Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, delivered a highly criticised speech to Tamils this week, claiming that the unity government elected in 2015 led to freedom, justice and development, benefitting Tamils in the North and East.
Talking to Tamils in Kilinochchi, Wickremesinghe said that since 2015, a number of projects have been established to provide relief to the war torn North and East and implied that an environment of ‘freedom’ had been created.
Wickremesinghe urged Tamils to vote for New Democratic Front (NDF) presidential candidate, Sajith Premadasa, who would supposedly allow them to live freely in comparison to his opponent, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) presidential candidate, Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner (OHCHR) released a report earlier this year which raised concerns over the on-going reports of abduction, torture and sexual violence, institutional failures within the criminal justice system, ongoing harassment of human rights defenders since 2015 and the military’s continued occupation of civilian land.
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