The head of a leading Tamil diaspora group says he had talks with Foreign Secretary Prasad Kariyawasam and other Foreign Ministry officials in Colombo.
Five years after the release of the Report of the Secretary General’s Panel of Experts (PoE) on Accountability in Sri Lanka, in March 2011.
Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) could revisit resolution 30/1 titled ‘Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka’ top UN official said on Wednesday.
Former Royal Air Force (RAF) pilot Michael Wolfgang Laurence Morris, or Lord Naseby, has severely rattled the UN, relentlessly pursuing a war crimes investigation, in Sri Lanka, in accordance with Geneva Resolution 30/1, adopted on Oct. 1, 2015.
There is currently a debate about the drafting of a ‘New Constitution’ for the country among the academic community and the general public in Sri Lanka.
Fr. S.J. Emmanuel, leader of the UK based Global Tamil Forum (GTF), arrived in Sri Lanka last week on what his organisation officials describe as a “low profile” visit.
A top leader of the Tamil diaspora is in Sri Lanka for the first time since a ban on him and his organisation was lifted. Global Tamil Forum (GTF) President, Father S. J. Emmanuel had talks in Colombo and Jaffna during his visit.
Sri Lanka is in the midst of many crises. The trajectory it is heading – increasing authoritarianism and militarised governance; further marginalisation of Tamil, Muslim, Hindu, and Christian communities; and the debilitating financial crisis and the economic challenges engulfing the people – has the potential to seed new conflicts in the country.
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) delegation together with Global Tamil Forum (GTF) representatives (the "Delegation"), had many significant engagements in the US between November 15 – 22, articulating Tamil people's concerns to key US Government policymakers and Members of the US Congress. We are pleased with our discussions and remain encouraged by their concerns and responses.
The recent appointment by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa of a Presidential Task Force for ‘One Country, One Law’ under the leadership of Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero is a deeply worrying development. The task force has a few handpicked Muslim representatives but without Tamil representation and was formed without consultations with minority community representatives. It is a clear illustration of Sri Lanka’s twin failures – lack of respect for pluralism and rule of law, and entrenched immunity from prosecution – the hallmarks of the present administration.
The Global Tamil Forum (GTF) is deeply saddened by the passing of the former Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera. We closely followed Mangala’s health condition and were hoping for his speedy recovery. Alas, Mangala too has become a victim of COVID-19 which is wreaking havoc in the country.
Unitedly and strategically working for the betterment of the Tamil people is the need of the hour The Global Tamil Forum (GTF) joins Tamils worldwide in commemorating the 12th anniversary of the end of the civil war in Sri Lanka. The final phase of the war is one of the most brutal in recent history and mass atrocity crimes were systematically committed against the Tamil people.