On the 15th anniversary of the genocide at Mullivaikal, Amnesty International's Secretary-General, Agnes Callamard, has called on the international community to take decisive action by referring Sri Lanka to the United Nations Security Council with a view to an International Criminal Court investigation. Speaking to Tamil Guardian after attending the Mullivaikal commemoration today, Callamard highlighted the ongoing struggle for justice and the critical need for international intervention, including the application of universal jurisdiction to deliver justice when Sri Lankan war criminals travel abroad.
In advance of the 15 th anniversary of the Mullivaikkal genocide, Elliot Colburn, MP for Carshalton and Wallington and Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils (APPGT) sat down with Tamil Guardian for a wide-ranging conversation on genocide recognition; bringing Sri Lanka before the ICC; and upholding the rights of Tamils for self-determination. ‘Cracking down on memorials should be a red line’ Commenting on the anniversary, Colburn noted that Mullivaikkal represents one of the “most sombre moments in the Tamil calendar”. An estimated 169,000 Tamils were killed the final military...
Tamil Guardian caught up with Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) leader Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam to hear his thoughts on Sri Lanka's Truth and Reconcilication Commission, international accountability, the repressive environment of the North-East and Tamil political representation.
The newly elected leader of the Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK), Sivagnanam Shritharan spoke to the Tamil Guardian for an exclusive interview on how he hopes to further Tamil aspirations.
Author Roy Ratnavel visited London for the launch of his novel ‘Prisoner #1056.’ Ratnavel’s book, a bestseller in Canada, details an introspective journey, recounting his idyllic upbringing in Point Pedro before turning to the horrors of imprisonment during the armed struggle, leading to his resettlement in Canada.
Amidst the 51 st session of the UN Human Rights Council session, the leader of the Tamil Makkal Thesiya Kootan (TMTK), CV Wigneswaran, spoke with Tamil Guardian on issues of devolution, the 13 th amendment, the weaknesses of the UNHRC resolution, and the need for Sri Lanka to be referred to the International Criminal Court.
Speaking with Tamil Guardian, Sandya Ekneligoda, wife of forcibly disappeared journalist and human rights activist Prageeth Ekneligoda, gave a damning indictment of Sri Lanka’s judiciary maintaining that it is not “free and independent” and could not deliver justice for victims. “Even though, it is supposed to be independent, I have witnessed enough that, always the executive (president) and the parliamentarians (MPs) have influenced the judiciary. So, the judiciary has become ineffective and if the judges are unable to exercise their powers freely and independently”, she told our journalists...
During the 51st session of the UN Human Rights Council, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) spokesperson and MP MA Sumanthiran spoke with Tamil Guardian on a range of topics, including the latest UN resolution, the economy of the Tamil homeland, the need for an ICC referral and current geopolitical tensions between India and China. “He’s holding the seat for the Rajapaksa government” Asked about his views on the Wickremesinghe administration, Sumanthiran noted that whilst he would engage with the administration as he did the last, he remains sceptical about the possibility of progressive reforms. “...
Speaking to Tamil Guardian at the 51st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), representatives of the Tamil families of the disappeared reiterated their lack of confidence in domestic mechanisms such as the Office of the Missing Persons (OMP) and how the Sri Lankan state has been trying to quash their continuous roadside protests.
Speaking to the Tamil Guardian this week at the 51st session of UNHRC, Koorrusuwaahmy Sorrenthiran, the spokesperson for the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO), reiterates calls for Sri Lanka to be referred to the International Criminal court (ICC) as well as emphasising the need for self-determination for Tamils. Tamils have been calling for Sri Lanka to be referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) but “that portion is missing” from the draft resolution that was made public earlier this week. Sorrenthiran noted that the draft resolution talks about Sri Lanka’s financial...