{"id":43277,"date":"2015-09-29T22:31:04","date_gmt":"2015-09-30T02:31:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=43277"},"modified":"2015-09-29T22:34:43","modified_gmt":"2015-09-30T02:34:43","slug":"joint-statement-of-tamil-political-parties-civil-society-organisations-trade-unions-on-the-draft-resolution-on-sri-lanka-29-september-2015","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=43277","title":{"rendered":"JOINT STATEMENT OF TAMIL POLITICAL PARTIES, CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS TRADE UNIONS ON THE DRAFT RESOLUTION ON SRI LANKA"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n We release this statement in response to the draft resolution titled ‘Promoting Reconciliation, Accountability and Human Rights in Sri Lanka’ tabled under Item 2 and scheduled for debate and adoption on the 30th of September 2015.
\n <\/strong><\/p>\n

1.<\/strong> We reiterate the firm conviction of the victims of the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka, a majority of whom are Tamils, that accountability and justice can only be truly delivered through an international criminal justice process.<\/p>\n

2.<\/strong> We however in deference to the Report of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights’ Inquiry on Sri Lanka (the OISL report) were willing to consider the possibility of achieving justice and accountability through a credible hybrid mechanism in the event of the mechanism being led and managed by its international component under the aegis of the UN.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

3.<\/strong> We regret that Operative Paragraphs 4 and 6 of the draft resolution do not adequately provide for the setting up of such a credible hybrid mechanism. The paragraphs when read together only seek to provide the appearance of credibility to a domestic process through the appointment of ‘commonwealth and other foreign judges, defence lawyers, and authorized prosecutors and investigators’. The Sri Lankan Government appointing foreign judges to its own judicial mechanism will not address the structural factors that inhibit the domestic structures in Sri Lanka, reasons for which are detailed in the OISL report. A mechanism, which is by and large managed and controlled by the Sri Lankan state, will not in our opinion be deemed credible by the victims in Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n

4.<\/strong> We also deeply regret that references to demilitarization of the North-East and an increased role for the OHCHR which were included in the initial draft of the resolution have been removed from the current draft tabled before the UNHRC. The current draft resolution in Operative Paragraph 3 provides for a ‘national’ victims consultation process thereby in effect excluding numerous Tamil victims who live outside of Sri Lanka in fear of persecution. The testimonies of these victims from the diaspora were key to the OISL inquiry. We note with deep regret that in the interest of arriving at a consensus resolution with Sri Lanka that many key components of the initial draft have been omitted.<\/p>\n

5<\/strong>. We urge you to reconsider the current draft of the resolution and to redraft it so that it truly serves the purpose of providing the basis for delivering accountability and justice in Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n


\nSignatories:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Political Parties<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

1. Eelam People\u2019s Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF)
\n2. Democratic People\u2019s Liberation Front (PLOTE)
\n3. Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO)
\n4. Tamil National People\u2019s Front (TNPF)
\n <\/em><\/p>\n

Civil Society Organisations Trade Unions<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. Tamil Action Committee for an International Accountability Mechanism (TACIAM)
\n2. Tamil Civil Society Forum (TCSF)
\n3. Centre for Human Rights and Development (CHRD)
\n4. Home for Human Rights (HHR)
\n5. The Social Architects (TSA)
\n6. Ceylon Teachers Union
\n7. Vavuniya Citizens Committee
\n8. Mannar Citizens Committee
\n9. Council of Non-Governmental Organisations, Jaffna
\n10. Tamil Lawyers Forum
\n11. North East Coordinating Committee of the Relatives of the Forcibly Disappeared
\n12. Jaffna University Teachers Association
\n13. Jaffna University Employees Union
\n14. Foundation of Changers – Batticaloa
\n15. East Civil society Activist Alliance \u2013 Batticaloa
\n16. Commission for Justice and Peace of the Catholic Diocese of Jaffna
\n17. Batticaloa Social Workers Network
\n18. Paduvaankarai People\u2019s Alliance
\n19. Mannar Economic and Social Development Organization
\n20. Hindu Development Society Karaithivu \u2013 Amparai
\n21. Tamilar Valvurimai Maiyam
\n22. Valikamam North Development Board, Jaffna.
\n23. Batticaloa District Civil Society
\n24. Tamil Civil Society \u2013 Trincomalee (TCST)
\n25. Chamber of Commerce and Insustries \u2013 Jaffna
\n26. Ceylon Tamil Teachers Association
\n27. Jaffna District Fishermen\u2019s Cooperative Society Unions Federation
\n28. Jaffna Economists Association
\n29. Rural Labourers Society \u2013 Jaffna District
\n30. Northern Province Fisher People\u2019s Unity
\n31. Jaffna District Fisheries Solidarity Movement
\n32. Valikamam South West Fisheries Co-operative Societies Federation
\n33. Trincomalee Tamils Development Federation
\n34. Trincomalee Women Headed Families Association
\n35. Batticaloa Sri Mamangeswarar Thrift Co-operative Society
\n36. Batticaloa District Pensioners Association
\n37. Batticaloa Municipal Tax Payers Association
\n38. Batticaloa Maamangam Development Society
\n39. Batticaloa Sri Mamangeswarar Hindu association
\n40. Batticaloa Sri Mamangeswarar Women\u2019s Association
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

Tweet<\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We release this statement in response to the draft resolution titled ‘Promoting Reconciliation, Accountability and Human Rights in Sri Lanka’ tabled under Item 2 and scheduled for debate and adoption on the 30th of September 2015. 1. We reiterate the firm conviction of the victims of the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka, a majority of …<\/p>\n

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