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Documentary highlights human rights abuses in Sri Lanka

A new documentary has underlined the state of human rights abuses faced by Tamils in Sri Lanka demonstrating the persecution they are fleeing from on the island, reported Australia’s current affairs programme Lateline.

Talking to the programme, former TamilNet correspondent A. Lokeesan, who managed to escape from Sri Lanka and journalist B Abeywardane stated that the documentary “Silenced Voices”, had assembled evidence of war crimes. Both men also stated that since the war ended, the violations have continued unabated.

Abeywardane told Lateline,

“I think the situation has actually worsened for the Tamil people. And when no-one is watching, anything can happen.”

Lokeesan recently gave an interview to Indian publication Kindlemag earlier this month. See here.

Former Australian diplomat to Sri Lanka Bruce Haigh also called for Australia to revaluate its position on Sri Lanka, stating,

"Our relationship with Sri Lanka is predicated on one thing and one thing alone at the moment and that's turning back boats. We've lost the plot, we've lost our moral compass.

This regime in Sri Lanka is as bad as the regime in South Africa under apartheid, and yet there are people in this country that see it as benign. It is not benign."

See the Lateline report below.

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