At a press conference in Jaffna this week, Thambirasa, coordinator of the Democratic Movement Against Repression, demanded the arrest of former Sri Lankan army commanders Sarath Fonseka and Shavendra Silva to uncover the fate of Tamils who surrendered under the white flag during the Mullivaikkal genocide in 2009.
“To reveal what truly befell those who surrendered under the white flag in the final conflict in 2009, former Sri Lankan army commanders such as Sarath Fonseka and Shavendra Silva must be arrested and investigated,” Thambirasa declared.
The comments come as the issue of enforced disappearances and accountability for wartime atrocities remains at the centre of Tamil demands for international justice. Thousands of LTTE cadres and Tamil civilians who surrendered to the Sri Lankan military in May 2009 have not been seen since. The massacre of surrendering Tamils, including under white flags, has been documented in UN reports, yet successive Sri Lankan governments have failed to hold anyone accountable.
Thambirasa also turned his attention to recent political controversies within Tamil politics. He criticised Jaffna District MP Archchuna for his “foolish conduct” towards the police and called on him to “realise his mistakes and correct himself.”
He also condemned Archchuna’s disparaging remarks against Malaiyaha Tamils, stressing that “they are kin to the Tamil people” and urging the MP to end his “denigrating” attacks on Minister Chandrasekaran.
“If the Tamil nation, which struggles in pursuit of justice, were to lose its unity, it would only become a celebration for the South of Sri Lanka — a reality Archchuna must understand,” he said.
He called for intensified efforts in Mannar to pressure the Sri Lankan government, reiterating that above all, Colombo must disclose the truth about what happened to those who surrendered in the final days of the armed conflict.
