In a statement released 31 October, eight global Tamil Diaspora organizations “representing over 1 million Tamils who fled Sri Lanka” called on the United Kingdom (UK) to “apply jurisdictional justice on the visiting génocidaire” Prime Minister Gotabaya Rajapaksa. In their statement, the groups stated these provisions would be seen as “a step towards transitional justice for the Tamil victims of genocide.” 

The statement stressed the “need for swift international action against Sri Lanka and the war criminals including the visiting Sri Lankan President to end the pervading impunity that emboldens the Sri Lankan state to continue its structural genocide against the Tamil people.”

“We express our solidarity with the Tamil protests being held in different parts of the globe and particularly the protest to be held in Glasgow on 1 Nov 2021”, the groups added.

The eight international organizations appealed to the UK, “home for over 300,000 Tamils,” stating they have a “moral responsibility as the last colonial power that ruled Ceylon, leaving behind the Tamil nation without any constitutional arrangement to ensure their collective rights, safety, and political power-sharing, following independence. 

The groups also called on the European Union (EU), “who has an economic leverage such as the GSP+ and home for tens of thousands of Tamils, to apply economic sanctions against Sri Lanka.”

The statement echoed the demands of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, calling on the UK and European Union to; 

(I) “Support a dedicated capacity to collect and preserve evidence for future accountability processes, to advocate for victims, and survivors and to support relevant judicial proceedings including in Member States with competent jurisdiction.”

(II) “Cooperate with victims and their representatives to investigate and prosecute international crimes committed in Sri Lanka through judicial proceedings in their host countries, including under the principles of extraterritorial or universal jurisdiction”

(III) Explore possible targeted sanctions such as asset freezes, and travel bans against credibly alleged perpetrators of grave human rights violations and abuses.

The statement pointed out the A/HRC/46/1 adopted in March 2021 by the UNHRC, which “highlighted the failure of domestic mechanisms of the past,” “the ongoing blatant violations of human rights,” and the need for “a UN managed evidence collection process and mandated the High Commissioner to devise and recommend international accountability measures.”

The statement called attention to the “remaining, over 3 million Tamils in the island of Sri Lanka are subject to an ongoing structural genocide.” Highlighting how “their traditional lands are being taken over by the state to expand military presence and to settle the Sinhalese from the south of the island.”

Draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA)

The Diaspora groups also mentioned Sri Lankan’s “draconian laws like the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) still in place, absence of any credible and independent domestic judicial mechanism and the Sri Lankan unitary constitution that denies Tamil people in Sri Lanka to seek recognition of their right to self-determination, prevent the Tamil people from securing transitional justice to the victims of genocide and seek a dignified long term political solution.” 

“Therefore, the Tamil Diaspora has a legitimate role to help achieve the above imperative demands to find peace with justice,” the statement continued. 

‘One Country, One Law’

The statement also touched on “One Country, One Law,” stating, “recently the Rajapaksa government has taken yet another authoritarian approach to governance of a multi-national society by convening a Presidential Task Force for One Country, One Law.” The Taskforce is “led by Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero of the Bodu Bala Sena, a group accused of violence, hate crimes and monk himself found guilty in intimidating a court hearing of missing journalist and sentenced to jail, prematurely released by President Gotabaya under presidential pardon,” the statement continued.

The undersigned Tamil Diaspora groups: Australian Tamil Congress (ATC), British Tamils Forum (BTF), Maison du Tamil Eelam (France), Irish Tamils Forum (ITF), National Council of Canadian Tamils (NCCT), Solidarity Group for Peace and Justice (SGPJ - South Africa), Tamil Movement Against Genocide (Mauritius), United States Tamil Action Group (USTAG)

Read the full statement here.