2ND LEAD (Correction)

With emphasis on genocide, Suresh calls for ICC-referral, IIIM and referendum

[TamilNet, Thursday, 07 January 2021, 11:22 GMT]
Clarifying three main demands formulated by the TMVK alliance, EPRLF Leader Suresh Premachandran, a former parliamentarian, urged Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam of the TNPF not to be only preoccupied with a one-point demand of the ICC option. A group of three persons, Mr Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, Mr M. A. Sumanthiran and Dr K Sarweswaran, would be meeting in Colombo on Thursday to formulate the demands towards the UNHRC. If the parties do not agree on a joint formulation, they would be placing their demands separately. However, all the alliances and parties represented by the said three persons, were firm in demanding UN action against Tamils' genocide in the island, informed sources in Jaffna said.



Although his own brother, Dr Sarweswaran, a former NPC Councillor, is representing the TMVK alliance in the talks, an alliance led by Justice C.V. Wigneswaran, Premachandran said he had reservations regarding the influence of the NGO actors in Colombo as well as Sumanthiran's motives.

The EPRLF was backing three main demands towards the UN: 1) ICC referral for the crimes including genocide, 2) Establishing an International Independent Investigative Mechanism as in the case of Syria including for the crime of genocide and 3) Political solution via an independent referendum conducted to determine the aspirations of the people in the North-East and diaspora.

So far, all the UN Experts Panel's work and that of the OHCHR Investigation on Sri Lanka have resulted in reports but not prosecution level legal standards of evidence. The creation of IIIM with particular reference to genocide would enable evidence gathering for prosecution at an international level, regardless of the route for such prosecutions, he said.

Chronology: