ThePeoplesTribunalonSriLankaSessionII 7th10thDecember2013Bremen,Germany

PanelofJudgespresentsverdictfindingSriLankaguiltyofthecrimeofgenocideagainsttheEelam Tamilpeople;theUKandUSAwerefoundtobeguiltyofcomplicity,whiletheJudgeswithheldtheir decisiononIndiascomplicitypendingexaminationoffurtherevidence TheSecondSessionofthePeoplesTribunalonSriLankaconcludedtodayinBremen,Germany,with thepresentationofitsverdict.ThepanelofelevenjudgesunanimouslyfoundSriLankaguiltyofthe crimeofgenocideagainsttheEelamTamilpeople,andthatthiscrimecontinuestoday. TheTribunalspecifiedthatthevictimsareinthiscasetheEelamTamilsasanationalgroup. TheTribunalfoundthatgenocideagainsttheEelamTamilgrouphasnotyetachievedthetotal destructionoftheiridentity.ThegenocidalcoordinatedplanofactionsreacheditsclimaxonMay2009, butitisclearthattheSriLankaGovernmentprojecttoerasetheEelamTamilidentity,corroboratedby theabovementionedconduct,showsthatgenocideisaprocessandthatprocessisongoing.The genocidalstrategychangedoncetheperpetratorsgainedcontroloftheterritory.Thekillingsarebeing transformedintootherformsofconduct,buttheintentiontodestroythegroupanditsidentityremains andcontinues,throughcausingseriousbodilyormentalharmtomembersoftheEelamTamilgroup.

TheTribunalconsidersthattheproofsestablished,beyondanyreasonabledoubtthatthefollowingacts werecommittedbytheGovernmentofSriLanka (a)Killingmembersofthegroup,whichincludesmassacres,indiscriminateshelling,thestrategyof herdingciviliansintosocalled"NoFireZones"forthepurposeofmassivekillings,targetedassassinations ofoutspokenEelamTamilcivilleaderswhowerecapableofarticulatingtheSriLankangenocideproject totheoutsideworld (b)Causingseriousbodilyormentalharmtomembersofthegroup,including

acts of torture, inhumane or degrading treatment, sexual violence including rape, interrogations combined with beatings, threats of death, and harm that damages health or causes disfigurement or injury.
(c)Deliberatelyinflictingonthegroupconditionsoflifecalculatedtobringaboutitsphysicaldestruction inwholeorinpart,including *expulsionsofthevictimsfromtheirhomes,*seizuresofprivatelands,*declaringvastareasasmilitary HighSecurityZone(HSZ)tofacilitatethemilitaryacquisitionofTamilland

Further,theTribunalconsideredevidencerelatedto (d)Imposingmeasuresintendedtopreventbirthswithinthegroup includingforcedsterilizationandcoercedcontraceptionofEelamTamilwomen.Furtherinvestigationis requiredontheextentofthispracticeinotherregionsbeforeadeterminationismadeonwhetherthese couldbeconsideredgenocidalacts. TheUKandUSAwerefoundtobeguiltyofcomplicityinthecrimeofgenocide,including complicitybyprocuringmeans,suchasweapons,instrumentsoranyothermeans,usedtocommit genocide,withtheaccompliceknowingthatsuchmeanswouldbeusedforsuchapurpose; complicitybyknowinglyaidingorabettingaperpetratorofagenocideintheplanningorenablingacts thereof; RecognizingthattheSriLankanstatealonedidnothavethecapacitytoachievetheirgenocidal ambitions,andgiventheevidencepresented,theTribunalbelievesthattheUK,theUSAandIndiaare guiltyofcomplicityingenocide.However,giventimeconstraintstheTribunaldecidedtowithholdits decisionpendingtheconsiderationofadditionalevidenceastothepossibilitythatIndia,aswellasother States,areindeedguiltyofcomplicityinthecrimeofgenocideagainsttheEelamTamils. Morethan30directeyewitnessesandexpertstestifiedinsupportoftheProsecutionscase,providing evidenceonvariousallegedcrimesthatcouldbedeterminedtoconstitutethecrimeofgenocide,aswell asonthelegalandhistoricalbackgroundandthechargesofcomplicity. TheproceedingsoftheSecondSessionwerebroadcastthroughlivestreamingontheInternetandwillbe madeavailableonthewebsitehttp://ptsrilanka.org/ ThisSecondSessioninBremenwasconvenedinresponsetothedeterminationbytheFirstSession,held inJanuary2010inDublin,Ireland,thatWarCrimesandCrimesagainstHumanityhadtakenplaceonthe TamilpopulationduringthefinalmonthsofthewarinSriLankainearly2009,andthatfurther investigationbeundertakenregardingthequestionofgenocide. ThesetwosessionsofthePermanentPeoplesTribunalonSriLankahavebeenestablishedinresponseto asubmissionmadebytheInternationalHumanRightsAssociationBremen(IMRV)andtheIrishForum forPeaceinSriLanka(IFPSL).AsintheFirstSession,hereinBremenapanelofjudgesconsistingof expertsingenocidestudies,formerUNofficials,expertsininternationallawandrenownedpeace andhumanrightsactivists(seeattachment). 10December2013 HumanRightsDay PERMANENTPEOPLESTRIBUNAL GeneralSecretary: GIANNITOGNONI(ITALY)
GENERALSECRETARIAT:VIADELLADOGANAVECCHIA500186ROME Tel/Fax:0039066877774 Email;tribunale@internazionaleleliobasso.it;filb@iol.it Web:http://www.internazionaleleliobasso.it

ContactforIFPSL:Dr.JudeLalFernando(irishpeaceforum@gmail.com) ContactforIMRV:NicolaiJung(imrvbremen@gmail.com) ForbackgroundabouttheDublinTribunalandforupcomingupdatessee:www.ptsrilanka.org

InternationalerMenschenrechtsvereinBremene.V.
Kornstrae31|28201Bremen|Deutschland|Fax:+4942168437884|imrvbemen@gmail.com

ThePeoplesTribunalonSriLankaSessionII 7th10thDecember2013Bremen,Germany PanelofJudges

CoChairs
DanielFeierstein DirectoroftheCentreforGenocideStudiesattheUniversidadNacionaldeTresdeFebrero,Professorinthe FacultyofGenocideattheUniversityofBuenosAiresandamemberofCONICET(ConsejoNacionalde InvestigacionesCientificasyTecnicasTheArgentineNationalCentreforScholars).Hehasbeenelectedasthe presidentofthe'InternationalAssociationofGenocideScholars'. DenisHalliday FormerAssistantSecretaryGeneraloftheUnitedNations.Heresignedfromhis34yearoldcareerintheUNin protestoftheeconomicsanctionsimposedonIraqbytheSecurityCouncil.LaureateoftheGandhi InternationalPeaceAward.

Judges(alphabeticalorder)
GabrieleDellaMorteisaresearcherandProfessorofInternationalLawattheUniversitCattolicadiMilano. HewasalsoassociateprofessorinInternationalsystem,institutionsandrules,Chargdecoursatthe Acadmiededroitinternationalhumanitaireetdesdroitsdel'hommeofGeneva(20072008),counselforthe InternationalCriminalTribunalforRwanda(ICTR)(20032004),LawClerkfortheProsecutorOfficeofthe InternationalCriminalTribunalfortheformerYugoslavia(2000)andmemberofagovernmentdelegationfor theestablishmentoftheInternationalCriminalCourt(1998). JosElasEsteveMolto,internationallawyerandlegalexpertonTibet.Heisthemainlawyerwhoresearched anddraftedbothlawsuitsforinternationalcrimescommittedinTibetandarecentoneforcrimesinBurma. HeisaProfessorinInternationalLawattheUniversityofValencia. SvaneGaribian AnexpertonGenocideandInternationalLaw.SheisanAssistantProfessorattheUniversityofGenevaand LecturerattheUniversityofNeuchtel,wheresheteachesLegalPhilosophyandInternationalCriminalLaw. HerworkfocusesonissuesrelatedtolawfacingStatecrimes. HalukGerger ArespectedacademicandaMiddleEastanalystwhowasimprisonedinTurkeyforhispoliticalactivism.Heis knownforhissupportforKurdishpeople'srighttoselfdetermination. JavierGiraldoMoreno ColombianTheologianandhumanrightsactivistbasedinBogota.Knownforhisdepthofanalysisin contextualizinggenocideaffectedcommunities.HeisVicePresidentofthePermanentPeoplesTribunal. ManfredO.Hinz ProfessorforPublicLaw,PoliticalSociologyandSociologyofLawattheUniversityofBremen.Hehasalong historyofengagementinsolidaritywithliberationstrugglesinAfrica,speciallyNamibiaandtheWestSahara. He,forseveralyears,heldtheUNESCOchairforhumanrightsanddemocracyoftheUniversityofNamibia whilsthewasaprofessorthere. HelenJarvis ShehasworkedontheissueofgenocideinCambodiasincethemid1990s,withYaleUniversitysCambodian GenocideProgram;theCambodianGovernmentTaskForcefortheKhmerRougeTrials;andtheExtraordinary ChambersintheCourtsofCambodia(ECCC)asChiefofPublicAffairsandthenChiefoftheVictimsSupport Section.

ysteinTveter ANorwegianscholarofInternationalLawandamemberofthePermanentPeoplesTribunalonextrajudicial killingsandviolationsofhumanrightsinthePhilippines. MaungZarni HeisaBurmesedemocracyactivistwhofoundedtheFreeBurmaCoalitionin1995.Heisoneofthefew Burmeseintellectualswhohavecomeforwardtounconditionallyopposetheincreaseddiscriminationand violenceagainsttheRohingyaMuslimsandpubliclycriticisedAungSanSuuKyionthisissue. PERMANENTPEOPLESTRIBUNAL GeneralSecretary: GIANNITOGNONI(ITALY)
GENERALSECRETARIAT:VIADELLADOGANAVECCHIA500186ROME Tel/Fax:0039066877774 Email;tribunale@internazionaleleliobasso.it;filb@iol.it Web:http://www.internazionaleleliobasso.it

ContactforIFPSL:Dr.JudeLalFernando(irishpeaceforum@gmail.com) ContactforIMRV:NicolaiJung(imrvbremen@gmail.com) ForbackgroundabouttheDublinTribunalandforupcomingupdatessee:www.ptsrilanka.org

InternationalerMenschenrechtsvereinBremene.V.

Kornstrae 31 | 28201 Bremen | Deutschland | Fax: +49 421 68 437 884 | imrvbemen@gmail.com