Justice and accountability must  be realised

In a statement released on Friday, the US Tamil Political Action Council (USTPAC) has urged the international community to judge Sri Lanka’s new government by its words and not by its actions.  The statement said:

On 16 February, the Human Rights Council followed recommendation of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to postpone the release of the OHCHR Investigation on Sri Lanka (OISL) until September. While this decision is a great disappointment to many victims and survivors in the Tamil community who have waited six long years for truth-telling and accountability, USTPAC continues its work to steadfastly chart a clear path to justice.

“USTPAC appreciates High Commissioner Zeid’s “absolute and unshakable commitment” to the OISL report’s publication in September,” said Dr. Karunyan Arulanantham, President of US Tamil Political Action Council. “We also take note of the Government of Sri Lanka’s stated commitments, made in conjunction with the announcement of the delayed release, and urge the international community to vigilantly ensure that these commitments are fully honored and translated into measurable metrics.”

USTPAC also stresses that numerous well-known steps towards true comprehensive justice were excluded from the Government’s commitments. These include the full demilitarization of the North, the return of all Tamil lands to their rightful owners, the release of detainees who have not been charged,