Five Years On Tamils Still Under Siege
By Usha S Sri-Skanda-Rajah -May 17, 2014
Usha S Sri-Skanda-Rajah
Time not Ripe for Truth and Reconciliation, Rather for Justice and A Referendum on Eelam.
Five years on after the end of the war, Tamils in the North and East are still “under siege”. This is a clear indication that the prevailing climate is not conducive, either for achieving peace, truth and reconciliation or for obtaining justice and reaching a political settlement. The only redeeming feature in a hopeless situation is the prospect of an international independent inquiry soon to be underway that could lead to ending impunity in Sri Lanka - When the search for justice begins.
Whilst the end goals mentioned here continue to remain elusive, common sense would show that without the latter i.e. remedial justice and a satisfactory political settlement, it would surely not be possible to have the former i.e. peace, truth and reconciliation. It is perfectly clear the Sri Lankan government hasn’t got the political will or the decency to do the right thing by the Tamil people, by allowing them to exercise their right to self determination and have control over their affairs. Whilst the time may not be ripe for peace, truth and reconciliation, a referendum on Eelam could however pave the way for peace, truth and reconciliation.
Accountability, Justice and Political Settlement High Priority
To this end, the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE), feels strongly that any ‘truth and reconciliation’ mechanism must come only after justice is served and a political settlement is achieved. TGTE’s Prime Minister, Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran, in paying tribute to Nelson Mandela at the time of his passing, reflecting on the resolution the TGTE had passed in December 2013 just as it became public knowledge that Sri Lanka was looking to getting South Africa’s help to setup a “Truth and Reconciliation Commission”, wrote in an article: Reconciliation Is Not A Matter of Ignoring the Past, that “truth and reconciliation” must come only after “accountability and the birth of an independent and sovereign State of Tamil Eelam”: Read More
