The Hon. Kaveenthiran Kodeeswaran

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees, Hon. Sumanthiran has brought this Adjournment Motion on human rights at a time when the UN Human Rights Council’s 60th Session is imminent — timely.

¶ 02 From Independence in 1948 to the end of the war in 2009, genocide against Tamils continued. First, Indian-origin Tamil plantation workers were stripped of franchise and citizenship and deported. Thereafter, waves of anti-Tamil pogroms targeted Tamil art, culture and identity — the 1981 burning of the Jaffna Library, the bombing of the World Tamil Research Conference in Jaffna. Mass graves are found across the North and East evidencing Tamil killings. In Ampara District, 1,415 were forcibly disappeared; parents handed children over to the military and others — where are they? In Verugal, Thirukkovil, Veeramunai, Batticaloa’s Kokkadichcholai, Trincomalee’s various areas, and across the North, human remains are still found. The Government must facilitate proper work on these, and we seek cooperation.

¶ 03 Past governments failed in credible domestic mechanisms and justice. They evaded UNHRC-mandated accountability; thus Tamils place no faith in domestic processes and seek justice via ICC and ICJ.

¶ 04 Former President Maithripala Sirisena said in 2019 he knew the masterminds of the Easter attacks, implicating military intelligence and politicians. Has this Government acted? We have no confidence you will.

¶ 05 From Independence to date, Tamils have faced multifaceted problems and human rights violations. The Government must correct past wrongs and deliver justice. You promised to repeal the PTA and not bring a similar law; this has not happened. Repeal the PTA immediately.

¶ 06 The Constitution gives Buddhism “foremost place”. How then do we build harmony? All religions should be respected. Though Tamil is an official language in words for 76 years, Sinhala predominates in practice. Even in recent education reforms, eminent Tamil educationists were excluded; we see a deliberate rewriting of our history.

¶ 07 High officials and even a former President spoke in discriminatory terms — calling Sinhalese a great tree with Tamils merely a branch. The new Government must act fairly and equally. The JVP too once took up arms; today they lead politically. Tamils moved from nonviolence to arms because issues were not addressed.

¶ 08 Therefore, protect human rights properly; development projects cannot substitute for rights. Development is different; our rights are different. Thank you.