Academics and NGOs have condemned the call by Sydney University Associate Professor Daniella Celermajer to ‘go soft on the Government of Sri Lanka’ after which they bowed down to the demands of Ministry of Defence and uninvited representatives of several human rights organizations to a human rights conference in Bangkok.
Gotabaya – Secretary MOD
According to a report that appeared on Sydney Morning Herald today, a group of lecturers from the Sydney University itself, in a letter has criticized Celermajer’s comments and the course of action taken to please the GoSL pointing out it has ‘threatened to bring the University of Sydney’s commitment to and connection with human rights into disrepute’.
“We therefore consider it important to write to dissociate ourselves from the event and the way in which it has been conceived and managed,” the academics have stated in the letter to which includes a Sydney University Associate Professor s Jake Lynch and Brami Jegan who are also conveners of a Sri Lankan human rights project at the University.
Lynch, Jegan and other academics who are signatories to the letter has noted that the conference is at serious risk of providing the appearance of human rights cover to a brutal regime that continues to perpetrate gross violations and is going to great lengths to silence critical voices both within Sri Lanka and in the international community.
Earlier last week, Professor Celermajer told the organizers of the Enhancing Human Rights and Security in Asia-Pacific’ to be mindful of the ‘heightened sensitivity and fragility’ after the Defence Ministry of Sri Lanka threatened to withdraw its Police and Military personnel from participating in the event if representatives from certain NGOs are to participate.
“The stark reality is that if the Sri Lankan authorities feel themselves under attack, they will leave. They have made this clear to us,” Prof. Celermajer said following the threat made by the Sri Lankan Defence Ministry. As a result, the University gave into their demands and un-invited representatives of Right to Life and Rights Now organizations.
Meanwhile, several other organizations including Amnesty International criticized the decision of the Sydney University. “The best course of action would have been the reissuing the invitation to the individuals you have excluded from the conference and reassured all participants without exception that they may speak freely,” Amnesty International pointed out.
Following the un-invitation, another Sri Lankan NGO- Janasansadaya withdrew from participating in the conference stating, “Our organization has been informed by the Sri Lanka Campaign for Peace and Justice of dis-inviting of two NGO participants from Sri Lanka due to objections from the Ministry of Defence.”
Ansar / September 16, 2014
These fellows bribe their way through in all segments of every society. That was the hallmark of LTTE, while fighting the Sri Lankan Army. Once in an interview, one of the senior cadres of LTTE was asked how you fight such a conventional Army with so much Armoury with so little cadres and fire power. He dished out some Dollars and said “This is how we fight” meaning bribing the Army and getting inside information, then run over the camp and take all their Armoury.
Now that the big fishes of LTTE are with the Defence Ministry, the nexus is obvious, not to mention the source of funding, Drugs and illicit Trade. These fellows have become worse than the MAFIAS.
Now this MAFIA Leader wants to become the next President….ABASARANAI.
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Siva Sankaran Sarma / September 16, 2014
Jake Lynch the well established LTTE fluffer and Brami Jegan, niece of AC Shanthan, the convicted terrorist supporter who served time at her majesty’s pleasure :D
Baww, I wonder why they’re so upset :D
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Puhul Dosi / September 16, 2014
Blacker Sarma Menon:
Go back to your hiding place buddy, you know your credibility is shot!
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Siva Sankaran Sarma / September 17, 2014
The truth is oh so painful for LTTE monkeys :D
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Native Vedda / September 16, 2014
Siva Sankaran Sarma Menon
You too have a network of informers.
I am glad.
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Eusense / September 16, 2014
The Tamil Bremi Jegan and other Tamil diaspora repeatedly trying to create this kind of harm to Sri Lanka makes the government more stubborn. What are they trying to achieve by all this? Good faith from the gov. and get all their demands? This diaspora needs to go back to school to learn good diplomacy to get things done.
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Dr Romesh Senewiratne-Alagaratnam / September 17, 2014
The Englishman Jake Lynch has long been defending the LTTE and attacking the government of Sri Lanka from the University of Sydney where he has set up a group called “Centre for Peace and conflict Studies”. He hosted a series of events in 2009 organized by Sam Pari, who was the LTTE spokeswoman in Sydney during the latter stages of the war and immediately after it. At these meetings no one defending the government was invited, and the biased Channel 4 “documentaries” were presented as an introduction. It was anti-Sri Lankan propaganda at its worst. Amnesty International was involved in these meetings.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sSKSoEpdXk
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aratai / September 17, 2014
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“Academics Condemn Sydney University Bowing Down To GoSL Pressure”.
“At these meetings no one defending the government was invited,”
+++++++++
So, Sydney University always bow down to terrorists pressure.
:-)
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lynx / September 17, 2014
When LTTE supporters protest and the universities cancel the event they are ‘saints’, when it is terrorist supporters who are excluded the organizers become ‘scum’. The justice sense of some people!!!!
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BBS Rep / September 17, 2014
Sydney University is too closely alligned with the Liberal Party of Australia. GOSL brought pressure on the government of Australia, and they in turn brought pressure on Sydeny University which buckled easily. Professor Calemajor is not an ingratiate however he only acceded to demands from above.
No wonder this university has fallen in the world rankings to 73. Even Peking University is better placed at 45.
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Tamil from the north / September 17, 2014
There is a disconnect here, when you write about academics why would you put Goat’s picture in there? There is no correlation there. One is an ex-gas station grade 2 educated buffoon from Hambantota and others are academics. I am confused here.
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