Sri Lanka
USA
Canada
India
UK
UAE
A rally in Geneva, Switzerland, saw LTTE flags openly displayed on Monday, as Tamil diaspora activists renewed calls for international accountability over what they described as the Tamil genocide. The protest coincided with Sri Lanka’s inclusion on the agenda of the 60th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), according to the Tamil Guardian.
Hundreds of Tamils gathered outside the UNHRC headquarters, urging the international community to refer Sri Lanka to the International Criminal Court (ICC). Demonstrators also commemorated the late LTTE member Thileepan, marking 38 years since he began his fatal hunger strike on 15 September 1987. Similar remembrance events were held in Ampara, Jaffna, and Mullaitivu.
The UNHRC’s 60th session began last week, where UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk presented his latest report. While urging Colombo to take “decisive action” on accountability and reforms, Türk stopped short of recommending an international mechanism. Instead, he called on the global community to back Sri Lanka’s domestic processes, despite concerns from Tamil victim-survivors who argue such mechanisms have consistently failed to deliver justice.
Adding to the controversy, a draft UN resolution on Sri Lanka has endorsed a domestic judicial mechanism, dropping earlier calls for the involvement of foreign judges.
The Geneva rally and Switzerland’s allowance of LTTE flags are likely to further fuel debate over international involvement in Sri Lanka’s accountability process.
