Giving Sri Lanka more time ‘encourages genocide’ NPC member tells US

Photograph: Uthayan
The deferral of the United Nations investigation on Sri Lanka’s mass atrocities will only encourage the Sri Lankan government to further its genocide of the Tamil people, said Northern Provincial Council member Thurairasa Ravikaran in a meeting with US officials.
Meeting with US Embassy Political Officer Joseph Scholar and USAID officer Jason Ablan, Mr Ravikaran stated that little has changed for the Tamil people since Sri Lanka’s new president, Maithripala Sirisena, took office earlier this year.
“The army has not been removed yet,” Mr Ravikaran told the US officials “Instead the situation has worsened, so much so that they search my house for military equipment.” Sri Lanka's Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) had summoned the NPC member for questioning last week and attempted to search his house earlier this month.
Discussing livelihood issues affecting the people of the North-East, Mr Ravikaran added that land was still being occupied by the Sri Lankan military and the current government was no different in its policy of “imposing a religious identity” on the Tamil people.
“It has become clear that what happened in the [presidential] election is just a change of person,” said Mr Ravikaran. “In this situation, giving Sri Lanka more time without releasing the OISL report will only be used to encourage Genocide against Tamils.”