With Sri Lanka’s presidential hopefuls tussling to announce their candidacy this week, there was a familiar name back in the headlines - Rajapaksa. The latest candidate in the lineage, Namal, the son of the former president who oversaw the slaughter of countless Tamils, has formally been put forward to stand by his ultra-nationalist party backers. Though the polls are still some weeks away, the return of the family to the very frontline of Sri Lankan politics is a chilling reminder that Sinhala Buddhist chauvinism remains deeply embedded into the island’s politics. And so too are the Rajapaksas.
There has been a flurry of activity in Colombo, as Sri Lanka announced presidential elections are finally to be held later this year. Candidates and parties are bartering with each other and with the Southern electorate, as they tussle to take the reins of the state in September. But in the Tamil North-East, there is no such frenzy or excitement. Sri Lankan elections have never brought much to the Tamil people. Indeed, following decades of broken promises and continued assaults on their livelihood, there remains an overwhelming sense of pessimism.
After 14 years of Conservative government, the British Labour Party has returned to power. In the days since assuming office, the newly elected Prime Minister Keir Starmer declared that Britain is “back on the international stage”, having held key meetings with NATO allies and European leaders. The prime minister has repeatedly pledged to rapidly enact the “work of change”. When it comes to British policy on Sri Lanka, that change is long overdue.
The Tamil Guardian hosted the first ever British Tamil community hustings event in London on Thursday evening. The event was historic - not only for its senior level of representation from British political parties, but also for showcasing how deeply important justice for genocide and securing Tamil rights remains for hundreds of thousands across the United Kingdom. With a new British government set to be formed in just a few short weeks, the issues of justice for mass atrocities and the quest for Tamil liberation will clearly continue to remain firmly on the agenda. Whoever looks to steer Britain on the global stage next cannot afford to ignore them.
Despite pre-election bluster and high hopes, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has suffered a resounding defeat in Tamil Nadu, failing to gain a single seat. Even constituencies such as Coimbatore and Dharmapuri, where the party’s state leader, K. Annamalai was confident of a victory, was swept by the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).
Britain’s Metropolitan Police made a significant announcement this week; only the second of its kind. A man accused of committing war crimes in Sri Lanka was arrested in South London. Though this is just a single person being investigated it sends a powerful message to those in Colombo and other human rights abusers around the world, that they cannot escape justice. British authorities must now follow through.
Recent weeks have seen several senior politicians from the two leading opposition parties in the UK, reiterate the importance of ensuring Sri Lanka is referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC). Keir Starmer, the man widely tipped to become Britain’s next prime minister, called on the ruling government to push through a referral two years ago. Support for such a move has since grown. As Starmer released a statement to commemorate the Tamil Genocide, Ed Davey of the Liberal Democrats committed his party to sending Sri Lanka to the ICC, “so at long last there can be accountability for the genocide committed against Tamil people”. No matter who occupies Downing Street next month, steps must be undertaken to ensure the situation in Sri Lanka is swiftly sent to The Hague. Justice for atrocities must finally be delivered.
Tamils across the world marked the 15th anniversary of the massacres at Mullivaikkal last week. Thousands gathered, en masse in public commemorations and in private ceremonies at homes, to pay tribute to those who were killed by the Sri Lankan state. As they did so, they were clear in who they paid tribute to – the victims of a deliberate and systematic genocide.
Today marks 15 years since the peak of the Tamil genocide. Those final weeks were the bloodiest period ever seen in the island’s history and remain one of the greatest atrocities of the 21 st century. The losses suffered are irreplaceable. But amidst the grief, there is a growing determination. As Tamils around the world light lamps and bow their heads to remember their loved ones, they do so knowing the Tamil nation's strength and determination is stronger than almost ever before.
As Eelam Tamils prepare to mark 15 years since the Mullivaikkal genocide next week, the international community seems to be grappling with a rise in violence and instability across the globe. From Sudan to Myanmar, and particularly in Gaza, conflicts are raging, and civilians are dying in massive numbers. International humanitarian law continues to be routinely, and in many cases blatantly, violated. As policymakers look at ways to tackle this wave of turmoil, they should reflect and act on the failures from Mullivaikkal.