Members of parliament, labour unions, student groups, community organizations and peace coalitions collectively call for a war crimes international inquiry in Sri Lanka

Toronto The NCCT has created a submission for the UN Panel of Experts on Sri Lanka, established by the UN Secretary General, to look into violations of international law committed during the last stages of the war in the island. The submission represents the first time a broad coalition of Canadians, including members of provincial and federal parliament from different political stripes, have come together with the Tamil community to demand an international war crimes inquiry in Sri Lanka.

“In Nuremberg, Yugoslavia, and Rwanda holding individuals criminally culpable for atrocities were seen as central to upholding international humanitarian law”, said Krisna Saravanamuttu, NCCT Spokesperson. “In the case of Sri Lanka, leaders from the broader Canadian society agree that an international tribunal is the only option for determining accountability for mass atrocities condemned by international human rights groups.”

The Canadian groups and individuals urging an end to Sri Lanka’s culture of impunity include: Canadian Federation of Students–Ontario (CFS), Canadian Peace Alliance (CPA), Canadian Tamil Youth Alliance, CUPE 1281, MP Jack Layton, MP Patrick Brown, MP Paul Dewar, MPP Glen Murray, Ryerson Students’ Union, University of Toronto Students’ Union, the York Federation of Students, and the Waterloo Young Liberals.

 

For more information or to arrange an interview in English please contact:

Krisna Saravanamuttu- NCCT National Spokesperson: 647-448-0576 or krisna@ncctcanada.ca

The National Council of Canadian Tamils (NCCT) is a grassroots organization, composed of elected representatives from across Canada that serve to organize Tamil-Canadians on a democratic and cooperative basis.