.

www.pungudutivuswiss.com

TGTE Condemns Deployment of Sri Lankan Security Forces to Haiti Calls on the United Nations to Apply Its Human Rights Due Diligence Policy [Friday 2026-07-17 16:00]

The Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) today expressed its profound concern and unequivocal opposition to the deployment of 1,132 Sri Lankan military and police personnel to Haiti as part of the United Nations-authorized Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission.

The TGTE stated that the deployment raises serious human rights concerns, particularly given longstanding accusations against Sri Lankan security forces and the continued absence of accountability for international crimes. Amnesty International has raised concerns regarding unresolved allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse involving Sri Lankan personnel during previous deployments to Haiti. The TGTE further notes extensive documentation of sexual violence allegedly committed by Sri Lankan security forces during the final stages of the armed conflict between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), including reports of sexual abuse and detention facilities where women were subjected to sexual slavery. The TGTE also points to continuing allegations of torture and conflict-related sexual violence by Sri Lankan security forces in the years following the end of the armed conflict. According to the TGTE, these violations are documented in the report Sri Lanka: Report on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence, issued by United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on 13 January 2026. The organization maintains that the concerns surrounding this deployment extend well beyond the documented pattern of sexual exploitation and abuse. For decades, victims, survivors, and international human rights organizations have documented war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide committed against the Tamil people during and after Sri Lanka's armed conflict. Yet, despite repeated calls by the United Nations Human Rights Council, UN experts, and international human rights organizations, the TGTE states that accountability has remained absent. The TGTE also draws attention to the Joint Statement issued on 25 June 2026 by leading international human rights and victims' organizations, including the International Truth & Justice Project (ITJP), the Sri Lanka Campaign for Peace & Justice (SLC), PEARL, the Australian Centre for International Justice (ACIJ), the International Centre for the Prevention and Prosecution of Genocide (ICPPG), and other civil society organizations. The statement called for the immediate suspension of Sri Lanka's deployment until an independent and credible human rights vetting mechanism is established with meaningful participation by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). It warned that proceeding without such safeguards risks exposing Haitian civilians to foreseeable harm while undermining the United Nations' own human rights commitments. According to the TGTE, deploying Sri Lankan security forces to an international mission before credible accountability has been achieved sends a deeply troubling message. Rather than advancing international justice, it risks rehabilitating the international image of security forces accused of widespread and systematic violations of international law. The TGTE also recalled the precedent established following Nepal's civil war. When concerns arose that the Nepalese Army was obstructing accountability for serious violations of international humanitarian law, then United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay recommended that the United Nations refrain from accepting additional Nepalese troops for peacekeeping operations until Nepal established a credible accountability mechanism. The TGTE argues that accepting Sri Lanka's deployment without first ensuring meaningful accountability risks legitimizing Sri Lanka's longstanding culture of impunity. Such action, it states, undermines the confidence of victims and survivors who have spent years seeking justice while weakening the credibility and integrity of the United Nations. The TGTE further called upon the United States, the largest financial contributor to UN peacekeeping operations, to encourage the United Nations to act consistently with the principles embodied in the U.S. “Leahy Law”, which prohibits U.S. assistance to foreign security force units where there is credible information that they have committed gross violations of human rights. Finally, the TGTE urged the United Nations to rigorously apply its Human Rights Due Diligence Policy (HRDDP) in relation to Sri Lanka's participation in international peace operations. It also called upon the United Nations to publicly urge Sri Lanka to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and to accept the Court's jurisdiction retroactively from 1 July 2002, when the Rome Statute entered into force. "The people of Haiti deserve security forces that command public confidence and embody the principles of accountability, professionalism, and respect for human rights," said Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran, Prime Minister of the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam. "Rather than contributing to the 'bluewashing' of Sri Lankan security forces that continue to enjoy impunity for international crimes, the United Nations should seek troop and police contributions from countries whose personnel meet the highest standards of accountability and respect for international law."