NpcEpc_JointLetterTo_OHCHR_17August2014
Joint Letter from the Members of the
Northern Provincial Council and the Eastern Provincial Council, Sri Lanka
August 17, 2014
The Hon. Navanethem Pillay
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
Palais Wilson, 52 rue des Pâquis
CH-1201 Geneva, Switzerland
Dear Honorable Madam High Commissioner Pillay,
Our Request Related to OHCHR Investigation on Sri Lanka War-Crimes
It is with utmost respect and gratitude we,the democratically elected Members of the Northern Provincial
Council and the Eastern Provincial Council in Sri Lanka, jointly write this letter to you as you prepare to conclude
your highly fulfilled and exceptionally accomplished service as the High Commissioner for Human Rights. On
behalf of the Tamil people, we would like to thank you for your dedicated work towards justice and
accountability to the victimized Tamils in Sri Lanka. We are confidentthat the exemplary investigative team that
you and your office have put together will ensure justice to the victims.
We would like to submit the following requests to your kind consideration and would be obliged, if you could
share our request with the investigative team and also with the incoming High Commissioner:
1. We request that the OHCHR investigative team, using the authority of the OHCHR,to look into all the past
violations against the Tamil people at least from 1974 when the killings of Tamil people by the Sri Lankan
forces started. There were several major incidents of massacres of Tamilsin the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and
2000s, and none of them were properly investigated by the Sri Lankan government.
2. The Tamil people strongly believe that they have been, and continued to be subjected to Genocide by Sri
Lanka. The Tamils were massacred in groups, their temples and churches were bombed, and their iconic
Jaffna Public Library was burnt down in 1981 with its collection of largest oldest priceless irreplaceable Tamil
manuscripts. Systematic Sinhalese settlements and demographic changes with the intent to destroy the
Tamil Nation, are taking place. We requestthe OHCHR investigative team to look into the pattern of all the
atrocities against the Tamil people, and to determine if Genocide has taken place.
3. If the Government of Sri Lanka continues to reject entry forthe OHCHR investigative team, we request that
the team considers conducting its investigation in the State of Tamil Nadu, India.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely yours,