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Silent War against Tamils through Sri Lanka's Military Occupation Finds US Think-Tank

May 28, 2015
Source
Tamil Guardian

A “silent war” through the military occupation of Tamil land in Sri Lanka continues to seek “Sinhalese domination in former Tamil homelands,” found a report by a US think tank, the Oakland Institute.

The Long Shadow of War: Struggle for Justice in Post War Sri Lanka, released on Thursday, highlighted that at least 160,000 military Sinhalese soldiers remained in the Tamil north-East of Sri Lanka, with the military involved in processes that seized land from local populations and “systematically” suppressed Tamil culture and history.

The Oakland  Institute’s executive director, Anuradha Mittal, noting that the new Sri Lankan government’s action ‘rebuffs the current government pledges to credibly investigate alleged war crimes, called on the international community to ensure the rights of minorities were protected.

In a press release launching the report, she added,

 

This is a vital moment for the future of Sri Lanka. Until the new government takes decisive action to curtail and reverse the colonization process, truly replacing the culture of impunity with a culture of responsibility and accountability, there is little hope that the Tamils and other minorities will be treated justly. It should be the responsibility of the international community, and not a political dilemma, to ensure the human and land rights of the minorities in Sri Lanka.”