A cross-party group of UK MPs had urged the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to release the findings of the OHCHR Investigation on Sri Lanka examining mass atrocities committed against the Tamil people to schedule stating that "Tamil people in the UK and around the world, and most importantly the victims and witnesses of these genocidal crimes are looking to the OISL report to be released in March 2015."
"The OISL report into the systematic genocide against Tamil people in Sri Lanka should be released in March 2015 without postponement and there is no doubt that if this is not done, it would be seen to be a retrograde step for the UN if it is delayed; as well as reflecting on the opinion of the neutrality of the UN," the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils (APPG-T) had written in a letter, sent to the UK Foreign Secretary, ahead of the UN Human Rights Council's decision on Monday to defer the publishing of the findings by six months in order to gain further information through cooperation by the new Sri Lankan government.
The chair of the APPT, MP Lee Scott, listed reasons why it was "imperative" the report was published next month:
See full letter here.
"The OISL report into the systematic genocide against Tamil people in Sri Lanka should be released in March 2015 without postponement and there is no doubt that if this is not done, it would be seen to be a retrograde step for the UN if it is delayed; as well as reflecting on the opinion of the neutrality of the UN," the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils (APPG-T) had written in a letter, sent to the UK Foreign Secretary, ahead of the UN Human Rights Council's decision on Monday to defer the publishing of the findings by six months in order to gain further information through cooperation by the new Sri Lankan government.
The chair of the APPT, MP Lee Scott, listed reasons why it was "imperative" the report was published next month:
- Only Credible Accounting by the UN
- UN should not fail the Tamil people again
- The healing process needs the truth of the past to move forwards, and Sri Lanka cannot do it alone
- The accused is the Sri Lankan State – and the only way for the investigation to be acceptable to all is for it to be International and Independent
- There must be internationally recognised witness protection to facilitate the investigation
- There is no action plan to deliver justice through a domestic process
- I have continually asked for a list of people detained and released since the end of war in 2009 and never received this; families deserve to know where there relatives are.
- All guilty need to be brought to justice.
- The ban on diaspora organisations and individuals using UN Security Council resolution 1373 – this means NGOs; journalists and others including myself.
See full letter here.