12 commissions of inquiry are all a scam!' - Tamil families of the disappeared demand international justice

by Rukshana
Jun 24, 2024

Tamil families of the disappeared held a rally today in Gandhi Park, Batticaloa, as they continue to search for answers and justice for their forcibly disappeared loved ones. 

Tamil mothers and fathers clutched photographs of their children who were forcibly disappeared by Sri Lanka’s security forces or government-aligned paramilitary forces. 

Despite protesting since 2017, Tamil families still do not have any answers about the fate of their loved ones. While the current Sri Lankan regime has announced that they will establish a new commission to investigate the disappearances, the president and other senior officials have failed to engage with the families. 

In a statement, Batticaloa’s Association of  Disappeared Persons said:

“We are fighting with the aim of getting justice for them and preventing such incidents of torture and disappearance from happening again in our society. We have been trying to get justice through internal mechanisms for many years, but we have been continuously cheated by the Sri Lankan government and threatened by the Sri Lankan army, police, and paramilitary forces.” 

The association added that last week, Sri Lankan police officers went to their secretary, Suganthy’s house and interrogated her for 30 minutes. 

The statement goes on to stress that Sri Lanka’s domestic mechanisms have been established to deceive the international community and if the international community put their faith in these mechanisms, then justice will be further delayed. Therefore, they have called for the international community to establish an international mechanism that will investigate the disappearances of their loved ones. 

Since the roadside protests began in 2017, many parents have passed away without getting any justice for their relatives.

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The crisis is compounded by the controversial 'Fast Track' system introduced in 2014 by the Abbott government. According to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, this system has resulted in the rejection of around 8,500 asylum seekers' cases. It specifically targets individuals who sought asylum by sea and arrived in Australia between August 13, 2012, and December 31, 2013. Tamil asylum seekers, stuck in visa limbo for years, have launched protests nationwide, with 24-hour encampments in Melbourne, Perth, and Brisbane.

Amaran - Problematic propaganda

amaran

The genre of war epic makes its grand re-entry to Tamil cinema with director Rajkumar Periasamy’s sophomore feature film, ‘Amaran.’ As is often the case with this genre, one cannot help but feel the events of the ‘true story’ onscreen have been heavily modified for easy consumption.

 

 

 

The patriotic military films of Tamil cinema had taken a back seat for a while. The subject matter is now seldom a prominent theme of a film, instead lurking in the shadows peeking through such as via the heroes in the works of Nelson Dilipkumar. The genre of war epic makes its grand re-entry to Tamil cinema with director Rajkumar Periasamy’s sophomore feature film, ‘Amaran.’ As is often the case with this genre, one cannot help but feel the events of the ‘true story’ onscreen have been heavily modified for easy consumption.

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Krishna's rating: 2.5 stars

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Official trailer for film below.

UN Special Committee finds Israel warfare methods in Gaza consistent with Genocide

un_spcial

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The Special Committee is composed of three Member States: Malaysia, Senegal and Sri Lanka. This year the Member States are represented by H.E. Mr. Ahmad Faisal Muhamad, Permanent Representative of Malaysia to the United Nations in New York, H.E. Mr. Cheikh Niang, Permanent Representative of Senegal to the United Nations in New York, and H.E. Mr. Peter Mohan Maithri Pieris, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in New York.. The committee called on member states to urgently act on the following 

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(b) Leverage their influence to ensure Israel ceases its policies and practices negatively affecting the human rights of the Palestinian people and other Arabs of the occupied territories;  

(c) Halt all offensive arms transfers, including weapons, explosives, guns and/or ammunition, to Israel;

(d) Hold nationals, including those with dual Israeli citizenship, involved in settler violence or violations in Gaza, accountable for violations of international law;  

(e) Review financial transfer policies that allow religious and charitable organizations to fund activities in Israel, which enable the further sustenance of an apartheid system;  

(f) Support UNRWA politically and financially, including by increasing funding through the United Nations regular budget;  

(g) Protect and ensure respect for human rights in economic activities, including by setting out clear expectations for businesses in terms of responsible conduct consistent with the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and exercising heightened due diligence when supporting business enterprises;

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(j) Fully cooperate with the International Criminal Court. 

Read more here

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