The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has welcomed the report of the investigation conducted by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OISL) and its recommendations.
R. Sampanthan
Issuing a statement today the TNA said; “The most important recommendation of the report calls on Sri Lanka to establish a special hybrid court to try perpetrators of international crimes during a nine year period with the participation of international judges, prosecutors and investigators; and incorporating into domestic law war crimes and crimes against humanity so that these prosecutions can take place. The TNA has consistently called for these steps to be taken and welcomes the inclusion of these critical recommendations in the OISL report. We further welcome the entire gamut of recommendations of the OISL report, including those that relate to broader Transitional Justice and human rights concerns.
“We appeal to all parties, and particularly to the Government of Sri Lanka to accept this report. The Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka assured the Human Rights Council on Monday that there is a new Sri Lanka and that things will henceforth be different. He admitted Sri Lanka’s history of broken promises and pledged to enter a new era. As an expression of this change, the Government of Sri Lanka must now be willing to have the courage to accept this report and work with the world community. To this end, we ask the member states of the Human Rights Council to adopt all the recommendations in the OISL report in the resolution to be presented later at this session. We ask the Government of Sri Lanka to cooperate fully with the TNA and the international community in dealing with the past in a manner that will assuage the feelings of the victims of all communities, and to move forward to establish a brighter future for all of Sri Lanka’s peoples..
“We also accept and undertake to carry out our responsibility to lead the Tamil people in reflecting on the past, and use this moment as a moment of introspection into our own community’s failures and the unspeakable crimes committed in our name, so as to create an enabling culture and atmosphere in which we could live with dignity and self-respect, as equal citizens of Sri Lanka.”
Shamil / September 17, 2015
By accepting what will happen? Does the report say the killings was a Genocide? Then for whom TNA is accepting that substandard rubbish report?
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Patriot / September 17, 2015
Sambandan is implicated in war crimes through his association with Prabhakaran and carrying out his diktats.
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alex / September 17, 2015
Then so be it .. that is statesmanship.
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Lanka Watch / September 17, 2015
Patriot – If Mr. Sambanthan was carrying out ‘diktats’ of Ltte. TULF/
ITAK/TNA would not have lost some of their good leaders like Mr. Amir
-thalingam, who were killed by the ltte. During the JVP insurrection , Sinhala leaders too danced to JVP tune as there was a gun culture at that time. It is normal one do not lock hones with an armed gang, which
does not mean that they agreed with their policies.
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Sengodan. M / September 18, 2015
The request made by the TNA is reasonable. Justice should not only be done it should also appear to be done. Those who committed crimes on whichever side and however highly placed they may be, need to be punished. That is natural justice.
Sengodan. M
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Agnos / September 18, 2015
The last para is important. The TNA is doing well.
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Mallaiyuran / September 18, 2015
While releasing the report of OISL, UNHRC High Commissioner requested all and specifically mentioned diaspora too, to accept the report. There is an obligation, from all the parties who waited for this report to response to his call. TNA has already responded. There will be discussion on TNA’s response and the way it responded.
Sri lankan Government has reported that it had forced the commission to remove the name appeared on the report. One might suspect one of the removed name might be the old King’s name. FM Mangala has said he saved the Old King from electric chair by this action. Commission, after finding the truth through investigation, it has removed the names. There is no protection for the witnessed victims. But he commission has offered protection for the people it had found guilty. This protection has energized the criminal to visit the beach and send out pictures of the entertainment they were having. This action on UNHRC has added a serious fallow to the report and its effect. Responses send to the Commission should be conducive to action to be followed on the report. The should indicate the continued action as condition.
Nevertheless the report has been well received by many corners of the Tamil community and the IC-NGOs. OISL has listed the crimes committed. The recommendation part is very murky and shaky. It may not affect much of the contents in the investigation results.
Sampanthar has accepted the report. Sampanthar has accepted the responsibility too. The time may be too early for that and is too far ahead response. Sampanthar has not made any requests from the commission. Neither TNA not Sampanthar has been taken in as the representatives of the Tamils. Only government has one sided representation. It requested and had the report modified for Old King’s advantage. Government is not prepared to accept the report or hybrid investigation. On their responses, Diaspora Organizations should indicate that the Royal Government must reprocate what is accepted by Tamils, otherwise their acceptances are not binding too.
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