Australian MP calls for Independent Inquiry into Sri Lanka war crimes

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 December 2010, 11:23 GMT]
"I am calling on the Australian Government to support other governments, including Britain, the United States of America and France, in writing to the United Nations declaring support for an independent inquiry into: alleged war crimes committed particularly in the last phase of the war; the treatment of more than 11,000 Tamil youth detained be in accordance with the Geneva Convention; ending planned West Bank style settlements in the Tamil homeland," said Minister of Fair Trading and Australian Member of Parliament for Strathfield, New South Wales, Ms Virginia Judge, during the parliamentary session Wednesday.

Virginia Judge, MP

Commending her constituents of Tamil origin as "solid citizens, noted for their commitment to education, a strong work ethic and devotion to family life, as well as to the greater community in which they live," the MP said, "it is with great sadness that I have learnt of the alleged war crimes perpetrated against these people in their homeland, Sri Lanka. Furthermore, I am advised that after languishing in camps in the wake of the most recent phase of the war in Sri Lanka during 2009, tens of thousands of Tamils in the northern and eastern provinces of Sri Lanka are still living without a permanent roof over their heads and with minimal access to health care, employment, education for their children or justice."

Text of Speech by Ms Judge

The MP called on "those governing Sri Lanka to put in place initiatives and strategies that ensure that all minority groups have equal access to choices, equal access to opportunities in education, whether it be at the primary, secondary or tertiary level, equal access to employment, equal access to government services and justice, and equal access to representation in those particular bodies.

"I will be writing directly to the Prime Minister of Australia and to the Minister for Foreign Affairs to support this call on behalf of those that have brought this to my attention, particularly those living in the Homebush area in my community of Strathfield," the MP concluded.

External Links:

AU:

Sri Lanka and Tamil Conflict: Virginia Judge

Email this article Print this article Feedback on this article