Vanni District Member of Parliament Thurairasa Ravikaran has criticised members of the Rajapaksa family for portraying themselves as humanitarians while expressing concern over the ongoing war in the Middle East, accusing them of hypocrisy given their role in the atrocities committed against the Tamil people in 2009.
Ravikaran, who represents the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), made the remarks while addressing a protest organised in Mullaitivu by relatives of the forcibly disappeared.
He said it was ironic that those he accused of carrying out the Mullivaikkal genocide of Tamils were now presenting themselves as humanitarians and expressing sympathy for the devastation caused by the current conflict in the Middle East.
According to Ravikaran, individuals responsible for atrocities against the Tamil people were now donning the guise of humanitarians and displaying what he described as their “grand acting skills” before the world.
His comments came during a demonstration held by families of the forcibly disappeared, whose protests across the North-East have continued for more than nine years. The demonstrations are expected to enter their tenth year as relatives continue to demand answers regarding the fate of their missing loved ones.
Ravikaran noted that during this prolonged struggle hundreds of parents searching for their disappeared children had passed away due to illness and old age without learning what happened to them.
The protest march began at the Vattuvakal Bridge and proceeded to the site where relatives say they handed over their loved ones to the Sri Lankan military.
Ravikaran described the Vattuvakal Bridge as a symbolic memorial of the Tamil genocide. For that reason, the families began their march from the starting point of the bridge and continued towards the area where they claim their relatives surrendered to the military in 2009.
Despite years of appeals, he said successive Sri Lankan governments had shown indifference to the demands of the families seeking truth and justice.
Ravikaran added that during meetings between ITAK Members of Parliament and the Sri Lankan president, several key concerns had been raised, including the need for a political solution for the Tamil nation, the release of Tamil political prisoners, the cessation of land appropriations in the Tamil homeland, and justice for families of the forcibly disappeared.
However, he said the current government had not taken any concrete steps to address those issues.
Reflecting on the current global situation, Ravikaran said that tensions were once again escalating among states and noted that the war in the Middle East had already resulted in widespread destruction.
At the same time, he stressed that the Tamil nation does not accept the killing of children, women or civilians anywhere in the world and emphasised that Tamils uphold humanitarian values.
He contrasted that position with the actions of those associated with the Rajapaksa administration, whom he said bombed areas declared as “No Fire Zones” and using prohibited phosphorus bombs during the final phase of the armed conflict in 2009.
According to Ravikaran, individuals linked to those actions were now expressing sympathy for the war in the Middle East and speaking about humanitarian concerns.
He said those who carried out a systematic genocide against the Tamil people for demanding their rights in the Tamil homeland and who were responsible for the disappearance of individuals who surrendered to the Sri Lankan military were now presenting themselves as global actors performing humanitarian roles.
Ravikaran concluded by calling on the current Sri Lankan government to take meaningful action and ensure justice for the families of the forcibly disappeared.
