Thirty three members of the Northern and Eastern Provincial Councils representing the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) have requested Navanethem Pillay United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to look beyond the war crimes to investigate into the ‘hate crimes’ committed against the Sri Lankan Tamils since 1974.
The members of the North Central Provincial Council and the Eastern Provincial Council have written to the United Nations Human Rights High Commissioner urging her to look beyond the alleged ‘war crimes’ and to nudge the Human Rights Investigation Team to look into ‘all the past violations against the Tamil people at least from 1974 when the killings of Tamil people by the Sri Lankan forces started.’
“There were several major incidents of massacres of Tamils in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, and none of them were properly investigated by the Sri Lankan government. The Tamil people strongly believe that they have been, and continued to be subjected to Genocide by Sri Lanka,” the letter said.
In this letter they have expressed their gratitude to Navanethem Pillay for not letting go off the alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka despite the ‘ignorance’ of the Sri Lankan government.
The letter also said that “The Tamils were massacred in groups, their temples and churches were bombed, and their iconic Jaffna Public Library was burnt down in 1981 with its collection of largest oldest priceless irreplaceable Tamil manuscripts. Systematic Sinhalese settlements and demographic changes with the intent to destroy the Tamil Nation, are taking place. “
The letter sent by the 33 ministers to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights is as follows,
Joint Letter from 33 Members attached herewith. Joint Letter from the Members of the Northern Provincial Council and the Eastern Provincial Council, Sri Lanka August 17, 2014 The Hon. Navanethem Pillay United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Palais Wilson, 52 rue des Pâquis CH-1201 Geneva, Switzerland.
Dear Honorable Madam High Commissioner Pillay,
Our Request Related to OHCHR Investigation on Sri Lanka War-Crimes It is with utmost respect and gratitude we, the democratically elected Members of the Northern Provincial Council and the Eastern Provincial Council in Sri Lanka, jointly write this letter to you as you prepare to conclude your highly fulfilled and exceptionally accomplished service as the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
On behalf of the Tamil people, we would like to thank you for your dedicated work towards justice and accountability to the victimized Tamils in Sri Lanka. We are confident that the exemplary investigative team that you and your office have put together will ensure justice to the victims.
We would like to submit the following requests to your kind consideration and would be obliged, if you could share our request with the investigative team and also with the incoming High Commissioner: We request that the OHCHR investigative team, using the authority of the OHCHR, to look into all the past violations against the Tamil people at least from 1974 when the killings of Tamil people by the Sri Lankan forces started.
There were several major incidents of massacres of Tamils in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, and none of them were properly investigated by the Sri Lankan government. The Tamil people strongly believe that they have been, and continued to be subjected to Genocide by Sri Lanka.
The Tamils were massacred in groups, their temples and churches were bombed, and their iconic Jaffna Public Library was burnt down in 1981 with its collection of largest oldest priceless irreplaceable Tamil manuscripts. Systematic Sinhalese settlements and demographic changes with the intent to destroy the Tamil Nation, are taking place.
We request the OHCHR investigative team to look into the pattern of all the atrocities against the Tamil people, and to determine if Genocide has taken place. If the Government of Sri Lanka continues to reject entry for the OHCHR investigative team, we request that the team considers conducting its investigation in the State of Tamil Nadu, India.
Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely yours,
[Signed by] M. Kanagalingam Shivajilingam, Member of Northern Provincial Council Ponnuthurai Ayngaranesan, Minister of Agriculture, Northern Provincial Council Balasubramaniam Deniswaran, Minister of Fisheries, Northern Provincial Council Thambirajah Gurukularajah, Minister of Education, Northern Provincial Council Dr. Pathmanathan Sathiyalingam, Minister of Health, Northern Provincial Council M. Anthony Jeyanathan, Deputy Chairman, Northern Provincial Council Dharmalingam Sithadthan, Member of Northern Provincial Council Niththiyanantham Indrakumar, Member of Eastern Provincial Council Thavarajah Kalaiarasan, Member of Eastern Provincial Council Gnanamuththu Krishnapillai, Member of Eastern Provincial Council Kumarasamy Nageswaran, Member of Eastern Provincial Council Rassiah Thuraireththinam, Member of Eastern Provincial Council Ananthy Sasitharan, Member of Northern Provincial Council Pasupathy Ariaratnam, Member of Northern Provincial Council Emmanuel Arnold, Member of Northern Provincial Council Ayoop Azmin, Member of Northern Provincial Council Balachanran Gayatheepan, Member of Northern Provincial Council Dr. Gnanaseelan Gunaseelan, Member of Northern Provincial Council Ramanathar Indirarajah, Member of Northern Provincial Council G. Thamotharampillai Linganathan, Member of Northern Provincial Council Vinthan Kanagaratnam, Member of Northern Provincial Council Veerawahu Kanagasundraswamy, Member of Northern Provincial Council Marykamala Kunaseelan, Member of Northern Provincial Council Ariyakutty Paramsothy, Member of Northern Provincial Council Subramaniam Pasupathipillai, Member of Northern Provincial Council M. Thiyaka Rajah, Member of Northern Provincial Council Thurairajah Ravikaran, Member of Northern Provincial Council Dr. Kandiah Sarweswaran, Member of Northern Provincial Council Kesavan Sayanthan, Member of Northern Provincial Council S. Primus Siraiva, Member of Northern Provincial Council Dr. Sivapragasam Sivamohan, Member of Northern Provincial Council Velupillai Sivayogan, Member of Northern Provincial Council Santhiralingam Suhirthan, Member of Northern Provincial Council
