British Member of Parliament Uma Kumaran has called for truth, justice and accountability on Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day, marking 17 years since the mass atrocities committed against Tamils in 2009.
In a statement issued on 18 May, the Labour MP for Stratford and Bow said tens of thousands of Tamils had been “massacred in the final stages of the military offensive in Sri Lanka” and described the events of Mullivaikkal as “a devastating atrocity for which there has been no justice”.
“Today, 18th May, we mark Mullivaikkal, Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day,” she stated.
Kumaran said the suffering endured by survivors and families of the victims continued to resonate deeply across the global Tamil diaspora.
“The pain and suffering of families and survivors live on, it is seared in the memory of the global diaspora,” the statement read.
Referencing the ongoing excavations at the Chemmani-Siththupaththi mass grave site in Jaffna, Kumaran said the recent recovery of skeletal remains, including those of children and infants, underscored the continuing need for accountability.
“The ongoing excavation at the Chemmani-Siththupaththi mass grave site where skeletal remains, including those of children and infants, have been recovered is a stark reminder of the crimes against humanity that have been committed against the Tamil people,” she said.
The Chemmani excavations, which have uncovered hundreds of skeletal remains, have renewed international attention on allegations of war crimes, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings committed during and after the armed conflict.
Kumaran further stated that calls for accountability were growing “ever stronger, ever louder”, stressing that justice remained essential for lasting peace and reconciliation.
“Truth and justice are essential to fostering lasting peace and reconciliation,” she said.
“Yet silence and impunity remain entrenched, we must not let the prospect of justice grow ever more distant.”
The MP also said Tamils around the world were renewing their commitment to continue demanding accountability whilst honouring those who were killed.
“As we remember and mourn, Tamils globally renew our commitment to call for justice and accountability. We must build a peaceful future where such atrocities can never again be repeated.”
Kumaran pledged to continue advocating for justice through her role in Parliament.
“I feel deeply the responsibility I have and will keep using my voice and the power of my office to call for truth and for justice,” she stated.
“Together, our Tamil community in every corner of the world have a collective call for justice. It will never be silenced.”
She concluded her statement with the words, “The dead cannot cry out for justice; it is a duty of the living to do so for them”.