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Sri Lanka panel discussion hosted by Freedom from Torture from Freedom from Torture on Vimeo. |
Amnesty International, Tamils Against Genocide and the director of 'Sri Lanka's Killing Fields' documentary, Callum Macrae joined others in a discussion on 'Where now after Sri Lanka's Killing Fields' on 25th November.
The event, organised by Freedom from Torture, the medical foundation for the care of victims of torture, who released a damning report into the widespread and ongoing practice of torture by Sri Lanka's security forces, was fully booked.
Yolande Foster from Amnesty International, Jan Jananayagam from TAG, the shadow minister for international development, Rushanara Ali and the journalist and director, Callum Macrae were invited to share their thoughts the allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Sri Lanka, prior to the public discussion.
Reflecting on recent suggestions by the Sri Lankan government that a "few bad apples" were responsible for any alleged crimes, Callum Macrae urged sustained pressure to ensure the accountability rests with those at the very top of the chain of command.
Slamming Sri Lanka's attempts to denounce the calls for accountability as a Western plot, Macrae asserted that not only had the world got a right to call for it, but it had a duty to do so.
Highlighting the systematic targetting of Tamil civilians, as outlined in the report by the UN Panel of Experts, Jan Jananayagam outlined the overwhelming evidence of not only war crimes or crimes against humanity, but genocide.
Jananayagam pointed out that although the focus on the events of 2009 was welcome, the measures used against the Tamil civilians were tried and tested by the Sri Lankan state.
Reflecting on the Norweigan government's appraisal of their role in the peace process, Jananayagam urged British "introspection and seriousness on the issue". In the face of such damning evidence of ongoing torture, the British government's continued deportation of Tamil civilians is deplorable she added, slamming the UK Border Agency's conclusion that witnesses are not at risk on return to Sri Lanka.
Yolande Foster called on the British government to not only show its support for justice and accountability at the next UN Human Rights Council, but to ensure that other member states of the council are being lobbied effectively. Highlighting the Latin American and African member states as "swing states", Foster urged a concerted effort to outline the magnitude of the crimes.
Pledging sustained pressure by the Labour Party on the UK government for an independent, international investigation into the allegations of war crimes, Rushanara Ali, concluded that the atrocities represented yet another failure by the ICC to act.
Macrae warned,
"There is a generation of very angry young Tamils who are looking to the world, and looking to have democracy, accountability and justice."
"If democracy and accountability fail to come then that is a terrible lesson for those young Tamil, and we could see history repeating itself".
See related articles:
'Do not let Sri Lanka off the hook' - Freedom from Torture (11 Nov 2011)
UK charity hands torture report to UN (07 Nov 2011)
