Future Labour government to include justice for Tamils in official policy
- Post 18 May 2018
- By Indika Gamage
Sending a strong message to the Sri Lanka government dragging its feet on wartime accountability, the British opposition leader announced that Tamil rights including an international judicial mechanism will be part of a future Labour government policy.
Jeremy Corbyn full of confidence of being in office as the next prime minister of Britain, promised that demands of the Tamil war victims in Sri Lanka will be included in any general election, which he enthusiastically hoped to come, “very soon please”.
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“I intend to lead a government that will make sure human rights is our watchword around the world.”
He was addressing a Mullivaikkal remembrance meeting at the UK parliament campus organized by Tamils for Labour to commemorate the thousands of Tamils killed in the Sri Lanka war. Corbyn is known for being a long standing supporter of the right to self-determination of the Tamils.
Self-determination
The Sri Lanka government has unreservedly rejected any international mechanism to investigate alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity by the Sri Lankan armed forces.
Establishing an international judicial mechanism to address the crime of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and other international crimes committed by the Sri Lankan state, a political solution recognising the right to self-determination of Tamils, justice for victims of enforces disappearances, repealing the Prevention of Terrorism Act and demilitarisation of the Tamil majority north are among the key areas that Labour will base its policy on Sri Lanka.
“The assurance that I want to give you is that the Labour party fully understands, the issues including in our manifesto, will be included in our manifesto in any general election, which by the way we hope comes very soon, very soon please, because we can’t go on like this in this country or anywhere else in the world,” said Jeremy Corbyn.
'Woeful ignorance'
He promised that Labour government will send diplomats to all countries to ensure the investigation of human right abuses, arbitrary detention and allegations of torture.
Referring to recently documented ongoing abuses against Tamils in Sri Lanka, Jeremy Corbyn also rapped “the woeful ignorance of the British media of what is happening to the Tamil people even now”.
The Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, a stalwart of the Labour left, also spoke at the commemoration.
© JDS
