The chair of the British All Party Parliamentary Group For Tamils called on Sri Lanka to allow the Tamil community to publically mark Maaveerar Naal annually, without intimidation or harrassment from Sri Lankan security forces.
In a statement released to mark Tamil National Remembrance Day, parliamentarian James Berry said “remembrance is a vital tool in healing and reconciling communities traumatised by conflict”. “It is also an important element of transitional justice, because there can be no true reconciliation without proper accountability,” he added.
“Unfortunately in Sri Lanka, the Government has actively curtailed remembrance efforts of Tamils who lost loved ones in the Civil war and memorial structures have been destroyed. Tamils have been denied the opportunity to remember the fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters they lost.”
Noting that in previous years Tamils have faced “harassment, intimidation, threat of arrest and violence by Sri Lankan security forces” Mr Berry stated that annual public commemorations should be held.
“I call on the Sri Lankan government to allow Tamils in Sri Lanka to mourn in public, and to heal their wounds and to promote reconciliation by providing proper accountability for the atrocities in the civil war,” he concluded.