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Marking 12 years since the massacre at Mullivaikkal, Australian parliamentarians spoke out against the Tamil genocide, which killed an estimated 40,000 Tamil civilians during the final phase of the conflict, and demanded accountability for the war crimes committed.
Anthony D’ Adam - Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
Anthony D’ Adam commemorated the Tamil genocide noting Rajapaksa’s rejection of the UN Human Rights Council resolution 30/1.
“Rather than seeking to achieve reconciliation, it has intensified its oppression of religious and ethnic minorities” D’ Adam notes.
In his statement, he further highlights Sri Lanka’s exploitation of the pandemic as it “slides towards authoritarianism”. He further details the damning report by the UN High Commissioner for human rights which urged members to impose sanctions on accused Sri Lankan war criminals and to pursue accountability.
Adam notes that the United States has already imposed a travel ban on the head of Sri Lanka’s army, Shavendra Silva, and urged Australians to follow suit.
Julie Ann Owens – Member for Parramatta, the New South Wales
In her statement, Owen’s noted that for her community “Mullivaikkal day is a day of great sadness and pain”, and notes that members in her community have stated it is “difficult to move forwards without the truth”.
Reflecting on the latest UN Human Rights resolution, Owen expresses her hope that this resolution will “help people who are still looking for answers and for people in my community to heal”.
Dr Hugh McDermott - Member of New South Wales Legislative Assembly
Dr Hugh McDermott, a member of New South Wales Legislative Assembly, has called on both the Premier and Opposition leader in New South Wales, Australia, to follow the lead of Ontario in recognising Sri Lanka’s genocide against Tamils and to refer the perpetrators of the genocide to the International Criminal Court.
View McDermott's full statement here.
