This speech was made by Theresa Villiers a rally in Trafalgar Square to commemorate the people who lost their lives at Mullivaikkal in 2009, in the closing stages of the Sri Lankan civil war.
It is a great honour for me to be asked to address you today at this very solemn event.
17 years ago, thousands of innocent Tamil civilians lost their lives at Mullivaikkal in the most appalling of circumstances. So it’s right that we gather here in Trafalgar Square to remember what happened, and to remember those who perished.
We must never forget the events of those fateful days as the military conflict between Tamil rebels and the Sri Lankan State drew to a bloody and violent conclusion.
The International Committee of the Red Cross described what happened as an “unimaginable human catastrophe”.
No fire zones declared by the Sri Lankan Government; civilians told to relocate there; only for Sri Lankan armed forces to fire ruthlessly into the area. They did this knowing it was packed with civilians crammed into what they had been told would be a place of safety.
No mercy was shown. Even hospitals came under attack.
Witnesses told UN investigators of a landscape filled with the dead and dying. What the described sounds like scenes reminiscent of Medieval depictions of hell.
It was one of the worst acts of mass killing since the Second World War.
And it’s a disgrace that 17 years’ on from commission of these terrible crimes, no one has been brought to justice.
In memory of all the victims, for the sake of all the survivors, the international community must act.
It must finally live up to promises made so many times that a process will be established which brings justice and accountability, a process which at last holds to account those responsible for the war crimes committed at Mullivaikkal.
There have been successive UN HRC resolutions on these matters. These must finally be turned from warm words into reality.
The Sri Lankan Government must be held to the promises they made again and again to the UN about delivering a better future for the Tamil people.
All available leverages should be deployed, including targeted sanctions, travel bans, and asset freezes.
As the former colonial power, the UK has a moral obligation here. The UK Government should be applying all possible diplomatic pressure.
Having visited the UN in Geneva several times to advocate for the Tamil cause, I know UK diplomats there worked hard on this issue under the last Government, starting with David Cameron’s historic visit to Jaffna.
That effort must be stepped up. Working with allies such as India, the UK Foreign Office must push pro-actively for a time-bound plan for Sri Lanka. A plan to:
· firstly, repeal of oppressive laws such as the Prevention of Terrorism Act and bring an end to ongoing human rights abuses;
· secondly, demilitarisation of the north and east to allow for a resumption of normal life;
· and thirdly, most importantly of all, to deliver meaningful negotiations to secure a permanent power-sharing constitution.
After the suffering they endured at Mullivaikkal, and in so many attacks over the 78 years since independence, the legitimate political rights of the Tamil people must be acknowledged.
We need a new political settlement on the island which guarantees Tamil rights, Tamil equality, and Tamil participation in government, a settlement to deliver long term peace, stability, and prosperity.
We must demand this in memory of Mullivaikkal, and of all of those men, women and children whose time on this earth was so brutally cut short there. Thank you.
