The Tamil presses in Sri Lanka, which were very hopeful that the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) would render justice to Tamil victims of Eelam War, has now lost faith in the international body’s commitment to the goals it had set for itself in the resolution it passed in September-October 2015.
Despite strong and continued interest in securing international support for the Lankan Tamil cause, the Tamil press showed “little optimism” that the on-going 32nd session of the UNHRC will yield tangible positive outcomes, says Verite Research in its bulletin on local media coverage of prominent Lankan issues in the past week.
“Low expectations were also reflected in Tamil press attitudes towards the government. While noting some positive changes overall, the press sentiment reflected discontent at the pace and extent of the changes, with many Tamil newspapers viewing the government’s efforts as an eyewash to please the international community,” the Colombo-based research organization said.
“The Tamil press repeatedly censures the government for inaction in relation to matters such as not returning the lands held by the armed forces to their rightful owners; not addressing the issue of Tamil political prisoners; and not repealing the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). The Tamil press fees that truth, justice and accountability should be highlighted as matters that should be prioritized even before the other issues such as the release of land are addressed,” Verite Research observed.
Finally, Verite Research observed that the overall Tamil press coverage on the UNHRC demonstrated a “significant shift” in its attitude towards the international community. This shift is attributed to the delays in establishing a war crimes investigation mechanism and the failure of the international community to push for such a mechanism.
According to the Tamil press, it is “foolish” to trust the international community because its concerns are “agenda driven.”
