TGTE Welcomes former Sri Lankan Army Chief’s willingness to face War Crime Trials: Urges Him to Avail to UN’s OISL

“If he really believes in his innocence, we challenge him to open himself to international investigation"

COLOMBO, SRI LANKA, May 28, 2015 /EINPresswire.com/ --

“We also urge the current President of Sri Lanka Mr. Sirisena, who was the acting defense minister during the final weeks of these killings and rapes, to clarify his position whether he himself is ready to face International war crimes trials to clear his name”

Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) is pleased to hear of former Army Commander Field Marshall Sarath Fonseka’s interview to the Guardian newspaper that he would welcome war crimes investigation to prove his innocence for the mass killing of Tamils and rape of Tamil women by the Sri Lankan Security Forces.

“There were no rapes, no torture during my command during the war,” Fonseka said in the interview.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/27/former-sri-lanka-army-chief-says-he-would-welcome-war-investigation?CMP=share_btn_tw

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mr. Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein is to submit his report to the UN Human Rights Council in September about his findings regarding these killings and recommendations for justice.

“We are pleased about Sarath Fonseka’s commitment to answer to these mass killings and rape,” said TGTE’s Minister for International Affairs Mr. Manicka Vasagar.

“If he really believes in his innocence, we challenge him to open himself to international investigation. As a first step, we urge him to muster the courage and avail himself to the UN’s Office of Investigation of Sri Lanka (OISL) and cooperate with them”

“We also urge the current President of Sri Lanka Mr. Sirisena, who was the acting defense minister during the final weeks of these killings and rapes, to clarify his position whether he himself is ready to face International war crimes trials to clear his name” continued Mr. Manicka Vasagar.

TGTE is having a Million Signature Campaign in fifteen languages to “Refer Sri Lanka to International Criminal Court” Details at: www.tgte-icc.org

Recently, Sri Lankan President appointed an alleged suspect of war crimes Maj. Gen. Jagath Dias as the new Army Chief. His appointment was criticized by international human rights organizations.

Sri Lanka: New Army Chief a Blow to Justice - 6 Years After War, No Accountability for Serious Abuses (Human Rights Watch) -
http://www.hrw.org/news/2015/05/17/sri-lanka-new-army-chief-blow-justice


ABOUT TRANSNATIONAL GOVERNMENT OF TAMIL EELAM (TGTE):

Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) is a democratically elected Government of a million strong Tamils (from the island of Sri Lanka) living in several countries.

TGTE held internationally supervised elections among Tamils around the world to elect 132 Members of Parliament. It has a bicameral legislature and a Cabinet. It held one of its Parliamentary sittings in the British Parliament.

TGTE is leading a campaign to realize Tamils’ political aspirations through peaceful, democratic and diplomatic means. The Constitution of the TGTE mandates that it should realize its political objective only through peaceful means.

The Prime Minister of TGTE is Mr. Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran, a New York based lawyer.

TGTE was formed after the mass killing of Tamils by the Sri Lankan Government in 2009. According to UN internal review report on Sri Lanka, over 70,000 Tamils were killed in five months in early 2009 and Tamil women were sexually assaulted and raped by Sri Lankan Security forces. There are over 90,000 Tamil war widows and thousands of Tamils disappeared due the conflict.

BACKGROUND:

Tamils have faced repeated mass killings since 1958 and the mass killings in 2009 prompted UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to appoint a Panel of Experts to report on the scale of killings.

According to the report by this UN Panel, tens of thousands of Tamil civilians were killed and women were sexually abused and raped by the Sri Lankan Security Forces.

According to this UN Panel, the killings and other abuses that took place amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. Independent experts believe that there are elements of these abuses that constitute an act of genocide.

According to the UN internal review report on Sri Lanka, over 70,000 Tamils were killed in five months in early 2009. There are over 90,000 Tamil war widows and thousands of Tamil political prisoners in Sri Lanka.

Members of the Sri Lankan security forces are almost exclusively from the Sinhalese community and the victims are all from the Tamil community.

A Buddhist Monk shot and killed a Sri Lankan Prime Minister 1959 for having talks with Tamil political leaders to find a solution to the ethnic conflict.

Tamils overwhelmingly voted in a Parliamentary election in 1977 to establish an independent and sovereign country called Tamil Eelam. This Parliamentary election was conducted by the Sri Lankan Government.

Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam
TGTE
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