Take bearing from PPT verdict in delivering justice to Eezham Tamils: May 17
[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 December 2013, 07:14 GMT]
The recent verdict by the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal (PPT) on Sri Lanka, which found the Sri Lankan State guilty of genocide, was a landmark decision in the path of justice to Eezham Tamils, say the activists of May 17 Movement from Tamil Nadu, who were present at the session in Bremen as expert witnesses on the genocide against Eezham Tamils. In an interview to TamilNet on Tuesday, Mr Thirumurgan Gandhi and Mr Umar of May 17 stated that the next step in the path of justice to the victims should be legally binding international investigation on genocide – not something that only deals with war crimes – and the parallel delivery of political justice to the victims of genocide. Any intervention or monitoring in the process to ensure this must avoid the forces of the countries that were complicit in the genocide, they said.
Tamils should not demand any investigation other than a legally binding international investigation on genocide. Those who demand investigations on war crimes have a different agenda to gain their interests. They don’t listen to Tamils as a party to the conflict.
It is therefore important to have an interim administration where Eezham Tamils could look after their own recovery and have the freedom to exercise their political aspiration.
The intervention to monitor and conduct the interim administration and the referendum should be executed as a common responsibility of those who were not complicit in the genocide, Thirumurugan and Umar told TamilNet.
For this to happen, the occupying Sri Lankan military must be removed from Tamil Eelam.
The military forces of the countries such as the UK, USA, India, Pakistan and others that will be found complicit in the genocide should be kept away from any intervention, as they are parties of vested interests, the activists of May 17 said.
The judgment delivered at Bremen by the panel of experts of the Peoples Tribunal was an important paradigm-setting event.
The panel in its rulings said it believed the UK, the USA and India being complicit in the genocide, was a significant ruling setting the opinion.
However, the panel of experts withheld their decision of India’s complicity pending examination of further evidence, as there were time constraints as the judges were focusing on the main charge of genocide.
The panel had a clear understanding of the geopolitical intent of the world powers. On India’s complicity, they needed more time to further study the evidences.
“We need to look back at how the panel ruled in 2010, when they said war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed and that genocide needed further investigation,” Mr Thirumurgan Gandhi said.
“This time, they have done it. They spent a lot of time, almost the first two days in hearing the witnesses on the genocide and the complicity of USA and UK in detail. We were given less time than initially confirmed as allocated to us, due to the time constraints. The panel also had very limited time to study the evidence material presented to them on Indian complicity. The panel has acknowledged that further investigations are necessary on India. They have also clearly stated that they believe India along with USA and UK, is complicit in the genocide,” Mr Thirumurugan said.
This is the first time India is getting accused for complicity in a genocide outside its own territory.
Chronology:
The recent verdict by the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal (PPT) on Sri Lanka, which found the Sri Lankan State guilty of genocide, was a landmark decision in the path of justice to Eezham Tamils, say the activists of May 17 Movement from Tamil Nadu, who were present at the session in Bremen as expert witnesses on the genocide against Eezham Tamils. In an interview to TamilNet on Tuesday, Mr Thirumurgan Gandhi and Mr Umar of May 17 stated that the next step in the path of justice to the victims should be legally binding international investigation on genocide – not something that only deals with war crimes – and the parallel delivery of political justice to the victims of genocide. Any intervention or monitoring in the process to ensure this must avoid the forces of the countries that were complicit in the genocide, they said.
Tamils should not demand any investigation other than a legally binding international investigation on genocide. Those who demand investigations on war crimes have a different agenda to gain their interests. They don’t listen to Tamils as a party to the conflict.
It is therefore important to have an interim administration where Eezham Tamils could look after their own recovery and have the freedom to exercise their political aspiration.
The intervention to monitor and conduct the interim administration and the referendum should be executed as a common responsibility of those who were not complicit in the genocide, Thirumurugan and Umar told TamilNet.
For this to happen, the occupying Sri Lankan military must be removed from Tamil Eelam.
The military forces of the countries such as the UK, USA, India, Pakistan and others that will be found complicit in the genocide should be kept away from any intervention, as they are parties of vested interests, the activists of May 17 said.
The judgment delivered at Bremen by the panel of experts of the Peoples Tribunal was an important paradigm-setting event.
The panel in its rulings said it believed the UK, the USA and India being complicit in the genocide, was a significant ruling setting the opinion.
However, the panel of experts withheld their decision of India’s complicity pending examination of further evidence, as there were time constraints as the judges were focusing on the main charge of genocide.
The panel had a clear understanding of the geopolitical intent of the world powers. On India’s complicity, they needed more time to further study the evidences.
“We need to look back at how the panel ruled in 2010, when they said war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed and that genocide needed further investigation,” Mr Thirumurgan Gandhi said.
“This time, they have done it. They spent a lot of time, almost the first two days in hearing the witnesses on the genocide and the complicity of USA and UK in detail. We were given less time than initially confirmed as allocated to us, due to the time constraints. The panel also had very limited time to study the evidence material presented to them on Indian complicity. The panel has acknowledged that further investigations are necessary on India. They have also clearly stated that they believe India along with USA and UK, is complicit in the genocide,” Mr Thirumurugan said.
This is the first time India is getting accused for complicity in a genocide outside its own territory.
Chronology:
கருத்துகள் இல்லை:
கருத்துரையிடுக