War Crimes Courts

by Gaja Lakshmi Paramasivam

An Pen letter to Mr. Bob Carr, Senator and Minister for Foreign Affairs

( March 28, 2012, Melbourne, Sri Lanka Guardian) I note through today’s news that you have been the medium through which Australia has pledged a ‘new round of funding’ for the UN backed war crimes tribunal in Cambodia. As you would be aware, efforts are being made to take some Sri Lankan leaders also to war crimes courts. An independent and just system would take leaders of both sides to war crimes courts. On Sunday, 25 March 2012, there were protests against the current Sri Lankan High Commissioner in Australia on this basis. (Please see Appendix). There were present during the meeting of Australian civilians, officers who I understand are from the Anti Terrorism & Security Group of NSW Police. We came as simple Australian civilians. Not so the High Commissioner nor the Protestors. The former brought with him his government beyond his position and the latter brought with them, the war-victims’ position beyond their official positions and/or their Truth and hence needed numbers rather than their independent powers. This confirms that Sri Lankan Government positions and their Tamil Eelam opposition positions are infected with suspicions of Terrorism. No amount of funding to War Crimes Courts would be enough to override such suspicions in the mind. I urge you to act to ‘prevent’ wars and save lives.

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