PPT names panel of judges to hear genocide case against Sri Lanka
First session held in Dublin in January 2010 [Library Photo]
[TamilNet, Monday, 02 December 2013, 23:51 GMT]
The Permanent Peoples Tribunal (PPT) in Rome has announced the names of 11 judges, who would be hearing the long-awaited case on the accusation of genocide against Eezham Tamils to be heard by an independent panel. “Like in the first session, a respected panel of judges consisting of experts in Genocide studies, former UN-officials, experts in international law and renowned peace and human rights activists will hear the evidence that is presented and make a determination,” a press statement signed by Mr Gianni Tognoni, the secretary general of the PPT, stated. The first session held in January 2010, known as the Dublin Tribunal, was the first independent international undertaking that recognised the need to look into the case of genocide in the island of Sri Lanka. The second session is to take place between December 07 -10, 2013 in Bremen, Germany. Since then, the PPT has approved the submission of the Germany-based International Human Rights Association Bremen (IMRV) and the Irish Forum for Peace in Sri Lanka (IFPSL) that substantial new evidence necessitate a second round of investigations to determine whether Genocide has been and is being committed against the Tamil people in Sri Lanka. The plaintiff organisations have also accused India, UK and the USA for orchestrating the genocide on Eezham Tamils.
In the first session held in 2010, the Dublin tribunal found Sri Lankan government "guilty of War-Crimes" and "guilty of Crimes Against Humanity." Eye witnesses included several escapees from the final week of the genocidal onslaught on the "No Fire Zone" in Vanni where thousands of Tamil civilians were slaughtered by the SL military.
the Rohingya Muslims and publicly criticised Aung San Suu Kyi on this issue.
