NEWS

The Tamil American Peace Initiative commends Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, International Crisis Group, Open Society Foundations and the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission for hosting an important screening of “Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields,” – a documentary production by Britain’s Channel 4 – which sheds light on the atrocities committed against civilians during the final stages of Sri Lanka’s decades long civil war.

On Monday, June 20, David Miliband and Bernard Kouchner, former foreign ministers of Britain and France, wrote in The New York Times that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon should establish an independent, international mechanism to monitor Sri Lanka’s reconciliation efforts and conduct investigations into human rights violations that occurred during the end of the war.

On June 3rd, Deputy Spokesperson Mark Toner of the US Department of State issued a press statement calling for the Sri Lankan government (SLG) to “act quickly and credibly to address the violations” that allegedly occurred during the war’s final stages and “adopt the measures necessary to achieve national reconciliation and build a united, democratic, and peaceful Sri Lanka.”

Amid reports that the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) requested a second six month extension from President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Tamil American Peace Initiative (TAPI) calls upon the US government to strengthen its stance towards the inadequacies of the Sri Lankan government-appointed commission and work to create an international mechanism to inquire into events at the end of the civil war.

On Monday, April 25th, a UN panel of experts issued a long-awaited report to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the Sri Lankan government (SLG) detailing the panel’s findings and recommendations surrounding violations of international human rights and humanitarian law. Based on credible reports, the panel puts the civilian death toll in the final months of fighting between 40,000 and 75,000. It is widely known that all the civilians in the conflict area were ethnic Tamils, and the staggering number of Tamil civilian casualties far exceeds the number killed in the Srebrenica massacre, according to the observation of Gordon Weiss, then UN spokesperson in Colombo during the conflict. The UN panel is comprised of three independent and highly respected international human rights attorneys, Marzuki Darusman of Indonesia, Yasmin Sooka of South Africa and Steven Ratner of the United States.

The Tamil American Peace Initiative (TAPI) welcomes the recommendations laid out in the executive summary of the panel of experts report commissioned by United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

On March 1st, Senate Resolution 84, sponsored by Senator Robert Casey (D-PA) and cosponsored by 11 other Senators, was passed unanimously by the Senate. The action came after nearly two years of repeated calls by human rights organizations for the US to step up its role in the unpromising Sri Lankan peace and accountability process. Tamil America Peace Initiative (TAPI) applauds the passage of this resolution and believes the momentum created this week towards higher US engagement in Sri Lanka is a critical step towards the establishment of a credible and lasting peace process.

On Friday, February 11, the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) held a forum to discuss possible solutions for achieving meaningful reconciliation and lasting peace in Sri Lanka following decades of ethnic and internal conflict.

On January 14th, the Tamil American Peace Initiative (TAPI) sent an open letter to the UN Panel of Experts on Sri Lanka, a panel formed to advise Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on ensuring human rights and accountability in Sri Lanka. The letter asks the panel to urge Mr. Ban to ensure sufficient time is given for it to complete its review before advising Mr. Ban on how to proceed. The letter also implored the panel to ensure confidentiality for those individuals who made submissions about war crimes and crimes against humanity, while asking that the final report be made public so those responsible for committing atrocities are held accountable.

On December 14th, 2010, 31 members of Congress sent a follow-up letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to call for an international investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed toward the end of Sri Lanka’s 25 year civil war. The Tamil American Peace Initiative (TAPI) continues to support such an important probe that would ensure an unbiased and transparent review of all atrocities committed during the conflict. TAPI commends the work of the letter’s sponsor, Representative Danny Davis (D-IL), and applauds his continued commitment to an international investigation.

Seventeen U.S. Senators sent a letter on December 9th, 2010 urging Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to call for an international investigation into alleged war crimes committed during Sri Lanka’s 25 year civil war. The Tamil American Peace Initiative (TAPI) has long supported such a probe to ensure an unbiased and transparent review of all atrocities committed during the conflict. TAPI commends the work of the letter’s co-sponsors, Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Richard Burr (R-NC), and applauds the cosigners for supporting an international probe into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The Tamil American Peace Initiative (TAPI) commends US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert Blake for urging the Sri Lankan government to make greater efforts towards reconciliation and democracy during his recent trip to Sri Lanka. TAPI is particularly gratified by the Secretary’s emphasis on the importance of accountability for war crimes and human rights violations committed during the civil war, and by his recommendation that the Sri Lankan government accept the UN war crimes advisory panel.

On the 15th anniversary of Srebrenica massacre, President Obama has led the way in reminding the world that the lessons of Srebrenica must continue to guide our moral compass. He has reminded us that "the name Srebrenica has since served as a stark reminder of the need for the world to respond resolutely in the face of evil." But more so, he has reminded us that after great atrocities, we still have a great duty to foster peace and reconciliation. No place can the duty to help pursue justice and build peace be greater than in a fractured Sri Lanka struggling to recover from war.

The Sri Lankan Government’s decision to lead violent protests against United Nations Development Program offices in Colombo should be of serious concern to the United States. In response to the UN’s creation of a panel to investigate human rights violations in Sri Lanka, hundreds of protesters were led by Housing Minister Wimal Weerawansa to barricade the UN office with the employees inside. The protests represented such a danger for the humanitarian staff assigned to Sri Lanka that the UN has decided to close the office and recall its top representative.

The Tamil American Peace Initiative (TAPI) commends the EU on its recent decision to rescind Sri Lanka’s preferential trade status unless the country pledges to improve its human rights record within six months. The EU is taking this measure to correct serious shortcomings in the protection of human rights in Sri Lanka uncovered by an in depth investigation.

The Tamil American Peace Initiative (TAPI) applauds the UN for appointing a panel to advise on war crimes and human rights violations in Sri Lanka. After months of protest by the Sri Lankan government, the UN this week officially formed the panel, which will advise Sec. General Ban Ki Moon on accountability issues relating to alleged violations of international human rights and humanitarian law during the final stages of the conflict in Sri Lanka.

With the arrival of Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris in Washington this week, Tamil American Peace Initiative (TAPI) urged members of Congress and the Obama Administration to press the international community to pursue independent investigations into the alleged war crimes that occurred during Sri Lanka’s twenty-five year Civil War.

As the first anniversary of the end of the War in Sri Lanka approaches on May 19, the Tamil American Peace Initiative (TAPI) said the occasion spotlights how little has been accomplished in the last year that contributes to a lasting peace. The group called on the international community to ramp up its efforts to bring development, aid and investment to the island, and to push the government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to end its apathetic approach to reconciliation and pursue a robust agenda for change.

Noting the disappointing results of the April 8th Parliamentary Elections in Sri Lanka, the Tamil American Peace Initiative (TAPI) called on the winning party, the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), to immediately start working towards reconciliation between all religious and ethnic groups on the Island.

Last May, after more than a quarter century of civil war between government forces and Tamil separatists, a fragile peace came to Sri Lanka. Skip to next paragraph Related Stories Sri Lanka advances on rebel base Sri Lanka - All coverage Now, observers hope that parliamentary elections scheduled for April 8 can help unify the island nation. But if the government pursues the same discriminatory tactics it used for the presidential election in January, it will further alienate the island’s Tamil community and diminish hopes for peace.

The Tamil American Peace Initiative (TAPI), a group of Tamil Americans dedicated to peaceful change in Sri Lanka, condemned the arrest and detainment Monday of defeated presidential candidate General Sarath Fonseka. The group called it an attack on democracy that diminishes the possibility of reconciliation on the island.

The Tamil American Peace Initiative (TAPI), a group of Tamil Americans dedicated to peaceful change in Sri Lanka, called on Sri Lanka's newly reelected President Mahinda Rajapaksa to a forge a new path and create the conditions to repair the deep divide between the people of the island.

The Tamil American Peace Initiative (TAPI), a group of Tamil Americans dedicated to peaceful change in Sri Lanka, said today that the Sri Lankan presidential election on January 26th will be instrumental in achieving a lasting peace on the island and addressing the underlying causes of the country’s 30-year war. The group called on all voters in Sri Lanka to vote for a new government that will focus on healing the country’s deep divisions.

The Tamil American Peace Initiative (TAPI), a group of Tamil Americans dedicated to peaceful
change in Sri Lanka, today called on all Sri Lankans to participate in the January 26th presidential
election.

The Tamil American Peace Initiative (TAPI) welcomes the US Department of State's “Report to Congress on Incidents During the Recent Conflict in Sri Lanka,” released December 7, 2009. TAPI calls on the US Government to act on the report’s recommendations for increased US engagement as a necessary component of building peaceful, stable, and democratic Sri Lanka that represents the interests and defends the rights of all its citizens.