During a joint diplomatic visit by diplomats from Japan, South Africa and Switzerland, several Tamil MPs slammed the government’s proposed “truth and reconciliation commission” as a waste of time.
Joint visit to the Northern Province with the Ambassador of Japan and the High Commissioner of South Africa. We had productive discussions with various stakeholders about issues in the North, in particular with regards to reconciliation. pic.twitter.com/FMKIYhnoaM
— Ambassador Siri Walt (@SwissAmbLKA) December 17, 2023
The Tamil MPs emphasised during the visit how successive Sri Lankan administrations have failed to deliver on their domestic and international commitments. The MPs also discussed the island’s failure to conduct internal investigations into war crimes and stressed that this commission would simply act as a distraction for the government.
Tamil survivor communities have repeatedly expressed a lack of faith in the government to deliver on its promises of accountabilities and have pointed to failed domestic initiatives such as the Office of Missing Persons (OMP).
The latest report by the UN High Commissioner highlights that the OMP "has not been able to trace a single disappeared person or clarify the fate of the disappeared in meaningful ways".
Over 138 members of the Families of the Disappeared have died without knowing the fate of their loved ones.
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