In a letter to the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations in the US, as well as the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, several French MPs highlight the “repeated attacks on individual rights and freedom” of Tamils in Sri Lanka, and requested France to indicate its intended role at the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) later this month.
“Persecutions perpetrated against ethnic-religious minorities and in particular against the Tamil populations must be able to be the subject of an international and independent light” stated the MPs, adding: “Indeed, if since 2009, the UN has repeatedly raised this need, the fact remains that violations of human rights and individual freedoms continue and that the Sri Lankan government perpetuates a culture of impunity.” stated the MPs
The MPs also refer to the UN special rapporteurs report from his visit in August 2019 on freedom of religion or belief, stating
“The period of transition [which has been going on since 2009]”, we can still read in this report, “was marked by latent tensions between the ethnico-religious communities which seem to be linked to the privileges that the State grants to majority religion [namely Buddhism], undermining the principle of equality of all before the law.”
Continuing, the MPs “encourage the Council to pay renewed attention to Sri Lanka, given the need to prevent threats to peace and reconciliation” stating that “turning a blind eye to the repeated abuses of Sinhala power” will “block the way to any prospect of peace and reconciliation in Sri Lanka.”
See the original letters below
