அடுத்து என்ன நடக்கப் போகிறது என்பதே சர்வதேசத்திற்கு முக்கியம்: கெலும் மெக்ரே!(படங்கள் இணைப்பு)

இலங்கை தொடர்பான ஐ.நா மனித உரிமை ஆணையாளரின் அறிக்கையை வரவேற்பதாக இலங்கையின் போர்க்குற்றங்கள் தொடர்பான நோ பையர் சோன் ஆவணப்படத்தின் இயக்குனர் கெலும் மெக்ரே தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

அடுத்து என்ன நடக்க போகிறது என்பதே சர்வதேசத்திற்கு மிகவும் முக்கியமானது எனவும் மெக்ரே கூறியுள்ளார்.

இலங்கை அரசாங்கம்  குறிப்பிடத்தக்க சமிக்ஞைகளை வெளியிட்டுள்ளதையும் வரவேற்கின்றேன் எனவும் அவர் குறிப்பிட்டுள்ளார்.

மேலும், பொறுப்புக் கூறல்,  உண்மையை கண்டறிதல், நீதி, நல்லிக்கணம், அரசியல் தீர்வு போன்றவை அடுத்த முக்கியமான கேள்விகளாகும் என அவர் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

                         

                        The screening of Sri Lanka: The Search for Justice is hosted by Human Rights Watch at 17.00 CEST on Friday 18 September 2015 in Room XXI, Palais des Nations, Geneva. It will be followed by remarks from:

                         

                        1. Vany Viji – a Tamil survivor and volunteer in the last makeshift hospital in the so called ‘No Fire Zones’

                        2. Callum Macrae – the director of Emmy-nominated No Fire Zone

                        3. Balkees Jarrah–  senior counsel in the International Justice Program, Human Rights Watch

                         

I have attached the statement Callum Macrae – director of Sri Lanka: The Search for Justice and Emmy-nominated No Fire Zone – will make to the audience following today’s film screening.

In the statement, Macrae responds to the release of the UN’s report on the Sri Lankan war crimes of 2009, which was released on Wednesday 16 September. Macrae explains why – in the light of this report – it is now so important for the UN to vote to appoint an international or hybrid court to ensure accountability and justice for all parties. This vote is currently scheduled for 30 September 2015.

The unequivocal rejection of a domestic accountability mechanism by the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Prince Zeid on Wednesday, sends a clear message that an independent, impartial court integrating international judges, prosecutors, lawyers and investigators is wise – and offers the opportunity to create a process which can be trusted by all sides to be fair and impartial:

“A purely domestic court procedure will have no chance of overcoming widespread and justifiable suspicions fuelled by decades of violations, malpractice and broken promises.” – UN Rights Chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, 16 September 2015

But first the United States, and then more recently Britain – through a speech by Hugo Swire in parliament on Monday 14 September – have opened the door to a domestic accountability process. This would run counter not only to Prince Zeid’s speech on Wednesday, but to the call from more than 60 eminent individuals from around the world – including Human Rights activists, intellectuals, researchers, legal experts, academics and diplomats – for an independent international judicial process examining crimes by all sides in the Sri Lankan war. This was published in an open letter [link] to members of the United Nations Human Rights Council, which was published on Tuesday 15 September.

Sri Lanka: The Search for Justice

Under the campaign slogan, #LetThemBeHeard, the new film – containing graphic video evidence of the war crimes and massacres – is addressed to members of the Human Rights Council. It calls on the international community to listen to the voices of the Tamil victims who are calling for an international accountability process to ensure truth and justice.

The English version of Sri Lanka: The Search for Justice can be seen here: https://vimeo.com/137574446  

The Spanish version of Sri Lanka: The Search for Justice can be seen here:  https://vimeo.com/137683777  

Watch the trailer for No Fire Zone here: www.nofirezone.org  

Callum Macrae was Nobel-nominated for his investigative work on Sri Lanka and his Emmy-nominated feature documentary No Fire Zone: The Killing Fields of Sri Lanka has been credited with playing a significant role in bringing the crimes committed at the end of the war in Sri Lanka to the world’s attention.

Along with today’s statement from Callum Macrae, I’ve attached a press release about Sri Lanka: The Search for Justice and some more information about today’s screening.

Callum Macrae is available for interview. Please contact him directly on Callum@outsidertv.co.uk or +44 (0) 7860 256 127.

Let me know if you’d like any more information or imagery.