To: Uk prime minister
UK to Refer Sri Lanka to International Criminal Court
I support this campaign “UNHRC should refer Sri Lanka to the International Criminal Court (ICC) or to a specially created international criminal tribunal for Sri Lanka”.in solidarity with my
constituents of Srilankan Tamil origin who are victims of War crimes, Crime against Humanity and Genocide who are seeking Justice and Accountability for the last 10 years, writing to you since UK is a leading member of the Core Group on Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
As you are aware, in the upcoming UNHRC Session which is to convene in a next year 2020, Sri Lanka will be on the Agenda of UNHRC to assess whether Sri Lanka has fulfilled its obligation to the Council outlined in the Resolution 34/1, which was passed unanimously by the Council on March 2007. This Resolution was necessitated when Sri Lanka failed to fulfil its obligation on an earlier Resolution 30/1 on war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the final months of the war that ended ten years ago on May 2009.
As requested by Sri Lanka, the Resolution 30/4 gave a two year extension of time to fulfill its obligation under that Resolution. One of the main requirements of the Resolution is for Sri Lanka to establish a Hybrid Court consisting of international judges and prosecutors. The two year extension of time given to Sri Lanka is coming to an end in few weeks’ time.
Despite cosponsoring the UNHRC Resolution 30/4 and committing itself to fulfill the requirements of the Resolution in two years’ time, Sri Lankan Government not only used diversionary tactics to delay the implementation, the Sri Lankan President and the Prime Minister have repeatedly and categorically said in public that they will not implement the main elements of the Resolution, especially establishing a Hybrid Court consisting of International Judges and prosecutors.
Recently, one the main suspects named by the UN of committing War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity, Major General Shevendra Silva was appointed as the Chief of Staff of the Army. Please note that it was under his command that bombing, and shelling of a place designated by the Government as safe zones (No Fire Zone) took place, resulting in tens of thousands killed. It is also under his command large number of Tamils including babies and children surrendered about ten years ago at the end of the war in May 2009 and still remain disappeared.
In addition, several senior military officials who are credibly accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity by the UN and other international organizations were sent as Ambassadors and senior diplomates.
These actions by Sri Lanka called into question the sincerity of Sri Lanka when it cosponsored the Resolution 34/1 and whether Sri Lanka is hoodwinking the UNHRC by mot implementing the requirements of the Resolution, even after two-year extension was given to that country in good faith by UNHRC.
UK Government, as a member of the Core Group on Sri Lanka have an obligation and duty to ensure that justice is done to the tens of thousands of the victims, who faced war crimes and crimes against humanity.
These victims waited for ten years and fully believed that UNHRC process will bring them justice.
Now that UNHRC process did not succeed due to Sri Lanka’s misleading and delaying tactics, it is time to explore other avenues to get justice. Giving any more time to Sri Lanka will be a non-starter and will encourage other countries to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity and Genocide without any fear, fully well knowing that they will escape accountability by following Sri Lanka’s path.
We urge UK to take a firm stand to protect the integrity of the UNHRC and the credibility of UK by taking the following actions:
1. UNHRC should refer Sri Lanka to the International Criminal Court (ICC) or to a specially created international criminal tribunal for Sri Lanka.
2. UNHRC to appoint a UN Special Rapporteur for Sri Lanka, to monitor and report to the Council every six months about the plight of the war affected and other international human rights and humanitarian issues.
constituents of Srilankan Tamil origin who are victims of War crimes, Crime against Humanity and Genocide who are seeking Justice and Accountability for the last 10 years, writing to you since UK is a leading member of the Core Group on Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
As you are aware, in the upcoming UNHRC Session which is to convene in a next year 2020, Sri Lanka will be on the Agenda of UNHRC to assess whether Sri Lanka has fulfilled its obligation to the Council outlined in the Resolution 34/1, which was passed unanimously by the Council on March 2007. This Resolution was necessitated when Sri Lanka failed to fulfil its obligation on an earlier Resolution 30/1 on war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the final months of the war that ended ten years ago on May 2009.
As requested by Sri Lanka, the Resolution 30/4 gave a two year extension of time to fulfill its obligation under that Resolution. One of the main requirements of the Resolution is for Sri Lanka to establish a Hybrid Court consisting of international judges and prosecutors. The two year extension of time given to Sri Lanka is coming to an end in few weeks’ time.
Despite cosponsoring the UNHRC Resolution 30/4 and committing itself to fulfill the requirements of the Resolution in two years’ time, Sri Lankan Government not only used diversionary tactics to delay the implementation, the Sri Lankan President and the Prime Minister have repeatedly and categorically said in public that they will not implement the main elements of the Resolution, especially establishing a Hybrid Court consisting of International Judges and prosecutors.
Recently, one the main suspects named by the UN of committing War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity, Major General Shevendra Silva was appointed as the Chief of Staff of the Army. Please note that it was under his command that bombing, and shelling of a place designated by the Government as safe zones (No Fire Zone) took place, resulting in tens of thousands killed. It is also under his command large number of Tamils including babies and children surrendered about ten years ago at the end of the war in May 2009 and still remain disappeared.
In addition, several senior military officials who are credibly accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity by the UN and other international organizations were sent as Ambassadors and senior diplomates.
These actions by Sri Lanka called into question the sincerity of Sri Lanka when it cosponsored the Resolution 34/1 and whether Sri Lanka is hoodwinking the UNHRC by mot implementing the requirements of the Resolution, even after two-year extension was given to that country in good faith by UNHRC.
UK Government, as a member of the Core Group on Sri Lanka have an obligation and duty to ensure that justice is done to the tens of thousands of the victims, who faced war crimes and crimes against humanity.
These victims waited for ten years and fully believed that UNHRC process will bring them justice.
Now that UNHRC process did not succeed due to Sri Lanka’s misleading and delaying tactics, it is time to explore other avenues to get justice. Giving any more time to Sri Lanka will be a non-starter and will encourage other countries to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity and Genocide without any fear, fully well knowing that they will escape accountability by following Sri Lanka’s path.
We urge UK to take a firm stand to protect the integrity of the UNHRC and the credibility of UK by taking the following actions:
1. UNHRC should refer Sri Lanka to the International Criminal Court (ICC) or to a specially created international criminal tribunal for Sri Lanka.
2. UNHRC to appoint a UN Special Rapporteur for Sri Lanka, to monitor and report to the Council every six months about the plight of the war affected and other international human rights and humanitarian issues.
Why is this important?
10 years since the end of brutal genocide, the government has failed to provide justice for the Tamils.
