Australian MP Hugh McDermott has called for the recognition of the Tamil genocide and justice for the atrocities committed by the Sri Lankan military against Tamils.
Speaking in the New South Wales Parliament (NSW) on 14 May ahead of Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day, McDermott condemned the atrocities committed during the final stages of the armed conflict at Mullivaikkal.
He stated that more than 300,000 Tamils had entered government-declared “safe zones” after being promised protection by the Sri Lankan state. “People fled, leaving everything they owned, to places they were promised would be safe,” he said, before pointing out that the Sri Lankan military carried out “systematic, targeted heavy artillery fire, carpet bombing and machine gun fire from the land, the sea and the air” against civilians trapped within the designated areas.
“This was genocide. It must be recognised as such, and those criminals in the Sri Lankan government and military responsible must be held to account,” he declared.
Addressing Parliament, McDermott stated that the attempt to erase the Tamil people “did not begin with violence” but through “government policy”, pointing to discriminatory measures introduced by successive Sri Lankan governments following independence.
He referenced the Sinhala Only Act of 1956, the burning of the Jaffna Public Library in 1981, the anti-Tamil pogrom of Black July in 1983 and decades of enforced disappearances, framing them as part of a systematic campaign against the Tamil people.
The Australian MP further announced that he would join members of the Tamil Australian community for the official opening of the Tamil Community Genocide Memorial at Civic Park in Pendle Hill, supported by Cumberland City Council and funded by the local Tamil community.
Describing the memorial as “a permanent expression of our community’s enduring call for peace, justice and self-determination,” McDermott praised the resilience of the Tamil diaspora in Australia and acknowledged their efforts to preserve Tamil language, culture and identity.
“I stand with our Tamil community,” he said. “I remember and I demand recognition and justice for all victims and survivors of the Tamil genocide.”
The speech comes as Tamil communities worldwide prepare to commemorate the 17th anniversary of the Mullivaikkal genocide remembrance on 18 May.