Written by: Thebana Gnanakrishnan

As the 19th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council meeting commenced, many of us wonder what this meeting will mean for Tamils.

What is the meeting’s importance?

It will be nearly three years since the end of the armed conflict in Sri Lanka and no genuine political solution for Tamils has been implemented by the President.

In the special UNHRC session on Sri Lanka in May 2009, one of the resolutions adopted by the council stated:

“Welcoming also the recent reassurance given by the President of Sri Lanka that he does not regard a military solution as a final solution, as well as his commitment to a political solution with implementation of the thirteenth amendment to bring about lasting peace and reconciliation in Sri Lanka” 1

The assurance by President Mahinda Rajapakse has seen no serious actions to it to bring forth a solution of equality and justice for Tamils. When it comes to accountability, the Sri Lankan government appointed a commission inquiry called Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation (LLRC) after a lot of international pressure to investigate allegations of human rights abuses. The findings of the commission failed to address the serious allegations of abuse that were outlined in the UN-Secretary’s Panel of Experts report on Sri Lanka. The LLRC report was flawed, vague, and refused to admit the systematic killing of Tamils during the end of the civil war.

What can Tamils expect to see in this meeting?

In the upcoming weeks, we must watch for any resolutions against Sri Lanka for its inaction on allegations of severe human rights violations. Sri Lanka’s firm stance on looking after its own internal matters has resulted in no progress being made so can increasing pressure on Sri Lanka amount to an international war crimes investigation? We must wait and watch.

References:
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/specialsession/11/index.htm

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Tags: News

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