Black balloons were flown over the Sri Lankan Embassy in London this morning, as the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) session begins in Geneva today.
The balloons were printed with a slogan that reads 'I'm Sri Lanka, I'm So Genocide', mocking Sri Lanka's official 'So Sri Lanka' tourism tag line. The balloons were seen on the flagpole, which overhangs the public road, and on the front door of the High Commission building.
The UNHRC 46th session which begins today will discuss the UN High Commissioner's damning report which warns of the "deteriorating human rights situation and a significantly heightened risk of future violations" in Sri Lanka. In her report, Michele Bachelet calls on member states to consider “asset freezes and travel bans” on Sri Lankan officials accused of human rights abuses and to consider referring Sri Lanka to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Almost 12 years have passed since tens of thousands of Tamil civilians were killed in a genocidal offensive by the Sri Lankan state at the end of the armed conflict in 2009. Many of those responsible for the massacre, are in senior positions, including Sri Lanka's president, prime minister, defence secretary and army chief.
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