GTF ready to assist OHCHR probe By Easwaran Rutnam
With the outgoing UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay confirming that her office has put together a team to investigate allegations over the war in Sri Lanka, the role of the Tamil Diaspora will be also in the spotlight. Suren Surendiran, the spokesman for the Global Tamil Forum (GTF), an influential Tamil lobby group based in London expressed his views on the investigation.
Q: Does the GTF has any plans on assisting the OHCHR probe on Sri Lanka by providing information or any form of evidence related to the war?
A:The process of collecting evidences or the operational terms of reference for the investigation haven’t been made public as yet. Just as GTF submitted a whole series of documentary evidences to the UN Panel of Experts on crimes that were committed at the end of the war, GTF will continue to fully support any international independent process that has the potential to gain justice for our people that’s long overdue.
GTF as an internationally recognised organisation will represent the Tamil voice in these international forums until justice is served to our people who lost their loved ones. GTF will also help to expose the current ground human rights reality for Tamils, Muslims, Christians and Sinhalese, particularly the effects of militarisation of the north and east of the country is having on the Tamil community.