Tribute by Krisna

Viraj exposed West’s criminalization of Tamil struggle

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 August 2024, 15:27 GMT]
Even though I first met Viraj Mendis in Geneva, his reputation as a fearless advocate for Tamil liberation preceded him. The movement respected Viraj, and many of our leaders in the diaspora and the homeland sought his clarity and insight. I consider myself fortunate to have worked with him and learned from him.

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Criminal Defence Lawyer Krisna Saravanamuttu (Canada)

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After the 2009 genocide, the movement struggled with debates about strategies and tactics. For a while, it seemed that all roads to justice for the atrocities of Mullivaikkal led to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

After the genocide, Viraj never forgot that the main supporters of the UNHRC resolution, such as the United States, had supported and armed the Sri Lankan state in its genocidal war to eradicate the Tamil resistance. Following the military defeat of the Tamils, the US focused on the diaspora, attempting to reshape and moderate the terms of the debate to suppress the radical potential of Tamil mass politics that emerged during the historic protests of 2009.

He intervened in the movement by linking the 2009 genocide with the West’s criminalization of the Tamil struggle: the proscription of the Liberation Tigers was a critical step towards cutting off the Tamil resistance from its financial support line while handing over millions in foreign funding to the Sri Lankan government. When the peace process collapsed, Sri Lanka was given a free hand to wage its war on the Tamil nation with the training, education, and weapons provided by the West.

It might be hard to believe today, but the legal and political term "genocide" was controversial in the aftermath of the genocide. Western diplomats and pundits actively discouraged using the term. Viraj understood that Colombo might have committed the genocide, but it was planned and materially supported through logistics, intelligence, and arms by powers like the US and the UK during the peace process, which now talks about reconciliation, accountability, and human rights on the island.

In this moment of political uncertainty after 2009, Viraj coordinated the work of the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal on Sri Lanka. The tribunal, which was led by human rights advocates, legal scholars, and faith leaders, concluded that Sri Lanka had committed genocide and that it could not have done so without the complicity of the US, UK, and EU.

At a time when the Tamil people have observed Mullivaikkal's 15th anniversary, his clarity, conviction, and courage are more needed than ever. We have lost a friend, a comrade, and a brother in our struggle.








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