Official entrance of the UN in Geneva
In conjunction with the launch of the report, Amnesty travelled to the UN Human Rights Council and hosted a panel discussion on impunity and rule of law in Sri Lanka.
A highlight of the event was the opportunity it provided Dr. Manoharan, father of one of five youths killed by Sri Lankan security forces at Trincomalee beach in 2006, to confront officials from the Sri Lankan government, and ask them why nobody had been held accountable for his son’s tragic murder. It was a powerful moment for those at the event and an important step for Dr. Manoharan’s search for justice.
What emerged from the discussion was the sense that Sri Lanka was at a pivotal moment in its history. The government could choose to lead a process in which Sri Lanka confronts its difficult past and seek justice and accountability for victims of human rights abuses and move towards a future of ‘peace, reconciliation, and unity,’ or it could continue to foster a culture of impunity in which those who commit human rights violations are able to act outside the rule of law.
This is wonderful important work. I’m surprised that there is no mention of the several hundred thousand Tamil people in internment camps in Sri Lanka at this moment, under the care of a government whom they believe already committed genocide against their people. The New York Times hasn’t updated their Sri Lanka page in over a month, and the media is not covering this very alarming situation. Because the Tamil military has been branded a terrorist group, the world is turning a blind eye to all Tamil people in their time of great need. The NY TImes and other media outlets should be pressured to covering the situation of the Tamil people on a daily basis
JUSTICE AT THE OIC DOMINATED UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCILE LOL UNTILL I CRY ITS A JOKE THE ONLY COUNTRY THAT HAS BEEN CONSTALY CONDEMED BY THIS NON HUMAN RIGHTS COUNTCIL IS ISRAEL THE WORST VIOLATORS ARE NOT EVAN MENTIONED