 Stephen Rapp met with journalists at the Jaffna-based Uthayan in 2014. In the background are photos of staffers who have been either murdered or attacked. The crimes remain unsolved. |
The lack of progress towards justice, alongside the government’s apparent reversal on an accountability mechanism, has left the Tamil victims exacerbated, he acknowledged.
During Friday’s report launch Mr Rapp recalled speaking to Tamil victims during his visit to the North-East. Some tearfully told him how they had nothing to live for.
“In one sense of course I can understand knowing so well the concerns of members of the victimised communities that it seems that the pressure is dissipated when they don’t actually see pressure on the justice front,” he sympathised. “This makes them even less trusting and less hopeful that justice will arrive.”
The former Ambassador appreciated that victims have also campaigned for the charge of genocide to be upheld against the Sri Lankan state, stating “I know there are among the victims when they look at the pattern of conduct they see a suppression of their community”.
However “reaching the standard of genocide is a very hard thing to do” he noted. “No-one should be afraid of that,” he said, though warned there are “very tough international standards that are applied in that area”.
Regardless of the conclusion a court may reach on that charge, the ambassador remained hopeful justice would be achieved. “I do believe, and I consult and discuss on my own behalf with representatives of my government and with my former office,” he said, noting that high level officials from the US State Department’s Global Criminal Justice branch had visited the island recently.
“Pablo de Greiff called in, the Special Rapporteur for transitional justice in the UNHRC special procedures area,” he added. “He’s been here and there. And we are supporting his messaging.”
 Stephen Rapp and Michele Sison at the site of the bombed out former UN Headquarters located in the "No Fire Zone" in Puthukkudiyiruppu. |
“It’s actually the people that want to see justice that must have continued demonstrations publically,” he concluded.
“You've got to show that the international community cares about this”.
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