In order to show the international community how since independence in 1948, successive racist governments in Sri Lanka continued cycles of violence and genocide on Tamil people, a documentary was produced. The documentary was produced using photographs and video recordings from various sources. This documentary was screened in the UK Parliament on 27 April 2022.
The numbers were restricted due to COVID and parliamentary regulations. Along with cross party MPs Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Tamil community leaders participated. Finally, the event concluded with a Question and Answer session.
A number of MPs from the three main political parties attended the event. The British MPs were watching with jaw-dropping surprise. Almost all in the audience moved to tears, not to mention the simultaneously watching worldwide audiences.
The main objective of the documentary is to help decision making centres to be well informed of the plight of Tamil people and formulate their policies in relation to Sri Lanka. They could implement targeted economic sanctions and also sanction war criminals from Sri Lanka attempting to enter their countries.
Human rights defenders and organisations can use the documentary to highlight the genocide of Tamils.
Starting in 2008 as a photo exhibition in the British Parliament, the BTF brought to the attention of the cross party MPs, Lords and the public the tell tale evidence proving the presence of genocidal intent in all the pogroms the Sri Lankan State staged against Tamils ever since Britain gave independence in 1948.
Then in 2012, BTF moved the photo exhibition with added information and more photo evidence to inside the Parliament.
Points discussed are as follows:
- Demilitarisation in the Tamil Homeland and island wide Demobilisation of security forces.
- Instead of the regime change, system change (restructure centralised unitary state institutions) is important.
- Reparation: Acknowledge North East of the island as the war torn region, establish a special interim authority to implement rehabilitation, resettlement, and reconstruction, in Tamil homeland of North-East to bring up the human and development indicators to the levels found in the rest of Sri Lanka.
- An internationally arbitrated Political solution based on the right to self-determination & power sharing arrangements to ensure non recurrence of cycles of violence.
- Apply all available leverages on Sri Lanka. Apply phased out calibrated sanctions and develop a time bound implementation plan, while carefully ensuring civilian population is not affected, preferably not affecting food, medical and other essential supplies to civilian population.
- Apply Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime Act against the perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity and Genocide in Sri Lanka.
- Stop Unethical trade with Sri Lanka
- Imposing trade and diplomatic sanctions to compel Sri Lanka to adhere to human rights.
- Establish an international prosecution mechanism to establish justice and accountability in Sri Lanka as a step guaranteeing non recurrence of the past crimes.
The 20-minute documentary film will be released as youtube version to the public soon
Please find below the links for the event.
Parliamentary Screening: Continuing Cycles of Violence
