The Eelam Tamil Group Calls for Action by the International Criminal Court
GHRTV Reporter
17-11-2021
Malene Solheim
Sri Lanka and Human Rights Researcher,
Global Human Rights Defense.
After decades of deportation and prosecution of the Eelam Tamils by the central government in Sri Lanka, they have now called for action (The Record, 2021). The Canada-based Tamil Rights Group (TRG) has formally submitted a request for an investigation of the human rights violations that took place during the Sri Lankan civil war and have continued since on the Eelam Tamils.
The Eelam Tamils have earlier called for independence from Sri Lanka to create a new nation-state on the north-western and north-eastern coast of the island. However, as of today no UN-states recognise Eelam Tamils as a sovereign nation. Earlier attempts have been made to encourage the ICC to do a proper investigation, however this has not been successful thus far.
The human rights violations are said to have escalated during the 20 year-long civil war starting in 1983 (Times of India, 2021). Since then, 143 000 Eelam Tamils have fled the country, and 25 000 have been displaced within the country (The Record, 2021). The quest for the ICC to hold Sri Lankan authorities accountable for the human rights violations on the Eelam Tamils is mainly driven by the large diaspora.
Sources and further reading:
Tamil Rights Group takes Fight for Justice to International Criminal Court, The Record, Nov 15 2021 https://www.therecord.com/ts/news/canada/2021/11/15/tamil-rights-group-takes-fight-for-justice-to-the-international-criminal-court.html?li_source=LI&li_medium=therecord_canada
Tamil Eelam: National Liberation and Socialism, Spring Magazine, Jul 6 2021
