The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) said that the resolution on Sri Lanka tabled at the UN Human Rights Council presents a “constructive starting point for what will inevitably be a long road to reconciliation”.

In a statement released today, the TNA said “we welcome the draft resolution’s call on Sri Lanka to involve foreign and Commonwealth judges, lawyers, investigators and defenders in a judicial mechanism to be set up in Sri Lanka that would be mandated to try international crimes”.

“This constitutes a significant victory for justice in Sri Lanka,“ said the TNA. “The TNA is committed to help the government and international stakeholders evolve such a court, and will support its work.”

The party added that it recognises "that the hard work of implementing the government’s commitments and winning back the trust of victims begins now”.

"We are acutely aware that some of the language used in the interests of a consensus will not satisfy all victims of the conflict whom we represent and who have reposed their trust in the TNA," it said. "However, we are of the view that the draft provides a constructive starting point for what will inevitably be a long road to reconciliation."

Thanking the resolution co-sponsors and all other government and non-government stakeholders “who stayed true to their convictions,” it added that it “stands ready to support such efforts”.

See the full text of the statement below.

The Tamil National Alliances welcomes the draft text of a resolution on Sri Lanka tabled by the co-sponsors of the resolution today. In particular, we welcome the draft resolution’s call on Sri Lanka to involve foreign and Commonwealth judges, lawyers, investigators and defenders in a judicial mechanism to be set up in Sri Lanka that would be mandated to try international crimes. This constitutes a significant victory for justice in Sri Lanka. The TNA is committed to help the government and international stakeholders evolve such a court, and will support its work. We also wish to note our appreciation of the government’s assent to this text and its willingness to co-sponsor it in the Human Rights Council. A court established on these lines would represent a dramatic break from the past and could herald the beginning of an end to impunity.

The draft resolution tabled today was the product of a difficult consensus. We are acutely aware that some of the language used in the interests of a consensus will not satisfy all victims of the conflict whom we represent and who have reposed their trust in the TNA. However, we are of the view that the draft provides a constructive starting point for what will inevitably be a long road to reconciliation.

We thank the co-sponsors and all other government and non-government stakeholders who stayed true to their convictions, and recognize that the hard work of implementing the government’s commitments and winning back the trust of victims begins now. The TNA stands ready to support such efforts.