Global Tamil Forum spokesperson Suren Surendiran said it is the government of Sri Lanka’s responsibility to implement in full a UN Human Rights Council resolution passed earlier this year, in comments made to The Island yesterday.
Mr Surendiran said that “it is Government of Sri Lanka’s responsibility and by co-sponsoring the resolution, it’s her commitment to the UN and wider international community, to implement the resolution in full”.
“It is the humanity’s obligation to the tens of thousands of victims to ensure justice is served, after all which is what the resolution is trying to achieve,” he added.
The GTF spokesperson further noted that Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera announced to the UN Human Rights Council that Sri Lanka would consult all stakeholders on setting up of the accountability mechanism by the end of February 2016 and that the Council would be expecting an update by June 2016.
“The resolution calls for international judges, prosecutors, lawyers and other international specialists to be included in the accountability mechanism,” said Mr Surendiran.
“It is the victims and their statements, along with the witnesses, including the various military, government and other civil service personnel, remaining LTTE members, photographic, video and other evidence that will be key to be examined by this special court,” he said. “Remember over 290,000 people came out of the war zone at the end of the fight. Most are still living. All of them were direct witnesses.”
“Crimes committed post end of the war in May 2009, has even more victims and witnesses.”
See more of his comments here.
Mr Surendiran said that “it is Government of Sri Lanka’s responsibility and by co-sponsoring the resolution, it’s her commitment to the UN and wider international community, to implement the resolution in full”.
“It is the humanity’s obligation to the tens of thousands of victims to ensure justice is served, after all which is what the resolution is trying to achieve,” he added.
The GTF spokesperson further noted that Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera announced to the UN Human Rights Council that Sri Lanka would consult all stakeholders on setting up of the accountability mechanism by the end of February 2016 and that the Council would be expecting an update by June 2016.
“The resolution calls for international judges, prosecutors, lawyers and other international specialists to be included in the accountability mechanism,” said Mr Surendiran.
“It is the victims and their statements, along with the witnesses, including the various military, government and other civil service personnel, remaining LTTE members, photographic, video and other evidence that will be key to be examined by this special court,” he said. “Remember over 290,000 people came out of the war zone at the end of the fight. Most are still living. All of them were direct witnesses.”
“Crimes committed post end of the war in May 2009, has even more victims and witnesses.”
See more of his comments here.