UN chief realises Tamils' demand for international justice - TNA 

The UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon told the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in a meeting on Friday in Jaffna that he fully realises the Tamil people's expectation of justice and that it must include international involvement, the TNA's spokesperson, M A Sumanthiran told reporters after the meeting. 

03 Sep  2016

"Today the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) met with the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon at the Jaffna public library and had lengthy discussions," Mr Sumanthiran said. 

"Mr Mavai Senathirajah, Mr Suresh Premachandran, Mr Selvam Adaikkalanathan, Mr Dharmalingham Siddharthan, Mrs Shanthi Sriskantharajah, Mr Yogeswaran, as well as myself, Sumanthiran took part in the meeting." 

"At this meeting the opposition leader [R Sampanthan] highlighted the situation today after the end of the armed conflict to the Secretary General."

"All efforts towards reconciliation in our country stem from his [Ban Ki Moon] visit to Sri Lanka on 23rd May 2009 when he released a joint statement with the then president Mahinda Rajapaksa, as well as the Panel of Experts appointed by himself. This is also the reason for a few efforts towards accountability. We thanked him for this."

"[R Sampanthan] also raised the ongoing present day issues of delays in released occupied land; the heavy military presence in the North; the Prevention of Terrorism Act has not been repealed; people continued to be imprisoned under this Act and detained without release; political process has begun but needs to address the Tamil people's legitimate aspirations. In his response the Secretary General said he agrees with all stated issues and raised them with the Sri Lankan prime minister and president." 

Mr Sumanthiran added that Mr Ban has said "during his meeting with the president he insisted that the Geneva resolution must be implemented 100%, as only if 100% is aimed for with 70%-80% be achieved; if 50% is aimed for then not even 20% will happen; therefore they must do some things boldly."

"Mr Ban said he intends to continue to meet Tamil people and that he realises the Tamil people's expectation for justice and their call for international involvement [in a justice mechanism]," Mr Sumanthiran said adding that the UN chief had accepted the UN's failure to act in 2009.

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