The Australian Tamil Congress (ATC) welcomes recent findings from an international tribunal of academics, legal experts and human rights campaigners, including former UN Assistant Secretary General, Denis Halliday, which found the Government of Sri Lanka has a strong case to answer over its complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the final stages of Sri Lanka’s civil conflict.
The Permanent People’s Tribunal heard eye-witness accounts and examined materials including video footage during two days of hearings at Trinity College Dublin last week. The Tribunal was co-hosted by the Irish School of Ecumenics, Trinity College Dublin and the School of Law and Government, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland. The event was organised by the Irish Forum for Peace in Sri Lanka (IFPSL). http://www.ifpsl.org/
This latest announcement adds to a growing volume of international condemnation and calls for independent investigations into alleged war crimes and human rights abuses committed during Sri Lanka’s civil war. Most recently, Philip Alston, the United Nations special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions called for an independent inquiry to investigate alleged war crimes and other violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.
“Sri Lanka is a country with a very dubious human rights record against ethnic minorities, including Tamils. This is the cause of so many Tamils fleeing Sri Lanka. It is time the International Community, including Australia ensures the root cause is dealt with - the perpetrators should be brought to justice and the safety and security of all Sri Lankans should be protected,” said spokesperson for the ATC, Brami Jegan.
Dr Jake Lynch from the University of Sydney’s Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies (CPACS), added, “The abuses and injustices inflicted on the Tamils add up to an important factor in this conflict that will have to be meaningfully addressed before there can be any chance of building a lasting peace. The findings of this court, unofficial as it is, present a challenge to the world’s governments. They must either take decisive action to offer the prospect of justice to the Tamils, or see their warm words about the prospects of reconciliation condemned as mere windy rhetoric”.
Brami Jegan, Spokesperson for the ATC is available for interview on this topic Ph: 0433 054 712
Associate Professor Jake Lynch (CPACS) is also available for interview on this topic Ph: 0420 980 010
