A Critical time in the campaign for justice. Pledge your support now.

Preparing for the Human Rights Council in September 2015

The campaign for truth and justice in Sri Lanka is at an absolutely critical stage. With unpredictable developments and political uncertainty - and a disturbing climate of equivocation among the international community - it seems to us it has never been more important for a clear, simple and unequivocal message to be put out.

Whichever government is in charge, whatever the political developments, the need for truth and justice remains undiminished.  The victims are looking to the international community - and in particular to the members of the Human Rights Council - to deliver on what is seen as the promise made by the setting up of the International Inquiry (OISL). We need to explain why a purely domestic process will not do.  It would be seen as a “victors court” and would fail to have that fundamental element: The confidence of the victims.

It is clear that any process which is established must be seen as independent and operate under international jurisdiction with a significant majority of judges and prosecutors appointed by the UN. It must also guarantee full witness protection.

That is why we have decided to launch an ambitious screening and advocacy tour designed to help focus minds in the build up to the next HRC meeting, due to be held in Geneva in September. We intend to produce a new advocacy video in English, Spanish and French and take that – along with the updated version of the full length film – on a tour of Latin American countries which are members of the Human Rights Council.  We see the role of the Latin American members of the HRC as particularly crucial in that process which is why the first leg of the tour focuses on them.  Thereafter we will move our attention to the UN in New York – and the US government in Washington – holding screenings and advocacy meetings with country missions, diplomats, and government officials.  For the final week of the tour we will move to Geneva and continue to bring the truth of what happened to the attention of the country missions, the diplomats and the officials who attend the Human Rights Council.

We hope and believe our work so far has had a significant impact on international opinion and has helped the campaign for justice so far.  But we also see this as a very important moment when there is a real danger that the impetus for truth and justice internationally is in danger of being lost.

That is why we are launching this new international initiative.

You can support it by donating below.