UN should deliver remedial justice to Eezham Tamils, say 23 groups from India [TamilNet, Monday, 17 February 2014, 23:03 GMT]Following the recommendations of the Internal Review Panel (IRP) on ‘United Nations Action in Sri Lanka’ brought out in November 2012 by the panel led by Charles Petrie, the United Nations has come up with a follow-up initiative in December 2013. The latest report, flagged as ‘Rights Up Front’ initiative, has also failed to focus on delivering remedial justice to the nation of Eezham Tamils, who have now become the abandoned victims exposed to Sri Lanka’s accelerated onslaught of structural genocide, said the activists of May 17 Movement, that staged protests at five cities, both outside and inside India, on February 12. Endorsing the May 17 Movement’s approach, 23 influential parties, groups and movements from India demanded two key remedial approaches: UN referendum on Tamil Eelam and International Investigations on War Crimes, Crimes Against Humanity and Genocide.
“Accountability is not just punishing the perpetrators, but also a process of reparation for the victims based on their political needs and aspirations with broader citizen participation,” said the statement endorsed with signatures by the leaders of the 23 groups that joined May 17 Movement in staging protests both inside and outside of India, on 12 February.
The protests took place at New York and Sydney and at the Indian capital of New Delhi as well as the state capitals of Maharastra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu states.
The signatories also demanded investigation of UN’s key individuals, Secretary General Ban-ki-moon, Vijay Nambiar, John Holmes and Rechero Takachi.
Welcoming the timely initiative by the May 17 Movement, Tamil activists for alternative politics in the island said that the Tamil diaspora activist groups should start addressing the ultimate culprits, as an effective means to put a stop to the structural annihilation of the nation of Eezham Tamils.
The way forward to achieve this is waging a relentless global struggle targeting the responsibility of grave failures by the so-called ‘Co-Chair countries’ and India with the demand of remedial justice.
The remedial justice should be delivered by putting an immediate end to the ongoing structural genocide and by holding a referendum among Eezham Tamils on the question of Tamil Eelam.
The demands and slogans for the struggle have been clearly evolved. But, not the stage and the means, the activists further said pointing at the crucial responsibility of the Tamil diaspora.
The activists in the island further urged Tamil journalists to debate the significance of the two-pronged approach: addressing the ultimate culprits through targeting the complicity of the global/regional powers (the so-called Tokyo Co-Chair States UK, USA, EU, Japan and Norway in addition to India) on one hand and addressing the United Nations system on the other hand to take a positive path as a true institution of humanity.
By opening up public debate on the subject, the masses and solidarity activists across the world would be empowered to take up struggle to the next level, where it will be an international struggle against injustices caused by geopolitics of powers and against the system failure of the global body of humanity.
* * *
The memorandum, submitted to UN was endorsed by the following political organisations:
Ma’rumalrachchi Dravida Munneattak Kazhakam (MDMK)
Manithaneaya Makka’l Kadchi
Tamizhaka Vaazhvurimaik Kadchi
Naam Thamizhar Kadchi
Social Democratic Party of India
Viduthalai Thamizh Pulika’l Kadchi
Thamizhaka Odukkappaddoar Viduthalai Iyakkam
Thamizh Theasa Pothuvudamaik Kadchi
Dravidar Viduthalaik Kazhakam
Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhakam
Islamic Youth Movement Against Genocide
Makka’l Viduthalai Iyakkam
Thamizhina U’narvaa’larka’l Kooddamaippu
Union for Physically Challenged
Sikh Youth Movement
Mumbai Vizhiththezhu Na’nbarka’l Iyakkam
Tamil Solidarity
New Socialist Alternative
May 17 Movement
Puratchikara I’laignar Munna’ni
Thamizhar Ezhuchchi I’laignar Kazhakam
Scheduled Caste United Front
Balachandran Maa’nvavar Iyakkam
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Some of the excerpts from the memorandum follow:
In the light of the “Petrie Reports” revelations and shedding light on the dark areas, which it chose to remain silent, UN top officials including Secretary General Ban-ki-moon, Vijay Nambiar, John Holmes, Rechoro Takachi, stand accused of being complicit with Genocide. We would like to emphasize that these top brass is not exempt of accountability.
The follow up to the Petrie Report, “Rights Up Front Report” made various recommendations including ripping off most of the critical responsibilities of the Secretary General. These recommendations were made based on the international fiasco of the top brass, and this forced Secretary General to admit in General Assembly that UN failed in the island of Sri Lanka. These recommendations aim at remedial internal restructuring of UN. But, what remedy does UN offer to the victims, Eelam Tamils?
Post Rwandan Genocide, lot of new procedures were laid down by UN to prevent another genocide being happened. But another genocide, most horrendous, has happened in this century in an island in the Indian Ocean. Will it be suffificient, if UN again restructures, without offering remedy to victims, Eelam Tamils? An institution which was carved out by tall leaders like Hammarskjöld is losing faith among the common public.
Witnessing the inaction of UN, the Permanent People’s Tribunal convened at Germany in December 2013, gave verdict that 1. Sri Lankan State is guilty of crime of Genocide, 2. Genocide is ongoing and 3. States of India, US & UK are complicit of Genecide. After this verdict, it is high time that UN takes strong and credible actions to punish the perpetrators and offer remedial justice to victims.
Accountability is not just punishing the perpetrators, but also a process of reparation for the victims based on their political needs and aspirations with broader citizen participation.
The UN should initiate an independent international investigation on Sri Lanka for its explicit in perpetrating crimes against humanity and genocide besides a transparent inquiry over charges of eliding accountability by the above mentioned individuals. It should also initiate the procedures to conduct an independence referendum for Eelam. Unless and otherwise the UN moves in such a direction it will be condemned to have failed as the global organization of the peoples and be designated as a stooge of the oppressive states.
We would like to drive the point that unless UN dares to initiate steps towards such a positive direction, the struggle against UN as a corrupt institution will intensify and this campaign is only a beginning. The protest against UN on February 12, we would like to remind, was the day our martyr Comrade Murugadasan self-immolated himself in 2009 in front of the UN premise demanding justice. This day will be day of symbolic representation of protest against the unethical, dishonest conduct of UN against which the oppressed people world over will rally.
This symbolic siege on 12/02/2014 against UN will take place in Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai, New Delhi in India and in front of the UN premises in Norway, Australia, France, UK and New York, which we hope will be extended to other nooks and corners of the globe in the coming years. We would like to inform that the protest is not limited to the Tamils and sections from various nationalities as Kannada, Martha, Punjab, and Bengal have extended their greetings and participate in organizing struggles at their locations. Writers, poets, musicians, intellectuals, physically challenged advocacy groups, academics, advocates, media persons, dramatists, human rights activists and individuals and groups from various other professions have expressed their solidarity and participation with us.
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=79&artid=37054
Indian Express :
Pro-SL Tamil Protestors Besiege UNICEF Office
By Express News Service – CHENNAIPublished: 13th February 2014 08:01 AMLast Updated: 13th February 2014 08:56 AM
Hundreds of people belonging to various Tamil nationalist outfits, led by the May 17 Movement, were arrested after they attempted to besiege the UNICEF office in Adyar condemning the UN for not ordering a transparent international inquiry into the genocide of Sri Lankan Tamils during the final stages of conflict in the island in 2009.
The protesters condemned sending of cricket bats and black boards rather than life saving medicines to the affected civilian areas in the island nation which led to further loss of lives.
The protesters began gathering in the service lane leading to UNICEF office in Kasturibai Nagar in Adyar at around 10 am while the police protection was strengthened at the venue by South Chennai joint commissioner of police S Thirugnanam.
The police barricades prevented the protesters from marching past the service lane and laying siege. The protesters burnt flags bearing the symbols of the UN besides holding placards condemning the continued inaction of the UN over the genocide.
Thirumurugan Gandhi, Coordinator, May 17 Movement, said the UN’s failure to prevent the war was exposed by the Petrie Report released during November 2012. “However, the UN continues to be a mute spectator and party to the crime. The human rights violation in Sri Lanka and the deliberate ignorance of UN officials including UN General Secretary Ban Ki-Moon, his then Chef de Cabinet Vijay Nambiar and Under secretary for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes should be investigated”, he said.
He said the proposed international independent investigation recommended by UNHRC was neglected by Ban Ki-Moon, who denied justice to Tamils. He also urged the UN to implement the recommendations of Panel of Experts on accountability in Sri Lanka. The demand comes barely two months after that of the Permanent People’s Tribunal, based in Rome, which concluded its last session at Bremen, Germany, indicting Sri Lanka for the genocide.
Dinakaran:
வேளச்சேரி: அடையாறில் யுனிசெப் அலுவலகத்தை முற்றுகையிட முயன்ற 200 பேரை போலீ சார் கைது செய்தனர்.மே பதினேழு இயக்கம் சார்பில் மதிமுக, மனிதநேய மக்கள் கட்சி, தமிழக ஒடுக்கப்பட்டோர் விடுதலை இயக்கம் உள்பட 20 இயக்கங்களை சேர்ந்தவர்கள் அடையாறு கஸ்தூரிபா நகரில் உள்ள யுனிசெப் அலுவலகத்தை நேற்று முற்றுகையிட்டு போராட்டம் நடத்த போவதாக அறிவித்திருந்தனர்.இலங்கையில் நடந்த தமிழின படுகொலைக்கு காரணமான ஐ.நா. அதிகாரிகளை தண்டிக்க வேண்டும், ஈழத்துக்கான பொது வாக்கெடுப்பு நடத்த வேண்டும், இனப் படுகொலை குறித்து சர்வதேச விசாரணை நடத்த வேண்டும் உள்ளிட்ட கோரிக்கையை வலியுறுத்தி போராட்டத்துக்கு அழைப்பு விடுத்தனர்.
இதை தொடர்ந்து நேற்று காலை அடையாறு சர்தார் பட்டேல் சாலையில் மனித சங்கிலி போராட்டம் நடத்தினர். பின்னர் முதல் மெயின் ரோட்டில் ஆர்ப்பாட்டம் செய்தனர். அங்கு ஐ.நா. கொடி நகலை எரித்தனர். பின்னர் அங்கிருந்து யுனிசெப் அலுவலகத்தை முற்றுகையிட புறப்பட்டனர்.
தகவலறிந்து தென்சென்னை இணை கமிஷனர் திருஞானம், அடையாறு துணை கமிஷனர் கண்ணன் மற்றும் போலீசார் சம்பவ இடத்துக்கு சென்று, அவர்களை தடுத்து நிறுத்தினர். பின்னர், சுமார், 200 பேரை கைது செய்து, திருவான்மியூரில் உள்ள சமூக நலக்கூடத்தில் வைத்தனர். இந்த போராட்டத்தால் அப்பகுதியில் சிறிதுநேரம் பரபரப்பு நிலவியது
