The Sri Lankan state is still practising “serious discrimination” against Tamils on the island and continues its military occupation of the North-East, Northern Province Councillor Ananthy Sasitharan told the UN Human Rights Council this week.
“The systematic structural genocide is continuing,” said Ms Sasitharan. “The Tamil nation is still under military occupation,” she said, adding that “there is no point in talking about accountability while we are all under military occupation”.
Noting that the Sri Lanka government still continues to practise “serious discrimination”, Ms Sasitharan said “there has been no real change for the Tamil people”. “A real reconciliation could only come through demonstrating serious commitment to resolve the conflict and address the wounds,” she continued.
Drawing the Council’s attention in particular to the plight of Tamil women in the North-East, Ms Sasitharan said:
“I witnessed the situation of those [who] were handed over to the SL military that announced general amnesty through loud speakers on 18 May 2009. I am a living witness to this. I handed over my husband through Catholic Father Francis Joseph on 18th of May 2009.”
Both Ms Sasitharan’s husband, LTTE member Ellilan, and Father Francis Joseph, are currently missing, last seen in Sri Lankan military custody on that day almost 7 years ago.
The Northern Province Councillor also highlighted that the crime of genocide had not been sufficiently investigated by the OISL report, which was released last year and said the Tamil people were “disappointed” by a UN resolution “that has handed over our fate of investigations to those who committed the crime of genocide and continue to commit the crime of structural genocide against a people”.
“We seek this Council to change the course and call for international investigations,” she concluded.
See the full text of her statement here.