Tamil Nadu based NGO, Pasumai Thaayagam, called on the UN Human Rights Council to ensure Sri Lanka cooperate fully with the Office of the High Commissioner’s Human Rights Investigation on Sri Lanka in the next six months, in an address to the council last week.
During an Item 10 General Debate on Technical Assistance and Capacity Building, the organisation noted Sri Lanka’s continued failure to cooperate with the investigation despite the delay of the report granted on signals of broader cooperation by the new regime.
“The Human Rights Council must ensure that Sri Lanka does not treat the delay as an opportunity to undermine the level of technical assistance provided, and further undermine justice in the eyes of victims and war-affected communities," said Pasumai Thaayagam. "Sri Lanka must provide unfettered access to OISL investigators of witnesses, Tamil areas and former conflict zones.”
However, the NGO also emphasized that the international community “must go beyond technical assistance in taking steps following the report to develop a mechanism for justice. Given Sri Lanka’s history of failed domestic commissions and inquiries, alongside the grave and systemic nature of the crimes committed, meaningful justice and accountability can only be achieved through an internationally-led mechanism.”
See the full address below.
Thank you Mr. President,
Last March, the Human Rights Council took the welcome step of passing a resolution mandating an OHCHR investigation on Sri Lanka - a form of technical assistance recommended by the former High Commissioner, Madam Navi Pillay, in her 2013 report on Sri Lanka. However, one year later, we have yet to see Sri Lanka fully cooperate with this technical assistance, continuing to block access to the investigative team.
On March 5th this year, this Council granted a six-month delay for the release of the OISL’s report on the basis of a recent regime change in Sri Lanka and signals of broader cooperation from the new government. Pasumai Thaayagam, along with the victims and witnesses who took serious risks in speaking to the investigation, were greatly disappointed by the delay but have hope in the High Commissioner’s personal commitment to making the report stronger and more comprehensive. However, Sri Lanka has not fulfilled those promises and has in fact made statements suggesting that they do not plan to. Most notably, on March 12th, President Sirisena stated in an interview that he would not grant permission for UN investigators to visit Sri Lanka and instead, would only be willing to consider their advice.
The Human Rights Council must ensure that Sri Lanka does not treat the delay as an opportunity to undermine the level of technical assistance provided, and further undermine justice in the eyes of victims and war-affected communities. Sri Lanka must provide unfettered access to OISL investigators of witnesses, Tamil areas and former conflict zones.
We also want to emphasize that while we support the use of technical assistance for the purpose of truth-seeking in Sri Lanka, we believe that the Human Rights Council must go beyond technical assistance in taking steps following the report to develop a mechanism for justice. Given Sri Lanka’s history of failed domestic commissions and inquiries, alongside the grave and systemic nature of the crimes committed, meaningful justice and accountability can only be achieved through an internationally-led mechanism.
During an Item 10 General Debate on Technical Assistance and Capacity Building, the organisation noted Sri Lanka’s continued failure to cooperate with the investigation despite the delay of the report granted on signals of broader cooperation by the new regime.
“The Human Rights Council must ensure that Sri Lanka does not treat the delay as an opportunity to undermine the level of technical assistance provided, and further undermine justice in the eyes of victims and war-affected communities," said Pasumai Thaayagam. "Sri Lanka must provide unfettered access to OISL investigators of witnesses, Tamil areas and former conflict zones.”
However, the NGO also emphasized that the international community “must go beyond technical assistance in taking steps following the report to develop a mechanism for justice. Given Sri Lanka’s history of failed domestic commissions and inquiries, alongside the grave and systemic nature of the crimes committed, meaningful justice and accountability can only be achieved through an internationally-led mechanism.”
See the full address below.
Thank you Mr. President,
Last March, the Human Rights Council took the welcome step of passing a resolution mandating an OHCHR investigation on Sri Lanka - a form of technical assistance recommended by the former High Commissioner, Madam Navi Pillay, in her 2013 report on Sri Lanka. However, one year later, we have yet to see Sri Lanka fully cooperate with this technical assistance, continuing to block access to the investigative team.
On March 5th this year, this Council granted a six-month delay for the release of the OISL’s report on the basis of a recent regime change in Sri Lanka and signals of broader cooperation from the new government. Pasumai Thaayagam, along with the victims and witnesses who took serious risks in speaking to the investigation, were greatly disappointed by the delay but have hope in the High Commissioner’s personal commitment to making the report stronger and more comprehensive. However, Sri Lanka has not fulfilled those promises and has in fact made statements suggesting that they do not plan to. Most notably, on March 12th, President Sirisena stated in an interview that he would not grant permission for UN investigators to visit Sri Lanka and instead, would only be willing to consider their advice.
The Human Rights Council must ensure that Sri Lanka does not treat the delay as an opportunity to undermine the level of technical assistance provided, and further undermine justice in the eyes of victims and war-affected communities. Sri Lanka must provide unfettered access to OISL investigators of witnesses, Tamil areas and former conflict zones.
We also want to emphasize that while we support the use of technical assistance for the purpose of truth-seeking in Sri Lanka, we believe that the Human Rights Council must go beyond technical assistance in taking steps following the report to develop a mechanism for justice. Given Sri Lanka’s history of failed domestic commissions and inquiries, alongside the grave and systemic nature of the crimes committed, meaningful justice and accountability can only be achieved through an internationally-led mechanism.