Australian Senator Lee Rhiannon called on the international community to ensure pressure is kept on the Sri Lankan government for accountability for atrocities committed on the island and an end to the occupation of the Tamil homeland.
See the full text of her message below.
This month we mark the genocide that took place in Northern Sri Lanka, the Tamil homeland in 2009.
7 years later the Tamils in the diaspora and in the homeland continue to resist the ongoing brutality against them under the new president of Sri Lanka.
White van abductions haven’t stopped. Tamils are still being arrested by the so called ‘Terrorist Investigation Division’. Torture, including sexual violence, continues at the hands of officials who act with impunity. Tamils detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act are still languishing in prisons. Thousands of Tamils are still missing.
All the while the Australian government continues to forcefully send Tamil asylum seekers back to Sri Lanka. This is a most shameful time in Australia’s recent history. I commend the Tamil community for their courage, their survival and their commitment to justice. The world now knows about Sri Lanka’s war crimes only because of the community's tireless efforts.
The Sri Lankan government is failing to implement the recommendations of the United Nations Human rights council resolution it co-sponsored in 2015. The international community I believe has let the Tamils down many times over. We cannot fail them again. Pressure must be kept for an international and independent war crimes investigation and for accountability for ongoing atrocities in Sri Lanka. The occupation of the Tamil homeland must end.
The Australian Greens stand with the Tamil community this month and always in your struggle for justice.
We remember May 2009.