu) Temples – United Kingdom
23. Sri Ghanapathy temple
24. Sri Kanaga Durka Amman Kovil
25. Highgatehill Murugan temple
26. Sri Rajarajeswari Amman temple
27. London Sivan Kovil
28. Crawley Sri Swarna Kamadchi Amman temple
29. Sri Katpaga Vinayagar temple
30. Enfield Nagapooshani Ambaal temple
31. Arulmigu Sri Sivagami Sametha
32. London Sri Selvavinayagar temple
33. Sri Sithi Vinayagar Thevasthanam
34. Shree Sakthy Ghanapathy temple
35. Eela Patheeswarar temple
36. New Malden Murugan temple
37. Sri Merupuram Maha Pathiragali Amman Devasthanam
38. Coventry Shree Maha Sithi Vinayagar
39. London Sree Ayyappan Temple
40. Eela Kanthan temple
41. Liverpool Ganesh temple
42. Sri Thurkkai Amman temple
43. Meenakshi temple
44. Sri Katpaga Vinayahar temple
45. Kopay Christian College Old Students Association UK
46. Attiar Hindu College Old Student Association UK
47. Neervely Welfare Association UK
48. Tamil Mandram Cardiff
49. Shri Kalpaga Hindu Culture Association
50. SWaT badminton club (south Wales Tamils)
51. Surrey Tamil School
52. ITC Kingston Tamil School
53. Tamil Learning Centre- Crawley
54. Milton Keynes Tamil Academy
55. UNITY – United Tamil Artiste
56. Nottingham Tamil School
57. Sivapatha Natyalaya
58. Alaveddy Makkal Sangam
59. NAAME NAMAKKU
60. Conservative Friends of Tamils (CFT)
61. Tamils for Labour (TfL)
62. Tamil Friends of Liberal Democrats (TFLibDem)
63. Rayners football club
64. Maruthanila Charity
65. Thayakam sports club, Milton Keynes
66. Maidstone All Stars Club
67. Croydon Academy of Eastern Arts
68. Serendip Children’s Home
69. Hendon Tamil School
70. Tamil Women Development Forum (TWDF)

Tamil Press Release Pongal Event

Since independence, Buddhist clergies’ dominance in the political history, has been the predominant cause for repealing every pact signed between the Tamil and Sinhalese political leaders for reaching a solution to Tamil peoples’ fundamental issues. 

The historical cycles of violence and genocide inflicted against Tamil people in the island have concrete evidence that the Sri Lankan state, regardless of who came to power to prove that the Sinhala state’s aim is to make the country a mono-ethnic, mono-lingual, and mono-religious Sinhala-Buddhist country. The unprecedented declaration of the Buddhist clergies accepting the existence of a plural society at the meeting with the GTF has generated scepticism and dismay among the Tamil people whether this meeting was political motivated to deceive Tamil people and the international community. To add to fuel to Tamil peoples’ concern the whole process of this ‘declaration’ had been kept secretive without any consultation process. It is paramount that any declaration such as ‘Himalayan Declaration’ should have been consulted with the victims and brought to the public domain prior to the meeting. This did not occur. 

The GTF on the other hand started a similar process in 2015 with the then President Maithiripala Sirisena when Ranil Wickremasinghe was the Prime Minister and that failed miserably as expected. It took over 5 years for GTF to realise the entire process was an illusion conveniently crafted by the Sri Lankan government led by Maithiripala and Ranil Wickremasinghe aiming to drag the UNHRC process and manage the increasing call to restructure the state to ensure nonrecurrence of past violence. 

The failed policies of all consecutive Sri Lankan governments in the post-independence period led to repeating cycles of violence, death and destruction of properties, corruption at the highest level, impunity, economic regression, wastage of funds to continue the militarisation, debt trap, high degree of power centralisation, international isolation and default. Thus, without addressing the root causes of Tamil peoples’ issues in depth, treating them superficially as a trivial matter is not going to resolve Tamil peoples’ yearning aspirations constitutionally. The constitutional changes are not going to occur without gaining the majority parliamentary support, which is an operation of “getting blood out of stone” in Sinhala-Buddhist exclusionists dominated Sri Lankan parliament. Provoking racial slurs among Sinhala public has been the oxygen of Sinhala parliamentarians to win their seats to the parliament. 

Knowing Ranil Wickremasinghe’s past of manipulating matters to his advantage, GTF’s meeting will provide Ranil an opportunity to hoodwink the international community to sweep Tamils’ outcries under the carpet in the guise of success in talking with Tamil diaspora organisations and to promote support for the proposed Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) model for the resolution internally.  

Several Tamil diaspora organisations have been actively working in founding a permanent political solution since the end of civil war in 2009 for Tamil people to live in peace and harmony with equal rights in the country. These organisations are also laboriously spending their time, money, and efforts to establish accountability for the war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide committed on the Tamil people. 

The rigorous UNHRC Resolutions 46/1 and 51/1 along with the Sri Lanka Accountability Project (SLAP) and continued persuasion of implementing “Magnitsky” Act and / or Global Human Rights Sanctions Act against the perpetrators by the member states are being continuously carried out those genuine Tamil diaspora organisations. 

The consequences of the GTF’s action are going to have significant impact in the international community’s true perception of the plight, the Tamil people are undergoing for the past 75 years since Sri Lanka became independent. They are,

• Jeopardise the Sri Lanka Accountability Project (SLAP) that is being carried out by the OHCHR.
• Any process leading to an international criminal prosecution mechanism will be replaced entirely by an internal process such as the toothless Truth and Reconciliation mechanism proposed by the President Ranil Wickremasinghe.
• The efforts are made to get the world leaders, like India, USA, UK and Europe, to directly intervene to establish a sustainable political solution for the Tamil people to live in peace and harmony addressing their legitimate aspirations in the island. Based on abrogation of several pacts in the past, Tamil people have lost hope in any of the internal process to find a meaningful political solution. 
• Consequently, the GTF’s effort will be futile and will sabotage the efforts the genuine Tamil organisations have been painstakingly formulating for the past 15 years. 
• The publicity made by the Sri Lankan government and the media about the GTF meeting with the Buddhist clergies is going to send a wrong message to the international community that Tamil people are going to see a dawn to their long-standing sufferings. This will play as a tool to Ranil Wickremasinghe government to convince the international community to take a non-intervention policy in Sri Lanka leaving Tamils solely at the mercy of Sinhala Buddhist exclusionists.

At this moment, it is pertinent to flag out whether the GTF represents the Tamil diaspora in any form or shape. Since GTF formed as an umbrella organisation in August 2009 in France, all except one of the 14 Tamil organisations have withdrawn their membership from the GTF. Thus, it is wrong to portray or construe as GTF representing the collective decisions of majority diaspora organisations of the Tami people. The diverse but strong Tamil diaspora is united in protecting the Tamil people in the island and finding justice and a lasting political solution with the necessary intervention of the international community, GTF’s action is weakening that synergy and allowing the Sri Lankan state to divide Tamil diaspora and hoodwink the international community. 

The realistic way-forward is all Tamil organisations should engage the stake-holders and the international community and initiate a time-bounded consultation process for establishing a permanent solution for Tamil people for peaceful coexistence, stability and prosperity in the island of Sri Lanka.

On behalf of:

British Tamils Forum (BTF): +447814486087, info@britishtamilsforum.org

Centre de Protections des Droits du Peuple Tamoul-France: 0033652100400, mte.france@gmail.com

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

Tamil Movement Against Genocide (Mauritius): +230 5728 5505, tamilmagen0@gmail.com

DOES THE GTF PLAY THE FIDDLE WHILE TAMILS AND THEIR HOMELAND IS BURNING

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-

Judicial positions Judge Saravanarajah resigned are the Mullaitivu District Judge, the magistrate court judge, the family court Judge, the primary court Judge, the small claims court Judge, and the Juvenile court Judge.

Following Judge Saravanarajah’s steadfast judicial uprightness and refusal to give in to the unlawful demands of a higher-up, the police protection he was legally entitled to was scaled down, and the Sri Lankan military intelligence service began keeping him under surveillance.

The Attorney General called him to his office on 21 September 2023 and pressured him to change the judgements he had already given in the Kurunthurmalai case where an ancient Hindu temple was destroyed and in its place a Buddhist temple was built under the false pretext of archaeological discovery, in a way contradictory to truth.

Two legal actions appear to have been filed against Judge Saravanarajah by the Sri Lankan State under his name on the Kurunthurmalai Vihara Decision in the court of appeal.

These developments are evidence of impunity, lack of judicial independence, and undermining the security for judges in the North-East.

Press Release 051023

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

The Jaffna Public Library was the pride of invaluable asset of Tamil people, not only for those who
lived in Jaffna peninsula, but also for academics and research-scholars from all around the world.
With a modest beginning in 1933, it grew to become a repository of significant Tamil palm leaf
manuscripts, original copies of regionally important historic documents in the contested political
history of Sri Lanka and newspapers that were published hundreds of years ago in the Jaffna
peninsula. It thus became a place of historic and symbolic importance to the Tamil people.

BURNING DOWN JAFFNA PUBLIC LIBRARY – A CULTURAL GENOCIDE

On 01 June 1981, Jaffna Public Library was reduced to ash by the premeditated willful and malicious
act of then Sri Lankan government with the presence of two cabinet ministers Gamini Dissanayake
and Cyril Matthew were stationed in Jaffna to oversee the election process and campaign. They
abetted the police forces and thugs especially brought from south and housed in Duraiappa Stadium
under the guise of election duty of the District Council election on June 04 th . Duraiappa Stadium is
situated right across a road of Jaffna Public Library is and was adjacent to the location of Jaffna
Police Station; all were in the same bordering vicinity separated by a road; at that time.

At around 10pm on 01 June 1981, Jaffna’s then Municipal Commissioner Mr. C V K Sivagnanam
received a call from Mrs Yogendra Duraisamy, the wife of then Government Agent of Jaffna District
and their house was within the vicinity of the library, telling him that there were smoke and fire
coming around the library and asked him to check up. When he contacted his staff over the phone,
and they told him that the library has been set on fire.

Please find former Municipal Commissioner Mr C V K Sivagnanam’s testimony as video statement[1] (https://youtu.be/jzQ_6Wt0wew)

For Tamils, the devastated library became a symbol of cultural genocide. The attack was seen as an assault on their aspirations, the value of learning and traditions of academic achievement.

Thereafter, a committee was appointed by the President J R Jayawardena, and one-man committee
was headed by Kingly Wickramasooriya, who was the DIG, came to Jaffna and collected evidence
from several high-ranking officials and witnesses in Jaffna, including then Jaffna Municipal
Commissioner Mr. C V K Sivagnanam, who was threatened to be shot by the police by a road
barricade, when Mr. Sivagnanam was rushing in his car after receiving a phone call about Jaffna
Library was on fire. Mr. Sivagnanam had seen the burning library and the policemen in the library
area from the location where he was stopped by the police.

Despite of appointing a committee by the government at that time and up to now no action have
been taken by any successive Sri Lankan government came to power thereafter, to grant justice to
the heinous crime committed by the perpetrators by burning the cultural treasure of Tamil people.

This shows the clear evidence of Tamil genocidal intent of the Sri Lankan state’s policy that it
hitherto continues.

TAMIL PEOPLE RIGORUSLY ENDEAVOURED TO RETAIN THE RUINED LIBRARY AS A MEMORIAL OF
STRUCTURAL GENOCIDE OF TAMIL PEOPLES’ INVALUABLE INHERITANCE AND TO BUILD ANOTHER
IDENTICAL ONE NEARBY

Nonetheless, their endeavor was shattered when subsequent Sri Lankan governments tacitly
planned and refurbished the ruined Jaffna Library building with the motive of eradicating all
evidence of their genocidal act. Despite the fascia of the library is restored, the acrimony of
destroying irrecoverable invaluable manuscripts, original copies of historic documents and
newspapers will continue to traumatise Tamil people as long as they live.

Tamil peoples’ will to retain and preserve the charred building as a living memory of structural
genocide; a part of the atrocity crimes being continuously inflicted on them, has also been
deliberately denied.

During one of the truce negotiations between Chandrika Kumaratunga’s government and the LTTE in
1994 – 95, the government of Sri Lanka purposely brought the issue of the Jaffna Public Library and a
compromise was reached between the negotiating parties for a new library to be built next to the
old one. Subsequently, an architectural design for the new library was submitted by the LTTE
representatives to the government negotiators.

REFURBISHING & FURNISHING OF THE BURNT DOWN JAFFNA PUBLIC LIBRARY

Nevertheless, contrary to such a negotiated compromise to retain the burnt library building,
President Chandrika Kumaratunga, after militarily occupying the Jaffna district in 1996, undertook to
repair & refurbish the old library building, deliberately to erase the scars of the burnt library.

This has been the hallmark of the Sri Lankan state’s structural genocide with the notion of
eliminating Tamil people and their historical invaluable records form Sri Lanka’s history. Its enduring
psychological scar will continue to traumatise Tamil people as long as they live.

Jaffna Library

On behalf of the victims of the war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide suffered during the thirty-
year war that culminated in May 2009, we share our sincere appreciation to the governments of the United
States and Canada for duly identifying and sanctioning Sri Lankan human rights violators.

It is prudent to reiterate the list of Sri Lankan perpetrators of serious human rights violations as named by the
Report of the OHCHR investigation on Sri Lanka (OISL) released by the United Nations Human Rights Council in
September 2015, to include in full for taking prompt action under the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime
Act in the United Kingdom and applicable Magnitsky acts or similar in other countries.

The titles quoted are as they held in 2015 at the time the OISL Report was released.
1. Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
2. Mahinda Rajapaksa.
3. Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva.
4. Brigadier Sathyapriya Liyanage.
5. Major General Kamal Gunaratne.
6. Major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe.
7. Major General Nanda Mallawaratchchi.
8. Colonel G.V. Ravipriya.
9. Brigadier Prasanna Silva.
10. Major General Jagath Dias.

11. Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda.
12. Admiral TSG Samarasinghe.
13. Admiral D.W.A.S.Dissanayake.
14. Major General Jagath Jayasuriya.
15. Brigadier Nandana Udawatta.
16. Brigadier Chagie Gallage.
17. SSP C.N.Wakishta.
18. General Sarath Fonseka.
19. Admiral D.W.K Sandagiri.

https://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/Pages/OISL.aspx

We are concerned that the United Kingdom, despite being the penholder of the core group of the UNHRC
sessions on Sri Lanka’s Human Rights matters, has not taken necessary actions against the Sri Lankan
perpetrators to date, even after fourteen years of the war ended and after eight years of OISL released the
names of serious human rights violators, listed above.

We expect the UK to take an immediate tangible action against the perpetrators of atrocity crimes under the
Global Human Rights Sanctions Act on Sri Lanka in the same way as the USA and Canada, the members of the
Core Group on Sri Lanka in the UNHRC have hitherto acted.

There was enough evidence brought forward at the UNHRC and we have requested the UK Government to
apply the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime Act on Sri Lanka since it's been passed in the UK. We are
puzzled to understand why the UK has still not applied the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime Act on Sri
Lanka yet but quick to apply on a number of perpetrators in other countries.

When the North Americans – USA and Canada – continue to sanction the perpetrators the Europe and the UK
are continuing the GSP+. This will encourage Sri Lanka to continue its genocidal path. UK and EU should lead
by example by promoting the values of Human rights, rule of law, transparency and address the unethical
trade with Sri Lanka.

We encourage the United Kingdom and the European Union to follow the steps of the United States and
Canada and take necessary actions to prevail justice to the victims of the human rights violation.
DESIGNATION OF WASANTHA KARANNAGODA AND NECESSARY ACTIONS

 சிறிலங்காவின் வடக்கு மற்றும் கிழக்கில் உள்ள தமிழர்களின் பாரம்பரிய தாயகத்தில் 25 ஏப்ரல் 2023 செவ்வாய்க்கிழமை அன்று இடம்பெறவுள்ள பொது வேலைநிறுத்தத்திற்கு (ஹர்த்தாலுக்கு) புலம்பெயர்ந்த தமிழர் அமைப்புக்களான நாங்கள் முழு ஆதரவை வழங்குகிறோம். இந்த இக்கட்டான நேரத்தில் கருத்து வேறுபாடுகளைக் களைந்து பொது வேலைநிறுத்தத்திற்கு ஆதரவளிக்க அனைத்து புலம்பெயர் அமைப்புகளையும் அன்புடன் அழைக்கிறோம்.

பொது வேலைநிறுத்தத்தின் நோக்கங்கள்:

• சிறிலங்கா பாராளுமன்றத்தின் அங்கீகாரத்திற்காக சமர்ப்பிக்கப்படவுள்ள பயங்கரவாத எதிர்ப்பு சட்டமூலத்திற்கு எதிர்ப்பு தெரிவிப்பது. ஏனெனில் இது தற்போதைய பயங்கரவாதத் தடைச் சட்டத்தை விட மோசமானது.
• ஒரு திட்டமிட்ட கட்டமைப்பு ரீதியான இனப்படுகொலையை செய்து தமிழ் மக்களின் சுயநிர்ணய உரிமையை மறுதலிக்கும் பின் வரும் நடவடிக்கைகளை எதிர்ப்பதற்காக:

o நில அபகரிப்பு

o தமிழர் தாயகத்தில் தெற்கிலிருந்து சிங்கள மக்களை குடியேற்றம் செய்வதன் மூலம் தீவின் வடக்கு-கிழக்கில் வாழும் தமிழ் மக்களின் குடித்தொகையை சிதைத்தல்

o தமிழ் மரபுச் சான்றுகளை அழித்தல்

o வரலாற்றுச் சிறப்புமிக்க இந்துக் கோவில்களை இடித்து, அதற்குப் பதிலாக புத்த விகாரைகள் அமைத்தல்.

இவை யாவும் தீவின் வடக்கு கிழக்கில் வாழும் தமிழ் மக்களின் நீண்ட வரலாற்றை திரித்து மறுப்பதை நோக்கமாக கொண்டது.

இந்த பொது வேலைநிறுத்தத்தினை ஆரம்பித்து நடாத்தும் அனைத்து அரசியல் கட்சிகள், மத நிறுவனங்கள், தொழிற்சங்கங்கள், பல்கலைக்கழக மாணவர்கள் மற்றும் ஏனைய சிவில் சமூக அமைப்புக்களுக்கு எமது மனமார்ந்த நன்றியையும் நேசத்தையும் தெரிவித்துக் கொள்கிறோம். மேலும் எதிர்காலத்திலும் இது போன்ற ஒருங்கிணைந்த நடவடிக்கைகளைத் தொடர ஊக்குவிக்கிறோம்.

இலங்கையில் வாழும் அனைத்து தமிழ் மக்களையும் தமிழ் அரசியல் கட்சிகளையும் ஒன்றிணைந்து இந்த பொது வேலைநிறுத்தத்தில்  கலந்து கொண்டு சிங்கள பௌத்த அரசிற்கும் பெரும்பாண்மை சிங்கள மக்களுக்கும் சர்வதேச சமூகத்தினருக்கும் எமது ஒற்றுமையின் பலத்தை வெளிப்படுத்துமாறு அழைப்பு விடுக்கின்றோம்.

On behalf of:

• Australian Tamil Congress (ATC): +61300660629, mano_manics@hotmail.com
• British Tamils Forum (BTF): +447814486087, info@britishtamilsforum.org
• Center for the Protection for the rights of Tamil People (CPTR – France): 0033652100400, Selvan.cptr@gmail.com
• 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
• United States Tamil Action Group (USTAG): +12025953123, info@theustag.org

SUPPORT TO HARTAL IN NORTH & EAST OF SRI LANKA ON TUESDAY 25 APRIL 2023 TAMIL

Sri Lanka’s rush to apply South African model of TRC to resolve decades long oppression of Tamil people is another ruse to elude international community, especially when forthcoming UNHRC sessions are reaching at a crucial state on its action for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide of Tamil people. If this model is applied, it will enable Sri Lanka to continue its seventy years of impunity to perpetrators of gross human right violations.

The subterfuges of Sri Lankan state of this nature to are not new to those who have known Sri Lanka’s political history, especially when it comes to protect perpetrators of atrocity crimes of those in ropes and uniform. Its history of the “culture of impunity” and its inclination to protect chauvinistic Buddhist clergies is self-explanatory.

While the world at large sympathises on Sri Lanka’s self-inflicted economic plunge, what the international community fails to comprehend is that the Tamil people in the island are being subjected to the double-edged sword of economic strangulation as well as the on-going premeditated oppression.

Concentrated militarisation (16 out of 19 divisions of defence personal are based in Tamil Homeland), destruction of Tamil heritages, proliferation of Buddhist temples in places of historical Hindu temples, land-grabbing of Tamil peasants, destabilisation of Tamil peoples’ livelihood, antagonising Tamil people in their homeland etc. are still unending dilemmas in the island and they all are swept under the carpet of Sri Lanka’s economic crisis.

It must be noted that it is the Tamil people who are still escaping from Sri Lanka to other countries in small boats risking their lives, it is the Tamil people who are landing in India in fishing boats, and it is the Tamil people, who still seek refugee status in western countries not for economic prosperity as it is generally portrayed by western countries, but for escaping atrocities inflicted on them. It is not the Sinhalese people who risk their life in that manner as their prosperity in the island is always granted. The international community must rationalise this unequivocally.

It is also imperative to understand that the judiciary system in Sri Lanka is not independent but politically adulterated. The victim community receives no fair trial. The draconian law of Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1979, having severe criticism from several UN mechanisms, member states, NGOs and international organisations continue to be unleashed against dissenting voices.

To cover up the historic impunity Sri Lankan governments used to form commissions and inquiries to drag the burning issues and exhaust until the atrocity crimes are forgotten and kicked in the long grass.

Despite of all the above, Sri Lanka’s two ministers had paid a visit to meet the South African President making a propaganda that it would study how South Africa’s TRC model could be applied to resolve the ethnic problem in Sri Lanka.

Such an attempt is nothing other than a hoax, merely to hoodwink the international community, especially the countries that are going to make crucial UNHRC decisions in forthcoming UNHRC sessions.

We, the British Tamils Forum (BTF), would therefore draw the following to the international community’s attention and warn them to act rationally and not to be caught by the gambit staged by the Sri Lankan state to protect its perpetrators of the war crimes, the crime against humanity and the genocide.

A Potential Upshot on TRC – South Africa vs Sri Lanka

In South Africa the majority who took over from their oppressors could be magnanimous; in Sri Lanka the oppressors remain in power after eliminating those standing up for the Tamils in bloody atrocities.

Reference:

• TWENTY YEARS OF MAKE-BELIEVE SRI LANKA’S COMMISSIONS OF INQUIRY

https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa37/005/2009/en/

• A LEGACY TO REMEMBER; SRI LANKA’S COMMISSIONS OF INQUIRY

https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/39530093/sri-lankas-commissions-of-inquiry-law-society-trust

• A Commentary on the Presidential Commission of Inquiry and the Special Presidential Commission of Inquiry on Political Victimization, Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA)

chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.cpalanka.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Finalized-doc-CoI-SPCoI-on-Political-Victimization.pdf

Despite of many more committees formed by the Sri Lankan government, they were all fake and falsehood.  Especially designed to deceive the international community with ulterior motives.

TRC model in Sri Lanka