Dear UNSG,
I read the testimony of a survivor of the Sri Lankan war that ended in May 2009. She said many things that moved me but I was struck by the fact that even in the tiny northern strip of Sri Lanka, far, far away from your headquarters in New York, she remembered and hoped that the UN would intervene to rescue her and her children.
That was a long time ago. The armed conflict ended in May 2009 and was decisively won by the Sri Lankan government forces. But where is the justice for the survivors?
From everything we know, including the report (leaked over the weekend) submitted to you by the UN panel of experts, there were serious war crimes committed by both sides in this conflict and an independent, international investigation is required. The Sri Lankan government is clearly not interested in accountability as it has already rubbished this report and did not allow the UN panel to visit the country.
As part of a community of people fighting for justice in Sri Lanka, I urge you to firstly, officially make public the report submitted to you by the UN panel.
I then urge you to follow up on the findings of the report as well as Amnesty International’s findings and to ensure that there is an independent, impartial investigation into alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka. For the survivors of this conflict and in the interests of justice nothing less will do.
I read the testimony of a survivor of the Sri Lankan war that ended in May 2009. She said many things that moved me but I was struck by the fact that even in the tiny northern strip of Sri Lanka, far, far away from your headquarters in New York, she remembered and hoped that the UN would intervene to rescue her and her children.
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| UNSG Ban Ki-moon |
From everything we know, including the report (leaked over the weekend) submitted to you by the UN panel of experts, there were serious war crimes committed by both sides in this conflict and an independent, international investigation is required. The Sri Lankan government is clearly not interested in accountability as it has already rubbished this report and did not allow the UN panel to visit the country.
As part of a community of people fighting for justice in Sri Lanka, I urge you to firstly, officially make public the report submitted to you by the UN panel.
I then urge you to follow up on the findings of the report as well as Amnesty International’s findings and to ensure that there is an independent, impartial investigation into alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka. For the survivors of this conflict and in the interests of justice nothing less will do.
