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The Sri Lankan government has failed to deliver justice for the murder of 17 aid workers said French NGO Action Contre la Faim (ACF), marking 11 years since their murder in Muttur.
“The Sri Lankan government has failed in its duty to uphold international humanitarian law and to protect civilians and aid workers, and it has failed in its duty to deliver justice for the perpetrators of the massacre of these 17 humanitarians,” said ACF in a blog post last night.
The NGO went on to note Sri Lanka’s failure to implement a UN Human Rights Council resolution, which calls for the creation of a special court with international judges to punish perpetrators of human rights violations.
“In 2014, the Council explicitly called for the creation of a Special Court with an international dimension to investigate the Muttur massacre so that justice could be served after years of impunity,” said ACF. “Unfortunately, this request, which was approved by the United Nations and the Government of Sri Lanka, has still not been implemented… The Sri Lanka authorities refuse the incorporation of international judges into this tribunal.”
“This disregard of international humanitarian law and international human rights law—and the ongoing impunity provided to the perpetrators of this heinous crime—send a dangerous and shameful signal to countries where civilians and humanitarians are vulnerable to similar crimes,” ACF added.
ACF went on to call for the creation of a Special Rapporteur of the United Nations for the protection of humanitarian aid workers “with the aim of combating the impunity of attacks on humanitarian workers.”
“Eleven years after their deaths, we commemorate the lives of our 17 colleagues in Muttur” it concluded.
“We will never forget them. We will never give up on our search for justice in their names.”
