The Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission (TLHRC), a bipartisan body of the US Congress, has renewed calls for accountability and redress for wartime abuses in Sri Lanka, saying impunity for grave violations persists 17 years after the end of the armed conflict.
In a statement issued on X to mark Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day on May 18, the commission said that “17 years after the end of the armed conflict in Sri Lanka, impunity for grave human rights violations and abuses persists.” It added: “Today, as Tamil survivors and their loved ones memorialize those who were lost, the TLHRC urges redress for harms and accountability for perpetrators.”
The intervention, reported by The Island citing Tamil Guardian, coincided with commemorations across the North-East and the global diaspora marking the killing of tens of thousands of Tamil civilians in the final stages of the war at Mullivaikkal in 2009.
The TLHRC, which promotes internationally recognised human rights through congressional hearings and briefings, has previously examined Sri Lanka’s record on wartime abuses, enforced disappearances, militarisation and accountability failures.
The statement adds a US legislative voice to a wave of remembrance-period appeals. Amnesty International similarly warned of “entrenched impunity”, while Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay attended Mullivaikkal remembrance events. The conflict ended on May 18, 2009 with the death of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.
Source: Island.
