"From our experience we know that no amount of time will allow truth, justice and accountability to be established domestically so long as rule of law is subverted and an environment of human rights abuse and impunity prevails. In such circumstances, pursuant to its mandate to address violations of human rights, including gross and systematic violations, the Council must lose no time in instituting an international mechanism to independently investigate allegations of serious violations in Sri Lanka."

Picture: Tamil Guardian

A side-event at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva saw first-hand testimony from Dr Varatharajah Thurairajah, one of the doctors active in the No Fire Zone, in the last phase of the armed conflict.

The event, moderated by Julie de Rivero of Human Rights Watch, had Dr Varatharajah, the director of the No Fire Zone movie Callum Macrae, Edward Santow of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre and Charu Lata Hogg of Child Soldiers International.

Callum Macrae presented a short extract of the No Fire Zone movie, which included footage of Dr Varatharajah in the aftermath of attacks on hospitals in 2009.

Varatharajah detailed the incidents of government attacks on the hospital, which intensified once coordinates were passed to the government through the Red Cross. The doctor said that they were then scared to pass on GPS coordinates to the Red Cross as the shells landed very soon after the details were passed on.

“Defence forces are on alert about several groups who are trying to destroy peace in the Northern Province, including Jaffna,”