The Australian Tamil community will be mourning the loss of their loved ones and their homeland today, three years since the Government of Sri Lanka declared victory over its war against the Tamils.
Sri Lanka’s military campaign which came to a bloody end on 18 May 2009, took the lives of up to 150,000 Tamil civilians.
Today, mistreatment and subjugation of the Tamil people continues. Thousands of Tamils refugees still linger in transit camps awaiting resettlement while colonisation schemes of Sinhalese onto the Tamil homeland aggressively flourish. Rape, disappearances and police arrest without trial is rife forcing Tamils to continue to flee the island as asylum seekers. Media personnel and civil society activists are constantly threatened, and there have been no genuine attempts by the government towards accountability or a political solution for Tamil grievances.
In April 2011, a report released by a UN Expert Advisory Panel found allegations of war crimes committed during the conflict in Sri Lanka to be credible and called for an independent international investigation into war crimes in the island. A United Nations Human Rights Council resolution passed in March 2012 called for constructive recommendations of a Sri Lankan internal inquiry to be implemented, while pointing out that it does not however adequately address serious allegations of violations of international law. To date, Sri Lanka has been defiant on all fronts.
While remembering the lives lost in the massacre that unfolded in the Tamil homeland and highlighting the grim ground realities for Tamils in Sri Lanka, the Australian Tamil Congress (ATC) continues to call on the Australian government to put pressure on Sri Lanka to uphold the rights of the Tamil people.
“Ignoring atrocities committed and continuing to be committed against the Tamil people by the Sri Lankan regime will set a horrific precedent suggesting that in our era, states can escape unscathed for egregious violations of human rights law,” says Dr Sam Pari, spokesperson for the ATC.
The ATC further urges the Australian government and the opposition to review Australia's current foreign policy on Sri Lanka regarding Australia's trade as well as refugee issues.
Vigils and memorial events are planned in all major capital cities around Australia.
Media contact:
Dr. Sam Pari, Spokesperson, Australian Tamil Congress – 0433 428 967
