28 March, 2024

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22nd Prime Minister Of Aussie Wants Julia To Reconsider CHOGM 2013 In Sri Lanka

By Colombo Telegraph

Malcolm Fraser, the 22nd Prime Minister of Australia has endorsed the petition for Commonwealth Summit in Australia- Reconsider attending CHOGM 2013 in Sri Lanka launched jointly by Australian Tamil Congress and Sri Lanka campaign for peace and justice. 

Malcolm Fraser -Former Australian Prime Minister

The petition “Petitioning Hon Julia Gillard – Prime Minister: Reconsider CHOGM 2013 in Sri Lanka” says;

Dear Prime Minister,

We urge you to reconsider Australia’s decision to attend CHOGM 2013 in Sri Lanka.

The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) meets in less than a month (April 26). The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) is in less than nine months. It is due to be held in a country where a brutal tyrannical regime continues to commit acts of murder, torture, and rape – while ignoring the core values of the Commonwealth. People are looking to you for leadership.

We appeal to you to follow the example of your Canadian colleague Prime Minister Stephen Harper and announce that you will not attend if you do not see progress in Sri Lanka in terms of human rights and that you will push for CHOGM to be moved or postponed.

The petitioners say; “The Human Rights Council has once again condemned Sri Lanka’s human rights record, this time in even more damning terms. This is great news for everyone who cares about Sri Lanka – but to turn it into meaningful action we need your help.

So in the next month we need our leaders to show leadership, and show the Commonwealth that it must not be business as usual.

They can do this by following the Canadian Prime Minister’s example and announcing that if the summit goes ahead in Sri Lanka, without an improvement in the human rights situation there, then they will not attend.

This is the most effective way we can put the pressure on the Commonwealth to act.

Desmond Tutu, Mary Robinson, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Geoffrey Robertson QC, the Royal Commonwealth society President Peter Kellner, Bloomberg, The Age,  the Washington Post, the Guardian, prominent Caribbean diplomat Sir Ronald Saunders, David Milliband, Malcolm Rifkind, Ricken Patel (the founder of Avaaz), Amnesty International,the International Commission of Jurors, Forum Asia, the Asian Legal Resource Centre, Civicus, the Commonwealth Journalists Association, the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project, the Human Rights Law Centre (Australia), Human Rights Watch, the International Crisis Group, the International Federation for Human Rights, Minority Rights Group International, the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative and a number of Sri Lankan NGOs have all expressed grave concerns about the human rights abuses in Sri Lanka, and the summit being held there. ”

The petition has been endorsed by:

* Professor Raj Rajeswaran, Chairman, Australian Tamil Congress

* Malcolm Fraser, Former Australian Prime Minister

* Lee Rhiannon, Senator, The Australian Greens

* David Shoebridge, Member of the NSW Legislative Council, The Greens

* Colleen Hartland, Member of the Victorian Legislative Council, The Greens

* Bruce Haigh, Former Australian Deputy High Commissioner in Sri Lanka

* Professor Jake Lynch, Director, Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, The University of Sydney

* Professor Damien Kingsbury, Director, Centre for Citizenship, Development and Human RightsFaculty of Arts and Education, Deakin University

* Emeritus Professor Stuart Rees AM, Director, Sydney Peace Foundation

* Antony Loewenstein, Independent journalist and author

* Professor Wendy Bacon, Australian academic and investigative journalist

Click here to see the petition

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Latest comments

  • 0
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    The whole petition is negated by the name on top and the fascist organization that he represents. I’m sure Julia will toss it into the rubbish bin.

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      “negated by the name on top and the fascist organization that he represents”

      Indeed the host of other names on the list are irrelevant for they have been duped by LTTE propoganda. These people have very low level of intelligence compared to the ordinary sinhala voter in the South who’s educational establishments are a magnet for the world’s brightest and best. Amnesty International as well is a famous organisation known for their bias against the lankan govt, such that a young sinhala MP called Mahinda Rajapaksa was using their reports when he made trips to UN in Geneva in 1990 to protest abuses committed on sinhala youth by their national govt.

      “I’m sure Julia will toss it into the rubbish bin”

      Indeed, she will enjoy meeting Mahinda, Gota and the brothers by herself without Harper, Cameron and the Queen to provide her company

  • 0
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    Julia Gillard is sucking to Rajapakse on the issue of ‘Boat People’ and illegal immigrants. It has blinded her to the issues of Justice and Human Rights violations in Sri Lanka. Shame on the Aussies.

  • 0
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    These goons who are in power in SL with their brainless and bread dead support lot in the parliament wouldn’t give a dame for these things. Only they want is power by any means and at any cost to loot and suck dry the people and country.

  • 0
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    Mr Fraser suggest Julia G to hold CHOGM in tamil elam , we do not care

    • 0
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      “Mr Fraser suggest Julia G to hold CHOGM in tamil elam , we do not care”

      Shame on you! It was not for nothing that Mahinda built that massive airport and named it after himself! These foolish westerners swimming in a pool of LTTE propoganda had the nerve to derail his bid for Hambantota Commonwealth Games so no way will they stop his summit meeting, even if all the important persons give it a miss.

  • 0
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    The Commonwealth of Clowns should be shut down! It is an irrelevant and obsolete British Colonial relic that has morphed into a platform for third world dictators to grand stand!

    The Australian regime of Julia Gillard is a horrible racist regime. While turning back poor Lankan refugees (Tamil minority), it has an open door immigration policy for wealthy and qualified Sri Lankans (Sinhala majority).

  • 0
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    Do not expect support from the Julia Gillard for Human Rights as she is violating the Refugee Convention and turning back Sri lanka refugees while boasting about the great cooperation between the Aussi and Lanka NAVIES. Two racist regimes – the Rajapakse and GIllard regime are collaborating to maintain mutually beneficial racist policies and politics in their countries.
    Sri Lankans from all walks of life are fleeing the country due to lack of economic opportunity and fear if one is a minority. Economic prosperity is strictly reserved for the Rajapakse dictatorship and its cronies, perhaps a few Sinhala businessmen. The minorities can go to hell- their property and lands have been grabbed and stolen. July 1983 destroyed and previous anti-Tamil riots were about destroying the ECONOMIC backbone of the Tamils and turning them out of Lanka, today the same strategy of attack on minority businesses is directed against the Muslim.

  • 0
    0

    Do not expect support from Julia Gillard for Human Rights as she is violating the Refugee Convention and turning back Sri lanka refugees while boasting about the great cooperation between the Aussi and Lanka NAVIES. Two racist regimes – the Rajapakse and GIllard regime are collaborating to maintain mutually beneficial racist policies and politics in their countries.
    Sri Lankans from all walks of life are fleeing the country due to lack of economic opportunity and fear if one is a minority. Economic prosperity is strictly reserved for the Rajapakse dictatorship and its cronies, perhaps a few Sinhala businessmen. The minorities can go to hell- their property and lands have been grabbed and stolen. July 1983 destroyed and previous anti-Tamil riots were about destroying the ECONOMIC backbone of the Tamils and turning them out of Lanka, today the same strategy of attack on minority businesses is directed against the Muslim.

  • 0
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    This will open the eyes of MR if nothing else can! He can’t blame it on the ‘LTTE RUMP’ anymore. He has to get a proper investigation going ASAP as recommended by the LLRC, and appoint accredited legal officers to do it, not Sycophants of the Government. If there is nothing to hide, why get on the High Horse, and act as if there IS something to hide?

  • 0
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    It is official.

    32 story Crown Colombo will open in 2016.

    Even young Packer seems to ignore these Ex’s of yesteryear.

  • 0
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    Commonwealth we thank you for giving the Chair of Commonwealth to the HE Mahindha Rajapaske for the next two years and for allowing him to manage and control all the institutions coming under it.

  • 0
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    If you like to stop boat people from Sri Lanka in the future you, civilized leaders, must take this extra step. Go for it bros & sis , this doesn’t gurrentee to stop mass leagal or illegal immigration from Sri lanka. But don’t hold this important meeting in SL. It is ugly, but you have to do these types of actions with the hope that it will do good to poor Sri Lankans and the world

  • 0
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    [Edited out]

    Commonwealth Office is welcomed to take their Chair back and dump it in some back burner. GOSL is not interested in the CHOGM.
    They are having some fun with it to take count of the double tongued of the West.

    No pun intended HE Your Majesty the Queen.

    • 0
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      “No pun intended HE Your Majesty the Queen.”

      You mean Mahinda is not coming to her birthday party? His love for the Queen is so great that he even insisted on turning up for her Jubilee celebrations in London last year despite tamil tiger terrorist supporters stopping him from giving his an eloquent speech at Oxford union only 6 months before and Cameron refusing to provide him a security detail. Such bravery and love for the octogenarian monarch is rarely seen even by the native Brits!

  • 0
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    Australia’s admirable reputation as a shining example of democracy is tarnished by its engrossed short sighted tactics to deal with migration, without striking at the heart of the problem which could be resolved by assisting SL to create such a sanguine place that nobody; especially the oppressed Tamils, would want to leave sunny SL. That would be a noble act rather than violating refugee conventions in the process or endorsing CHOGM in SL which has been called into question twice as in many years by the UN.

  • 0
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    You might want to check out the facts about the LTTE’s actions and how wonderful they were in violation human rights of all living in Sri Lanka. According to you and a great number of those calling for petitions and the like, there is no mention about the atrocities committed by the LTTE or maybe its ok for the LTTE to kill and torture.

    Here’s an interesting article that gives some news about the lack of interest by Tamil politicians to stand up for Tamil rights.

    dailymirror.lk/opinion/172-opinion/28146-sampanthans-and-gtfs-fraudulent-laments.html

    • 0
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      “there is no mention about the atrocities committed by the LTTE or maybe its ok for the LTTE to kill and torture”

      Please can I ask why you are using the present tense to describe an organisation which ceased to be operational in 2009? Has the thought occurred to you that people don’t speak too much about them because Praba, Thamiselvan, Pottu Amman, Soosai, Nadesan, Anton et al are no longer in this mortal realm? Also have you forgotten that the LTTE is banned in most western nations due to their previous crimes such as killing children and suppressing democratic voices in their community?

      “the lack of interest by Tamil politicians to stand up for Tamil rights”

      Please don’t be offended if we Tamils through our hat in with the TNA (with all their faults) as opposed to Mahinda, Gota et al

  • 0
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    Julia Gillard is like Margaret Thatcher, committed to doing what is right for Australia. She appreciates the end of the war with the Tamil Tiger Terrorists in Sri Lanka. They are masters of preparing improvised bombs with remote control devices like the Boston Bomb. Hundreds of these bomb experts are now in Australia. More or on the way, staging hunger strikes to get their demands. Beware when you attend sporting events as a disgruntled Tamil Tiger is capable of a similar act in Australia!

    • 0
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      “a disgruntled Tamil Tiger is capable of a similar act in Australia!”

      Indeed the western nations are barely able to cope with the threat of domestic tamil terrorism in their midst. These Tamil bomb experts are the bane of western security agencies with not a day going by without talk of another tamil-inspired terrorist attack on western shores. My internet connection is playing up so please can you put up some of the links of these tamil terrorists at work in these nations and their attacks there for the benefit of the readers here. These Tamils are so devious that I hear they are threatening the British news presenter Jon Snow of Channel 4 news, which is why all this programming has been fronted by him against peaceful democratic Sri Lanka and their enlightened leaders Mahinda and Gota.

  • 0
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    All comments are fine and fantastic. Man, there are human problems and issues are involved here.

    We have a deaf and blind regime with thick skin in their body and head
    which wouldn’t allow reason and good sense to get into them.

    Hence, nothing, no amount of sense sink into their head. They are adamant and want to cling to power, come what may. With this is their agenda, they have to have issues pending to prolong their stay in power. They enjoy every thing and the best of it but by this, public being pushed to the ground.

    The sad part is civilized PM Julia Gillard’s Government of Australia is not taking matters seriously. As good citizens of the world, it’s Australia’s prime responsibility and duty to find out the true reasons for these people to leave Sri Lanka.

    If the minorities are treated well, given their wishes and the due rights, this wouldn’t happen. Instead of co-operating with Sri Lanka to stop the flow of people. Please Australia and the world put pressure on the government of the day to solve the problems and issues amicably among the communities.

    We don’t want to leave this beautiful country and become a second class citizen in another but the present situation compelled us and many to do it.

  • 0
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    “All comments are fine and fantastic”

    Are you sure about this? I’m still waiting for ‘truth’ to provide me some links about the activities of Tamil bomb makers in western nations causing much distress to the native population of those places

    “prime responsibility and duty to find out the true reasons for these people to leave Sri Lanka”

    The western govts know exactly what is going on in Sri Lanka but the public appetite in those nations re:immigration and asylum is very tense. Here in the UK, if a politician says immigration is too much and must be curbed then he is feted as a man of the masses.

    “Instead of co-operating with Sri Lanka to stop the flow of people”

    Most of these Tamils are economic refugees. It was out of choice that they fled their homes (old people amongst them) with few of their possessions at short notice barely speaking a word of english to start a new life in places like Ontario, Canada where the temperature drops below 20C in the winter unlike their native land which rarely ever see’s cold and snow.

    “the present situation compelled us and many to do it”

    Remember that if Tamils, Muslims and disgruntled Sinhalese leave the island then they are bandits, bomb makers, economic refugees and traitors. If members of the Rajapaksa family leave for USA, it is because they are ‘patriots’ on an extended ‘fact-finding’ mission.

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