As Sri Lanka continues to go back on its promises to investigate and prosecute atrocity crimes, alternative avenues for justice must be found, writes People for Equality and Relief in Lanka (PEARL) Advocacy Director, Mario Arulthas.
“Nearly 10 years after the end of the conflict, reconciliation and a sustainable peace are far off – contrary to what President Sirisena claimed in his speech at the UNGA,” wrote Arulthas in The Diplomat this week.
“Sri Lanka has repeatedly gone back on its promises to investigate and prosecute atrocity crimes,” he said, adding “the international community cannot rely on Sri Lanka to bring reconciliation, stability and peace to the island”.
“While Sri Lanka must continue to be scrutinized in fora such as the UN, other alternatives paths for justice must be found, be it through universal jurisdiction or a referral to the ICC. The Sri Lankan state rejects international pressure precisely because it is a threat to the intrinsic Sinhala nationalist nature of the state. The current government’s failure to tackle this as the cause of conflict, is why the international community must increase its involvement – in order to achieve accountability and a just political solution which will ensure an equitable and sustainable peace for all communities on the island.”
Read the full text of his piece in The Diplomat here.
