Sri Lanka is backtracking on its commitments at the United Nations Human Rights Council, said Canadian MP Gary Anandasangaree, whilst adding that a genocide is likely to have occurred in Sri Lanka.
In interview with Ceylon Today, Mr Anandasangaree, said,
“In my perspective, GoSL has not done what they committed to doing and hasn't moved in the right direction in meeting those commitments. They are backtracking in those commitments. It's a dangerous road that they have taken up. I do think the international community has to really look at other options as very clearly the government is unable and unwilling to make substantive progress."
Noting that Sri Lanka was losing the confidence of the victim community, the Canadian MP stressed,
“And this is where I think the international community should say to HRC that we lost confidence in the GOSL. We had little confidence to start with, but lost it. This could lead to the imposition of international justice. We will have to look at other avenues and the HRC need to look at and refer to the ICC. It may be a longer process but that is the option in that case.”
When asked if a genocide had occurred in Sri Lanka, Mr Anadasagaree added,
“I think it was definitely genocide in many aspects. Based on many definitions, if you look at the events, yes, there was genocide… I think the overall issue in Sri Lanka still remains the same. The political issue was there even before 1983. The issue of genocide, the issue of accountability and the post-war issues need to be addressed. There are concurrent issues and need not have been pointed out exclusively.”
Tamils are a persecuted nation says Canadian MP on World Human Rights Day (11 Dec 2015)
In interview with Ceylon Today, Mr Anandasangaree, said,
“In my perspective, GoSL has not done what they committed to doing and hasn't moved in the right direction in meeting those commitments. They are backtracking in those commitments. It's a dangerous road that they have taken up. I do think the international community has to really look at other options as very clearly the government is unable and unwilling to make substantive progress."
Noting that Sri Lanka was losing the confidence of the victim community, the Canadian MP stressed,
“And this is where I think the international community should say to HRC that we lost confidence in the GOSL. We had little confidence to start with, but lost it. This could lead to the imposition of international justice. We will have to look at other avenues and the HRC need to look at and refer to the ICC. It may be a longer process but that is the option in that case.”
When asked if a genocide had occurred in Sri Lanka, Mr Anadasagaree added,
“I think it was definitely genocide in many aspects. Based on many definitions, if you look at the events, yes, there was genocide… I think the overall issue in Sri Lanka still remains the same. The political issue was there even before 1983. The issue of genocide, the issue of accountability and the post-war issues need to be addressed. There are concurrent issues and need not have been pointed out exclusively.”
Tamils are a persecuted nation says Canadian MP on World Human Rights Day (11 Dec 2015)