UNHRC Urged to Intervene as Sri Lankan Tamils Face Continued Oppression and Injustice

Tamil civil society organizations and victims from Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province wrote to welcome UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk and express urgent concerns. They represent communities that continue to suffer from systemic militarization, land grabs, enforced disappearances, and ongoing state-sponsored repression, even 16 years after the civil war ended.

Key points raised include:

• Historical Injustice: Tamils lost their right to self-determination after the British merger of North-East with the rest of Sri Lanka. Governments since independence have suppressed Tamil identity and autonomy.

• Ongoing Human Rights Violations: The state continues what is described as “constructive genocide” through discriminatory policies, colonization, and surveillance of activists.

• Lack of Accountability: The Sri Lankan government has stalled justice efforts, denied visas to international investigators (including OSLAP), and fails to act on court orders regarding land issues.

• Demands:

  • International criminal justice mechanisms for Tamil genocide and war crimes.

  • Forensic investigations into mass graves.

  • Referral of Sri Lanka to the ICC.

  • End to land grabs and cultural erasure.

  • Answers for the forcibly disappeared.

  • Repeal of repressive laws (PTA and Online Safety Act).

  • Protection for activists and a durable political solution.

The letter appeals to the UNHRC as the last hope for justice, accountability, and reconciliation for Tamil people in Sri Lanka.

The letter:

His Excellency Volker Turk

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

Palais Wilson, 52 rue des Paquin

CH-1201 Geneva, Switzerland.

June 25, 2025

Dear Mr. High Commissioner,

We, the Tamil people living in the three districts of Eastern Province are here to welcome you Honorable UNHR Commissioner.

Let us take this para to define clearly to you that who are ‘We’.

The ‘We’ includes the Tamils: (1.) who has been living under the State’s brutality with the militarized distracts of the East even the State declared that the terrorism was completely eradicated sixteen years before, (2.) who the living witnesses escaped from international crimes committed by the State, (3.) We, the kith and kin of the enforced disappeared,  the kith and kin of the civilians who were killed,   the victims  of the rape and sexual violence, Social & HR Activist, Members of the CBOs, Members of the Women Movements, and the ‘We’ includes the Tamils who still fight for their ancestral land, which forcefully occupied by Tri-Forces, Departments of Archelogy, Wild Life, Costal Conservation, Forest, and who still fight for their ancestral fishing sites at the Sea which forcefully encroached by the fishermen from South organized by Navy and Department of Fisheries, and finally the ‘We’ are  the people who still have faith on the UN, especially the UNHRC will only be the hope for Transitional Justice, Accountability and Reconciliation. We warmly welcome you Sir.

While appreciating the UNHRC’s efforts to establish normalcy in the North East regions of Sri Lanka by promoting Human Rights, Accountability and Reconciliation, would like to present key points for your kind consideration.

1. When the Tamil State (North East) was merged with the other parts of the Island by British, we lost self determination, nationhood and homeland. Since  then the Tamils demanding for the above rights have been suppressed by, from the first Sri Lankan Government to the successive governments. Once the SL State decided to unleash large-scale programs against Tamil people, the culpability of the crime has been gradually increased up to the level of international crimes and reached to the peak in May 2009. Here we refer the International Commission of Jurists observed the ‘Black July’ riots in 1983 and stated as: “The evidence clearly points to the conclusion that the violence of the Sinhalese rioters against the Tamils amounted to acts of genocide”.
2. After the mid 2009 – to date we have been undergoing the Constructive Genocide by the State which tries to eradicate our existence as a national race. The Political and Military mechanisms of the State are systematically and calculatedly manipulating the national policies and tern them against Tamils which could barely understood by International Community.
3. The Accountability process is not even started by the State but dragging it successfully by employing highest level of diplomacy. At the same time, the State mechanism tortures the activists, continue investigation and keep the activists know that they are always under surveillances.
4. Even the OSLAP Project members are still being denied for Visa to enter SL. The denial is a stronger evident that shows how the SL State commit to pursue the justice for crimes committed on Tamils.
5. Settler colonisation continues with the fullest support of the State. One of the latest examples is the grazing ground used to feed cattle, belonging to Tamils, since ancient period at Mayilaththamadu in Batticaloa, encroached by Sinhala Settlers. Even the court orders to use force to evacuate the settlers, the Police is reluctant to do so. But the Settlers slowly build-up the structures and the State provides infrastructure.

By the above points, Sir you may quickly recap the reality in the ground and may be shocked, feeling the differences between reports and reality.

We would humbly demand and hopefully request you to:

1. Establish an International Criminal Justice Mechanism to investigate and prosecute the International crimes including Genocide committed against Tamils in Sri Lanka.
2. Allow international forensic experts to investigate mass graves, including those in Chemmani, Mannar, and other areas.
3. Refer Sri Lanka to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.
4. Stop ongoing land grabs in the traditional Tamil homeland and ensure the return of lands to rightful owners.
5. End the destruction of Tamil heritage and cultural sites, which is being carried out systematically as part of state-sponsored Sinhalisation.
6. Seek answers and justice for the victims of enforced disappearances – Are they alive? What happened to them?
7. Demand that the Office on Sri Lanka Accountability Project (OSLAP) reports on the full cycle of violence and Genocide that the Tamil people have endured since 1948.
8. Press Sri Lankan State to repeal Prevention of Terrorism Act and Online Safety Act
9. Propose hybrid mechanism with SL State and International bodies that ensure the safety and security of the Activists
10. Push for immediate, meaningful steps towards a durable political solution to Sri Lanka’s protracted 76-year-long ethnic conflict.

Thanking You,

We

Victims  and   North East Social Movements, ( Civil  Society  Organizations, Associations for the Relatives of the Enforced Disappearances, Families of the Disappeared, Independent Media Movements and Civil Activists)

Eastern Province,

Sri Lanka.