THE ALL PARTY PARLIAMENTARY GROUP FOR TAMILS

House of Commons

Westminster

London SW1A OAA

Chair: Lee Scott MP

STATEMENT RE UN REPORT AND SYSTEMATIC REPRESSION IN SRI LANKA

“Crimes against humanity must not be tolerated and those committed in Sri Lanka should not go unpunished. It is time for all Government’s to act” said Lee Scott MP, Chairman, All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils today after publication of the UN Report on War Crimes in Sri Lanka.

In a statement, issued by Lee Scott MP, Chairman of the Group, and Siobhain McDonough MP, it called on the Government to work with other like minded governments, as well as the EU, USA, India and international partners to act decisively and make practical recommendations such as sanctions; stopping Sri Lankan forces from serving on UN peacekeeping missions until the allegations are fully investigated by an independent international panel.

Commenting on the report, Mr Scott said, “the findings of this report are of no surprise to me or to my colleagues in the APPGt; we have been hearing exactly the same from our British Tamil constituents for some time now. These people who have made Britain their home have continued to bring to the forefront of public awareness the atrocities that took place; it is their family, friends and those Tamils left behind who have suffered this unacceptable crime against humanity. The allegations contained in the War Crimes Report, which has now been officially released, dwarf many other atrocities; they demonstrate that the Government of Sri Lanka had no regard for human rights”.

Mr Scott continued “I have been in regular contact with the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary and the Minister to keep them aware of the situation. Our Prime Minister was the first Western Leader to acknowledge the need for a full and independent inquiry into the alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka. The UN has supported this in their report and they have recommended “an international investigation. This is something we will continue to fight for; and until this is undertaken, fully investigated and its’ recommendations acted upon there will be no justice for the victims of these massacres. We would want this embarked on immediately”.

April 26th 2011

Contact:

Lee Scott MP – scottle@parliament.uk

Canadian Tamil Congress urges meaningful action on UN Report

For Immediate Release

April 26, 2011

After gathering evidence for 10 months, the UN Secretary General’s three-member panel on Sri Lanka has called for a thorough investigation into what it believes to be credible allegations that war crimes, and crimes against humanity, were committed by both sides of the civil war in Sri Lanka as the war drew to an end nearly two years ago.

The panel found that the government of Sri Lanka, among various violations, systematically shelled vulnerable areas during the war, including: all hospitals in the Vanni region, even though the government knew their locations; the UN hub; food distribution lines; near the ICRC ships coming to pick up the wounded; and three consecutive no-fire zones, where it encouraged the civilian population to concentrate.

In stark contrast to the government of Sri Lanka’s repeated assertion that there was a policy of “zero civilian casualties,” the panel found that tens of thousands died in the last five months of the war. The panel highlighted that government shelling was the main cause of the civilian casualties.

Among the allegations against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the panel said the insurgents refused civilians permission to leave areas under their control, “using them as hostages, at times even using their presence as a strategic human buffer between themselves and the advancing Sri Lanka army.”

“The Canadian Tamil Congress unequivocally calls for the implementation of all of the UN panel’s recommendations,” said David Poopalapillai, National Spokesperson for the Canadian Tamil Congress. “We agree with the UN Panel that any accountability process must meet international standards which will, at the very minimal, focus on the achievement of truth, justice and reparations for victims.”

In light of the UN panel’s finding that the government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam violated international law, an independent investigation of these crimes must take place. If the government of Sri Lanka continues its denial for accountability, it is the responsibility of those in the international community who champion human rights to band together to find a just solution to this dilemma placed on the future viability of international law.

“Given Sri Lanka's culture of impunity, and its contempt for the rule of law, the international community must hold Sri Lankan actors accountable for their blatant refusal to take responsibility and failures to uphold international human rights law", concluded Poopalapillai.

To this effect, the Canadian Tamil Congress urges the members of the United Nations Human Rights Council to reconsider the resolution defeated at the Special Session on Sri Lanka and impose measures against Sri Lanka, including establishing an investigative body that can lead to prosecutions against individuals and groups engaged in the breach of international law.

Full Text of UN Panel Report:

http://www.un.org/News/dh/infocus/Sri_Lanka/POE_Report_Full.pdf

For more information contact (416) 240-0078.

Courtesy: CTC

On the Official Release of the Report of the UN Secretary General’s Advisory Panel on Sri Lanka

Media Release

27.04.2011

The Australasian Federation of Tamil Associations (AFTA), the umbrella body of the peak Tamil Associations in Australia and New Zealand welcomes the official release of the above report by the United Nations on Monday 25 April. AFTA earlier appealed to the UN Secretary General (UNSG) to release the report in full without further delay, to end Sri Lanka’s partial release of the report and the mischievous media speculations that followed.

AFTA is satisfied to see that the three member panel has said in its report that there were "credible allegations, which if proven, indicate that a wide range of serious violations of

international humanitarian law and international rights law was committed both by the government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE, some of which would amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity". AFTA is also contended that the panel in their report has urged the Sri Lankan

Government (SLG) to acknowledge formally and in public its responsibility for the extensive civilian casualties in the final stages of the conflict.

AFTA, whilst welcoming the panel’s recommendation that the Sri Lankan government should respond to the serious allegations "by initiating an effective accountability process beginning with genuine investigations" which would meet international standards, wishes to register its grave doubts on SLG taking any genuine effort on this matter. The blatant failure of the several commissions of inquiry appointed by the SLG in the past to investigate crimes committed by its security forces and that of the latest Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), stand testimony for this pessimism.

The SLG had earlier dismissed the report handed to them for their review as "fundamentally flawed" and "biased". Subsequently their foreign miniser Hon. G. L Peiris had asked the United Nations system to consider “whether this report will be useful. Is it going to contribute to the building up of national unity? Or will it do the opposite, really to accentuate differences, bitterness, acrimony? Which are the many things that we want to get away from.” But the past

experience gained from many conflicts around the globe including in South Africa shows that genuine reconciliation can be achieved only through establishing the truth, acknowledging wrong doings, bringing perpetrators to books, compensating the victims and implementing a lasting political solution and not through sweeping the crimes under the carpet as Hon. Peiris wants.

AFTA is encouraged by the decision of the UNSG to respond positively to the Panel's recommendation for a review of the United Nations' actions regarding the implementation of its humanitarian and protection mandates during the war in Sri Lanka – particularly in the last stages.

AFTA is disappointed by the UN statement that “in regard to the recommendation that he establish an international investigation mechanism, the Secretary-General is advised that this will require host country consent or a decision from Member States through an appropriate intergovernmental forum.” This means the Security Council, General assembly or the UN Human Rights Council only can initiate such an International investigation mechanism. However AFTA wishes to point out that whilst the UN Charter describes the UNSG as "chief administrative officer" of the Organization, the Charter also empowers the Secretary-General to “bring to the attention of the Security Council any matter which in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security”.

AFTA is also encouraged by the recent Security Council decision to be more proactive in the name of human rights, authorising military intervention in Libya to protect civilians.

AFTA therefore appeals to the UNSG to bring this matter to the urgent attention of the UNSC and urges the UN member nations, especially the power wielding nations in the UNSC, US, Britain, France, Russia and China to help the UNSG to implement the panel’s recommendation to bring sustainable reconciliation and lasting peace and prosperity in Sri Lanka.

Courtesy: AFTA

ஆமா, உந்த நா.க.நாய்.க.ள் ... மன்னிக்கவும் எழுத்துப் பிழைக்கு ... நா.க.அரசோ தமிழீழத்துக்கு என்றவர்கள் எங்கே???????????? உயிருடன் தான் இருக்கினமோ??????

ஆமா, உந்த நா.க.நாய்.க.ள் ... மன்னிக்கவும் எழுத்துப் பிழைக்கு ... நா.க.அரசோ தமிழீழத்துக்கு என்றவர்கள் எங்கே???????????? உயிருடன் தான் இருக்கினமோ??????

மிச்சத் தமிழரும் அழிந்த பிறகு 'பூமி கடந்த அரசு' அமைக்கிற பிளானோ தெரியாது.?

அவுஸ்திரேலியாவின் ஒரு முன்னணி பத்திரிகையில் முதல் தடைவையாக தமிழர் ஒருவரின் கட்டுரை கருத்தியல் பக்கத்தில் வந்துள்ளது

This is the first time an opinion piece by a Tamil has been published in Australian mainstream print media.

This is a big deal, usually it is only pieces by academics, journalists, authors that get published.

Please take the time to write a 2-3 line message of appreciation to the editor! It is really important we take the time to do this as it is highly likely that it is going to face some kind of backlash.

You can do so by emailing: letters@smh.com.au

or

Postal: GPO Box 3771, Sydney NSW 2001

Fax: 02 9282 3492

Emerging truth about UN failure in Sri Lanka

Sam Pari

April 28, 2011

As members of the Tamil diaspora took to the streets, campaigning for the international community to act to stop the bloodshed, the world did nothing. More than 100,000 Tamils rallied around the world, yet our cries fell on the bureaucrats' deaf ears. Kevin Rudd, then the prime minister, preferred ''soft diplomacy'' with Sri Lanka, in contrast to his stand on Burma, Zimbabwe and Libya.

We slowly realised the UN was well aware of the high civilian casualties. Leaked satellite images revealed the UN knew of the Sri Lankan Air Force's targeted bombing and shelling of civilian locations.

Following his resignation, the former UN spokesman in Sri Lanka Gordon Weiss revealed the civilian death toll could be up to 40,000, while "significant others have said that the figure may well be far higher". Why would the world allow civilians to be killed in such a gruesome manner?

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/emerging-truth-about-un-failure-in-sri-lanka-20110427-1dwmz.html#ixzz1KlNwB1IG

=====================================================

to: letters@smh.com.au

Subject: re: Emerging truth about UN failure in Sri Lanka

Dear Editor,

Thanks to Dr.Sam Pari we have learned how a beast can hide under the beauty of this island. I feel angry at the Sri Lankan government and I hope the world take necessary steps so that UN recommendations are complied.

Thanks for publishing!

Sincerely,

Edited April 27, 201114 yr by akootha

USTPAC Welcomes UN Panel Report on Sri Lanka and Urges US to Help Establish International Investigation

Welcoming the official release of the UN Panel of Expert’s War Crime report on Sri Lanka yesterday, the President of USTPAC Dr. Elias Jeyarajah said, “With the release of this report, the world has come to know the extent of the brutality of the war crimes committed against the Tamil people living in Sri Lanka, and it is the obligation of the International Community to investigate these grave crimes against humanity and bring those responsible to an international court of law.” He added “True reconciliation, leading to long term peace in the island can begin only when the truth comes out, accountability is established, and justice is given.” He urged President Obama’s Administration to work with the UN and other countries towards establishing an international mechanism to independently investigate the war crime charges described in the UN Report.

USTPAC released its own report today, entitled “The Track Record of Sri Lankan Commissions and the Need for an International Investigation of War Crimes.” This 34-page report highlights the Sri Lankan Government’s attempts to resist international pressure to investigate violations of human rights abuses against the Tamil people over the past 35 years. The “investigations” by the Government of Sri Lanka have never produced any results nor established any accountability for the violence against the Tamil people.

Releasing the Report by the USTPAC’s War Crime Prosecution Committee, one of its members said “the Tamil people are clearly the victims of violence and injustice by the Government of Sri Lanka for the last 60 years and they deserve justice. Only an impartial international investigation can bring justice to the Tamils and avoid repetition of the same.” He added “Although the war ended, the conflict has not. An international investigation can be the first step towards ending the conflict and bringing permanent peace to Sri Lanka.”

The USTPAC has been working on highlighting the oppressive conditions of the Tamil people by the government of Sri Lanka and the need for a political solution.

Media Contact: 202-595-3123

EMAIL: info(at)ustpac(dot)org

or visit: http://www.ustpac.org

For USTPAC’s Report, visit:

http://www.ustpac.org/Articles%5CSriLankasTrackRecordAndTheWarCrimes.pdf

About USTPAC:

The United States Tamil Political Action Council is a registered non-profit organization in the U.S. with the mission of achieving a peaceful political solution to the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka by democratic, non-violent and lawful means. Founded in 2009, USTPAC is a grassroots-advocacy organization which coordinates advocacy and political activism on a national scale.

TAPI Pleased UN Panel Report was Published and that it Recommends Both Sides of the Sri Lankan Civil War be Investigated and Held Accountable

On Monday, April 25th, a UN panel of experts issued a long-awaited report to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the Sri Lankan government (SLG) detailing the panel’s findings and recommendations surrounding violations of international human rights and humanitarian law. Based on credible reports, the panel puts the civilian death toll in the final months of fighting between 40,000 and 75,000. It is widely known that all the civilians in the conflict area were ethnic Tamils, and the staggering number of Tamil civilian casualties far exceeds the number killed in the Srebrenica massacre, according to the observation of Gordon Weiss, then UN spokesperson in Colombo during the conflict. The UN panel is comprised of three independent and highly respected international human rights attorneys, Marzuki Darusman of Indonesia, Yasmin Sooka of South Africa and Steven Ratner of the United States.

The Tamil American Peace Initiative (TAPI) is pleased the full report by the panel was made public Monday, and that it recommended both sides – the Sri Lankan Government and the Libertarian Tiger Tamils of Eelam – be properly investigated and held accountable.

“These were innocent, human lives that were lost – men, women and children,” said TAPI spokesman Dr. Karunyan Arulanantham. “Given the severity of these credible allegations, establishing an independent, international investigation is the only way legitimate grievances can be voiced without fear of retribution, and perpetrators can be brought to justice so all Sri Lankans can move forward. The families of the victims have a right to know what happened and that the appropriate parties will be held accountable.”

Among the many notable findings are:

-- The SLG “shelled on a large scale in three consecutive No Fire Zones, where it had encouraged the civilian population to concentrate…Most civilian casualties in the final phases of the war were caused by Government shelling;"

-- The SLG “systematically shelled hospitals on the frontlines, [and] deprived people in the conflict zone of humanitarian aid;”

-- “Despite grave danger in the conflict zone, the LTTE refused civilians permission to leave, using them as hostages, at times even using their presence as a strategic human buffer between themselves and the advancing Sri Lanka Army;”

-- The SLG “denies the human cost of its military strategy, claiming that it mounted a ‘humanitarian rescue operation’ guided by a principle of ‘zero casualties’ in the Vanni. Further, since the war ended, the Government has claimed that those who have a different analysis and who allege serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law are misguided and prejudiced by the influence of LTTE sympathizers;” and

-- The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), appointed by SLG to investigate the war is “seriously deficient with regard to its composition when held against international standards to ensure independence and impartiality of accountability mechanisms. Its composition calls into question its independence and impartiality, especially regarding conduct that could implicate the Government and security forces in the final phases of the war, and weakens its legitimacy as a body to advance accountability.”

Given the credible evidence running contrary to the SLG’s claims, the panel recommended the Secretary General immediately establish an independent international mechanism, with the mandate to:

-- Monitor and assess the extent to which the SLG is carrying out an effective domestic accountability process, including genuine investigations of the alleged violations. The panel does not believe the current LLRC has the authority to pursue accountability;

-- Conduct investigations independently into the alleged violations; and

-- Collect and safeguard information provided, which is relevant to accountability for the final stages of the war, including the information gathered by the Panel and other bodies in the United Nations system.

“We have seen independent, international investigations take place in South Africa and Northern Ireland with much success, and a similar investigation would absolutely be essential for ensuring lasting peace and reconciliation in Sri Lanka,” said Dr. Arulanantham. “The US must not turn a blind eye towards war crimes and crimes against humanity, so it should use its influence on the Security Council to set up the neutral, thorough and authoritative body suggested by the panel. If SLG has nothing to hide, why have they been so vehemently fighting the notion of an independent investigative body?”

About TAPI

The Tamil American Peace Initiative was formed by a group of Tamil Americans to help bring lasting peace, justice, democracy, good governance and economic development to Sri Lanka; to focus attention on the destruction of Tamil communities and culture caused by almost three decades of war; and to demand an end to the continuing oppression of Tamils on the island.

Press Release: The Report of the UN Panel of Experts Supports the Case for Genocide in Sri Lank

The Report of the UN Panel of Experts Supports the Case for Genocide in Sri Lanka

Credible evidence indicates that the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) committed murder, extermination, and persecution of the Tamil population of Vanni, in addition to torture, rape, disappearances, inhumane imprisonment, all of which constitute crimes against humanity. The events described in the UN report bear a striking resemblance to the genocide in Srebrenica while the estimated number of civilians deaths are an order of magnitude higher. Estimates of civilians deaths vary from 40 000 to 80 000 or more depending on the estimation methodology used.

Tamils Against Genocide (TAG) welcomes the publication of the advisory report submitted by the Secretary General’s Panel of Experts on 12 April 2011. The report strongly supports our position that Sri Lanka has been engaged in a genocide of the Tamil people.

It provides estimates of Tamil civilian deaths in the final phase of the war ranging from 40 000, 75 000 to 80000 and 120 000 respectively based on different credible methodologies. The UN report concludes that a range of 40 000 deaths cannot be ruled out and finds that “most civilian casualties in the final phase of the war were caused by government shelling”

The Panel found credible evidence that the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) committed murder, extermination, and persecution of the Tamil population of Vanni, all of which constitute crimes against humanity (as defined in the Rome Statute of the ICC).

The report characterizes the systematic shelling of civilians and intentional deprivation of access to food and medicine as “calculated to bring about the destruction of a significant part of the civilian population”. This characterization is identical to the definition of genocide in Article 2© of the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide. The report based their findings on precedents set by the tribunals for Yugoslavia (ICTY) and Rwanda (ICTR), as well as ICC statutes and UN conventions.

The parallels between the events described by the Panel and the genocide of Bosnian muslims in Srebrenica are striking. Srebrenica was a designated a safe haven (by the UN), encouraging civilians to concentrate there, and thereby making the mass killings possible. In Sri Lanka, the Panel found that the “government shelled on a large scale in three consecutive No Fire Zones, where it had encouraged the civilian population to concentrate, even after indicating it would cease the use of heavy weapons ..it shelled the United Nations hub, food distribution lines and near the ICRC ships that were coming to pick up the wounded.. It shelled despite its knowledge of the impact, provided by its own intelligence systems and through notification by the United Nations, the ICRC and others. Most civilian casualties in the final phase of the war were caused by government shelling”

The ICTY found that the Srebrenica was chosen for its cataclysmic destruction because of its strategic significance for the viability of the Bosnian state: “capture and ethnic purification of Srebrenica would therefore severely undermine the military efforts of the Bosnian Muslim state to ensure its viability.” Crucially, the ICTY found that Serbian forces decided “the elimination of the Muslim population of Srebrenica .. would serve as a potent example to all Bosnian Muslims of their vulnerability and defenselessness in the face of Serb military forces.”

Similarly, the Vanni region had strong strategic and symbolic significance for the de-facto Tamil state. In exterminating the Vanni population, GoSL sought to deal the Tamil people such a traumatizing blow that they would no longer challenge Sinhala dominance of the entire island.

While Sri Lanka may have adopted the modalities of the genocide in Srebrenica, the civilian deaths were an order of magnitude greater for a similarly sized population.

The report says of GoSL’s attitude towards the Tamils: “By denying that tens of thousands of lives were lost in the Vanni, the Government sends the message that the lives [of Tamils civilians]…were of no value to the society”. This observation reflects the Buddhist supremacist ideology of the main Sri Lankan religious book, the Mahavamsa, which describes the killing of thousands of Tamil lives as worth less than the lives of one and half ‘believers’.

As to the institutionalised racism that is a precondition and enabler of genocides the Panel noted “political, social and economic exclusion based on ethnicity” and highlighted the mono-ethnic nature of the army that carried out the extermination and persecution of the ethnic Tamil population of the Vanni. The Panel characterises Sri Lanka’s history as one where ‘Sinhala Buddhist nationalism gained traction, asserting a privileged place for the Sinhalese as protectors of Sri Lanka, as the sacred home of Buddhism’.

The report finds that the persecution of the Tamil population was not only a feature of (overt) war. Abuse continued in the time of ‘peace’ that followed. It details continuing post-conflict abuse of the Tamil survivors including deprivation of liberty amid inhumane conditions, “execution, disappearances, and sexual violence.” in internment camps. The report describes the GoSL’s detainment and torture of civilians with suspected LTTE links, doctors, and United Nations staff members, with testimonies to “sounds of beating and screaming…heard from the interrogation tents.” The Panel refers to “camp conditions that created an enabling environment for gender based violence.”

The Genocide Convention defines genocide as acts committed with the intent to destroy in whole or in substantive part a specific national or ethnic group. It is clear that the UN report strongly supports the assertion that GoSL committed genocide.

TAG calls on UN member governments, particularly the Human Rights and Security Councils to redress their contribution to the crimes described by the UN report.

The Convention obligation to prevent and punish genocide is not a matter of choice or political calculation but one of binding law.

Genocides do not happen outside of historical context. They occur in repetitive patterns. Genocide of the Tamil people had already happened in Sri Lanka in July 1983. Now the UN report describes credible evidence of genocide in 2009.

TAG urges UN member governments to recognise the genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka and to appoint an international Tribunal to investigate the perpetrators. We appeal to leading genocide experts, jurists, and civil society organizations to support our call.

Based on the Panel’s findings on the failure of the UN and noting the conflict of interest where UN staff have been linked to war crimes in Sri Lanka, TAG calls on the Secretary General to set up a review of UN actions by a panel of independent jurists with no present or prior relationship to the United Nations.

http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2011/4/prweb8353220.htm