Meeting with Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP, MA Sumanthiran, US Ambassador Julie Chung to discuss concerns over the proposed anti-terrorism bill; the discovery of mass graves in the North; and reconciliation.
Very important and useful meeting with @BethVanSchaack, ?@StateDept_GCJ? the US Ambassador at Large for Global Criminal Justice at the US State Department yesterday on #international_crimes committed in Sri Lanka during the #civil_war and #Easter_Attacks pic.twitter.com/0mCLrQVLCQ
— M A Sumanthiran (@MASumanthiran) September 15, 2023
The meeting follows Sumanthiran’s recent visit to the US in which he met with US Ambassador for Global Criminal Justice, Beth Van Schaack, to discuss the war crimes committed by the Sri Lankan state and the Easter Sunday attacks.
Earlier this month a mass grave was uncovered in Kokkuthoduvai, excavation of which revealed a total of 14 skeletal remains. Across the Tamil homeland mass graves have been uncovered linked to the atrocities committed by the state during the armed conflict.
UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Nada Al-Nasif, has raised concern over the new “Anti-terrorism” Bill gazetted in March which is proposed to replace Sri Lanka’s draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act. She warned that it “contained sweeping provisions that would limit freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and even labour rights”.
In Chung’s tweet she maintained that reconciliation must go beyond simply ending the conflict.
This week I sat down with TNA MP @MASumanthiran to discuss his recent U.S. trip and ongoing concerns, including the revised anti-terrorism bill & the discovery of mass graves in the North. Today, I am mindful that as we mark #InternationalPeaceDay reconciliation isn't just about… pic.twitter.com/IV0GD9ZqT3
— Ambassador Julie Chung (@USAmbSL) September 21, 2023