War Victims Meet UN High Commissioner for Human Rights!
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk today – 25 June, during his visit to the Eastern Province, Tamil war victims, families of the missing and civil society groups held a peaceful protest in Trincomalee this morning.
Protesters flanked the High Commissioner’s arrival, holding placards in English and Tamil with photographs of their missing loved ones and slogans demanding justice.
The High Commissioner was presented with a statement of urgent demands that needed to be addressed urgently, and had a brief interaction with the High Commissioner, with English translations provided.
They highlighted the continuing militarization, enforced disappearances, land seizures, and the gradual Sinhalization of Tamil areas, which continues even 16 years after the end of the war.
The protesters, in a letter to the High Commissioner requesting urgent attention from the United Nations, called on the UN to:
•Establish an international criminal justice mechanism to address genocide and war crimes
•Allow international experts to investigate mass graves in Chemmani, Mannar, and other sites
•Refer Sri Lanka to the ICC for crimes against humanity
•Stop land grabs and return occupied lands to Tamil communities
•Protect Tamil heritage and burial grounds from state destruction
•Demand answers for the disappeared and justice for victims
•Repeal repressive laws like the PTA and Online Safety Act
•Ensure the safety of activists and civil society
•Push for a political solution that recognizes Tamil rights, nationhood, and homeland
Pix: Kumanan
