Photograph: U Shalin

Lecturers at the University of Jaffna called for the UN report into mass atrocities against the Tamil people in Sri Lanka to be released next month without any delay, stating that "justice delayed is justice denied".

Announcing a demonstration on February 24 at 11am local time in front of the university to call for the release of the report, the Jaffna University Teachers Association (JUTA) called on all organisations in the North-East to demonstrate their wish to see the report released and justice for the Tamil people. 

"It is as the voice of a destroyed community that requests an international investigation. The international community should consider this as the plaintive cry of a community that has been destroyed and not just a normal investigation," R Rasakumaran of the JUTA told a press conference on Saturday, adding that Tamils hoped the investigation would "prove that what occurred in the final years [of the armed conflict] was a genocide."

Photograph: U Shalin

His comments, which were made in Tamil, are translated and transcribed below:

"The Tamil community is now seeking justice for the atrocities committed against them throughout decades in Eelam. Many thousands of lives have been cruelly destroyed and buried in the soil."

"Without age difference, there were instances in the last phase of the armed conflict when even children were given food in their hands and then murdered. Like this, there has been many incidents of oppression, cruelty, and threats against the Tamil community."

"Such violent incidents by the majoritarian chauvinists have been taking place for a long time in order to destroy the Tamil community. That this is a genocide is a transparent and visible fact."

"It is as the voice of a destroyed community that requests an international investigation. The international community should consider this as the plaintive cry of a community that has been destroyed and not just a normal investigation."

"In this backdrop, last year with the assistance of the international community we brought about an international inquiry at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, to prove that what occurred in the final years [of the armed conflict] was a genocide."

"Currently, while the report from the inquiry is due in March, many states responding to a request by the new government in Sri Lanka are attempting to postpone the inquiry report."

"In this situation, we have decided to hold a massive protest requesting the inquiry report to be released in March. We request North–East based organisations and others to join us in this protest."

He requests all to join in this rally and march strongly requesting justice for atrocities committed against the Eelam Tamil community and seeking freedom for the Eelam Tamils.