Refer Sri Lanka to International Criminal Court
We, the undersigned people from around the world, urge
the United Nations to refer Sri Lanka to the International Criminal
Court (ICC) or to establish a similar credible International Judicial
Mechanism for investigation and prosecution of war crimes, crimes
against humanity and genocide committed against the Tamil people by the
Sri Lankan State.
According to the UN Internal Review Report on Sri
Lanka, there were “credible estimates” of civilian casualties of 70,000
Tamils during the first six months in 2009. As the former U.S.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pointed out, Sri Lanka is one of the
notable countries, along with Bosnia, Burma, the Democratic Republic
of the Congo, Sudan and elsewhere, where rape was used as a tactic of
war.
We firmly believe that neither a domestic mechanism nor a
hybrid mechanism will mete out justice to the Tamil People. The call
by the new Sri Lankan government for a domestic or hybrid mechanism to
replace any international judicial process is an attempt to deflect
the call for referral to the ICC and to delay other meaningful actions
on accountability. Efforts to establish a domestic Truth and
Reconciliation Commission is another diversionary tactic to protect
those who committed serious crimes against Tamils.
The current situation
in Sri Lanka constitutes an ongoing “threat to the peace” under Chapter 7
Article 39 of the UN Charter, because there has been absolutely no
accountability for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.
In support of our call, we submit the following facts and reasons for your perusal
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