And now, following the declaration of “peace” that was made in May, Sri Lanka has been added to this list.

While the country recently declared a “victory” over the Tamil Tigers who rebelled against the government, the acknowledgment of Sri Lanka’s actions as genocide against the Tamil people has been rapidly coming to light globally.

The declaration of peace was immediately met with some skepticism when humanitarian workers were unable to deliver much needed aid and supplies to the displaced Tamil people; and now, though officials are denying it, the country is being accused of firing at hospitals during the civil war that lasted nearly three decades.

During a visit to Dresden, Germany and the former Nazi concentration camp, Buchenwald, today, President Obama said that it is up to other nations to help stop genocide when a country is danger from its own government.

“The international community has an obligation, even when it’s inconvenient, to act when genocide is occurring,” he said, responding to reporters who inquired as to how “never again” might apply to the situations in Darfur and Sri Lanka today.

He said that the United States is currently working to stop the genocide in Darfur, even as Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir refuses to allow humanitarian aid into the country.

Though the president’s words were necessary and true, it is also true that words alone cannot stop genocide from happening. We can hope that President Obama’s words have not fallen on deaf ears, and that the international community–including the United States–collectively takes a stand and says together, “Never again,” this time, with an intent to make it so.

The government says that it will find homes for these 280,000 displaced people within six months; the delay, they say, is because Tamil Tiger rebels have to be found before people can return to their homes.

Humanitarian aid groups, on the other hand, say that the government seems willing to hold the displaced Tamil people indefinitely, and that they are being heavily restricted from distributing aid. These groups have been begging for better access to these “welfare villages,” the term used by the government.

Tamil Tigers call these areas “concentration camps.”

While their may be truth to both sides, it is certain that safety needs to come first, and the area landmines must be located and cleared before resettlement can happen.

The Tamil Tigers have agreed to lay down their weapons, and Sri Lanka has declared a victory… but at what price? We can all hope that Sri Lanka will look at the Tamil people as people, and help them re-establish their lives following this lengthy ordeal–as well as treat them as citizens with legitimate concerns that do need to be addressed.