On behalf of British Tamils, the British Tamils Forum urges Her Majesty not to invite war criminals and governments which have a history of committing crimes against humanity.

Sri Lankan Government does not deserve to receive an invitation to the Diamond Jubilee celebrations, while it continues to commit human rights violations.

Sri Lankan President and his Government have been accused of committing War crimes and Crimes against humanity and are not making any meaningful steps to implement the UN Human Rights council resolution (A/HRC/19/L.2) adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, March 2012.

Over 40,000 civilians have been massacred during the final stages of the war alone and two years on, over 146,000 persons remain unaccounted for. Many targeted killings are still continuing, notably a Canadian citizen was murdered by the Sri Lankan military just last week.

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It is with great sadness we learn that South African cabinet minister Radhakrishna Lutchmana “Roy” Padayachie is no more.

A humanist to the core, he dedicated his life for the freedom of oppressed people everywhere.  His fight for freedom started with African National Congress against the apartheid system in South Africa.  He was a visionary with a mission, who inspired the downtrodden to fight for a life with dignity, justice and peace.

Despite his ailing health he continued to campaign for the emancipation of the oppressed people around the world.  He was deeply concerned at the future of the Tamil people in the island of Sri Lanka.  He stood in solidarity with our struggle for freedom.  Mr Padayachie shared with us his experience in the South African freedom struggle as well as his expertise in international diplomacy.

In this month of May, the Tamil people around the world will remember him, for his active role through the South African Government, in the international attempt to bring about a ceasefire in the last phase of the war, three years ago, in which more than 40,000 Tamil people were massacred by the Sri Lankan state.

We share in the profound sorrow of his wife, two daughters and his grandson.

May his soul rest in peace !

On Thursday 03rd May 2012, you have the opportunity to elect the Mayor of London and the 25 members of the London Assembly; the local government body for Greater London. Candidates belonging to various political parties are contesting at this election.

British Tamils Forum as a neutral organisation representing the Tamil people in the UK, recognises the diversity of political orientation amongst Tamils. We also recognise that British Tamils have an extra dimension to our expectations from our local and national governments, in addition to the matters that are common to all. We therefore urge Tamil Londoners to exercise their democratic right and vote for the mayoral candidate of their choice, who they believe supports what is closest to their heart.

British Tamils’ votes will make a difference in who gets elected as the Mayor of London for the next four years. As one of the strongest and politically active communities in London, with over 250,000 residents, we should cast our votes to the candidate who promises to deliver best services to the Londoners as well as standing for the rights and the best interest of the Tamils, living in London.

All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils stated on its statement that “Accountability is paramount for any long-term sustainable political solution in Sri Lanka” cross party members from the APPGT visited the UN Human Rights Council while the 19th session was in progress.

The session was attended by Lee Scott MP Ilford North Chair; Siobhain McDonough MP Mitcham and Morden Vice Chair; Tom Brake MP Carshalton and Wallington and John Mann MP Bassetlaw.

Full statement:
All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils (APPGT) statement on the United Nations Human Rights Council 19th session resolution on Sri Lanka [A/HRC/19/L.2]
APPGT welcome the United Nations Human Rights Council on successfully adopting a resolution on Sri Lanka. We see this as a first step towards an international effort to bring sustainable peace in the Island.
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Geneva, Switzerland – The British Tamils Forum (BTF), Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC), and the United States Tamil Political Action Council (USTPAC) welcome resolution A/HRC/19/L.2, adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, today.

“This resolution is a welcome first step towards accountability and peace in Sri Lanka.   This is the first substantive UN resolution regarding Sri Lanka since 1987, and it puts the government of Sri Lanka on notice that the international community will no longer passively accept gross violations of human rights and humanitarian law”, stated Vani Selvarajah, spokeswoman for the diaspora organizations. “Though we would have preferred the resolution to establish an International Commission of Inquiry, we see this as an incremental first step towards establishing a proper mechanism towards accountability in Sri Lanka. Through this resolution, Sri Lanka has the opportunity to choose a path towards peace,” concluded Selvarajah.
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Channel 4 premiered its second documentary on Sri Lanka, entitled “Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields: War Crimes Unpunished” to a packed audience during the UN Human Rights Film Festival on Sunday.

War Crimes Unpunished, the sequel to Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields, will be broadcasted in the UK on Wednesday, March 14th, 2012 at 10:55PM.

After the world witnessed the horrors of Channel 4’s “Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields”, the viewers were left with the haunting question of whether the victims would ever get justice. War Crimes Unpunished attempts to identify the perpetrators of these heinous crimes and answer why impunity continues to reign in Sri Lanka.

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The United States submitted the draft resolution against Sri Lanka to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). The draft resolution was transmitted to all UNHRC member states in Geneva. Ironically this comes after a week of heavy lobbying from the Sri Lankan government delegation to stop any resolution on Sri Lanka coming to the table. Sri Lankan delegation numbering over 62 members including many senior ministers of the government lobbied the members States with aggressive tactics.

BTF believes, that this resolution would be the first step towards an international effort for a long term sustainable peace with justice and accountability in Sri Lanka; on the other hand 13th amendment to the Sri Lankan constitution cannot be a basis for a long term political solution.

Sri Lanka’s “Lesson Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC)” falls short to investigate war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Sri Lankan Government uses the LLRC to delay all genuine international efforts. The report by the UN Secretary-General’s Panel of Experts must be a basis for any further investigation.

We would like to take this opportunity to remind the International Community that the time is slipping away and the perpetrators are free at large.
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The Sri Lankan military announced on 15^th February 2012 that it has set up a five-member court of inquiry, ”to inquire into the observations, made by the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) in its report on alleged civilian casualties during the final phase of the humanitarian operations and probe as regards Channel-4 video footage irrespective of its authenticity or otherwise”

Human Rights Watch has condemned the appointment of the court of inquiry as a cynical move by the Sri Lankan State.

“The Sri Lankan army’s announced inquiry appears to be a transparent ploy to deflect a global push for a genuine international investigation, not a sudden inspiration nearly three years after the war, This inquiry, coming on the eve of a possible Sri Lanka resolution at the Human Rights Council, looks like yet another cynical and meaningless move” said  Brad Adams, Asia director of Human Rights Watch.

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