July 10,

2011

Dear Organizers of the ICJ Day at the Hague Academic Coalition,

I was just reading about the celebration of International Criminal Justice Day on July 17th and I am very proud of ICC’s effortss in seeking international criminal justice to the victims of unimaginable tragedies around the world. The scales of Justice are part of what makes us human. People around the world showed joyous reaction when Omar Al-Bashir was indicted in 2008 as the first national leader to be indicted, and celebrated the dawn of independent South Sudan yesterday. The recent arrest of Mr. Ratko Mladic is a victory for human dignity. The International Criminal Court has been instrumental in ensuring that the perpetrators of the heinous acts are prosecuted.

While we celebrate the achievements in the field of international criminal justice, we cannot fail to reflect upon the fate of countless victims created by the most criminal regimes and our responsibility to protect the civilians from the brutality.As an erstwhile Sri Lankan Tamil refugee, I can speak clearly how the international community allowed an unwitnessed war to take place in Sri Lanka and how the international media succumbed to Sri Lankan state intimidation. The UN and the civilised world had a clear knowledge of Sri Lankan long history of  violent past to the minorities. As far as back in early 80′s,  after one of the major ethnic riots occured in Sri Lanka, the International Commission of Jurists Review stated


“The impact of the communal violence on the Tamils was shattering. More than 100,000 people sought refuge in 27 temporary camps set up across the country. The evidence points clearly to the conclusion that the violence of the rioters from the majority population on the Tamils amounted to acts of genocide” 

Leo Kuper, in his book ‘ Prevention of Genocide (1985)’, said in commenting on the failure of the UN Sub Commission on Human Rights to condemn the genocide attack (July 1983) on the Tamils, thus, "It is unfortunate that the United Nations did not take a firm stand at this stage’.


According to Sri Lankan Govt. statistics and evidence submitted, there are still 146,000 people unaccounted for since the war ended in 2009. There are no counts on the deads, widows, orphans or the maimed. Still, the divided world politics and geopolitical manouevers make it easy for the Sri Lankan administration to counter the accusations and continue to militarise and colonise the Tamil regions. 

It is disheartening that the international community on one hand, has turned a blind eye to the most vulnerable societies and on the other, determined to fight against impunity, bring justice to victims. In some cases, it appears ‘oil is thicker than blood’. That said, I am very optimistic about your vision of international justice and commitment deter future atrocities.

I wish you all the very best on International Justice Day!1

Thank you,

Mrs. Sandy Vadi

Toronto

- Canada