Sri Lanka’s disturbing human rights record means it should be barred from hosting a key Commonwealth summit in November or chairing the organization, Amnesty International said ahead of a key meeting of Commonwealth foreign ministers today.
Polly Truscott
The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group – made up of foreign ministers and Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma, who gather to address violations of the Commonwealth’s fundamental values, including human rights – is meeting in New York today.
“Today’s meeting is an opportunity for the Commonwealth to show some real leadership on human rights. The organization has been shamefully silent so far about Sri Lanka’s human rights crisis– including the persistent lack of justice for past crimes and ongoing attacks on human rights defenders and other activists,” said Polly Truscott, Amnesty International’s Deputy Asia- Pacific Director.
“Instead of giving Sri Lanka carte blanche for human rights violations, Commonwealth leaders should be supporting calls for an independent and international investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, and condemning reprisals against civil society still taking place.”
Today’s meeting comes less than two months ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Colombo, after which Sri Lanka is set to serve as the Commonwealth’s Chair for two years.
“Allowing Sri Lanka to host CHOGM and then chair the Commonwealth would give the country a seal of approval that it does not deserve. The Commonwealth must think twice before allowing such a blow to its own credibility,” said Truscott.
“As Chair, Sri Lanka would be charged with helping the Secretary-General address violations of human rights in other Commonwealth countries – it’s difficult to think of a bigger irony.”
There are credible allegations that the Sri Lankan military and Tamil Tigers armed group committed war crimes and crimes against humanity during the armed conflict ending in 2009. But Sri Lanka has resisted calls for an international and impartial investigation into the conflict, while its own domestic efforts have been wholly ineffective.
Since the war’s end, President Mahinda Rajapaksa has steered his country in what the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has described as “an increasingly authoritarian direction”. The government has concentrated powers in its own hands and led an assault on dissent, harassing and attacking critics including journalists, human rights defenders and opposition politicians.
“Despite repeated demands from the UN and others, the Sri Lankan government has not stopped violating people’s rights. There’s a huge risk of increased reprisals against activists and others in November around CHOGM. Sri Lanka is not a safe pair of hands for the Commonwealth,” said Truscott.
sceptic / September 27, 2013
It seems AI’s paymasters are not paying sufficient attention to the reports manufactured by their tools!! Must be very frustrating.
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gamini / September 27, 2013
How ironical for the Americans with Obama at the helm and the Indians led by Manmohan Singhe paying Lip Service to Human Rights and promising to preserve Democracy, their SILENCE is deafening, allowing their brief carrier MR to violate everything freely with absolute impunity.
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kris / September 28, 2013
Don’t cry baby whole world is accepting SL is nor violating HR, look at support SL received from many countries at UN assembly, old tactics of LTTE supporter A1 old tactics are now not going to work
Wigge and the gang winning the PC in north put attention to the world how good SL people are , whole wiggie and the Gang trap in MR election knot
Every countries will come to SL for CHOGM and we will have big parties ,A1 ,BTF, Rudra, Channel 4 have to cry harder
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gamini / September 28, 2013
Kris, your response is worth a million to establish the Hypocrisy practiced for all to see. Just remember this game can be played by others as well. That would be the day the world including your ilk will be looking for Decent Norms for protection.
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Thiru / September 27, 2013
It is a shame that the Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon and the UN failed to protect tens of thousands of Tamil civilians despite their pleading not to leave them at the mercy of murderous Sri Lankan armed forces in 2009.
UNHCR chief Navi Pliiai in her recent oral report has stated the Sri Lankan atrocities and lack of democracy and violation of human rights very clearly in the Geneva.
Now Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Sharma with the collusion of some Commonwealth members is aiding and abetting to cover up the atrocities of Sri Lanka during and after the war, and continuing to the present day.
If the Commonwealth stoops down to such depths it’s not going to be respected any more. Might as well wind it up instead of allowing an alleged war criminal to lead it for two years to its ultimate demise.
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Kumar R. / September 27, 2013
The criticism on the regime’s conduct totowards Tamils and towards Democracy comes not just from Internationals.
Here is a flavour of Dayan Jayathileke’s recent assessments.
On the President: SL governance is showing “a latent totalitarian thrust with some form of ruthless, brutal militaristic rule” and painted the President as impotent “ being transformed into a quasi-ceremonial president; a mere electoral machine; an industrial strength vacuum-cleaner of votes.“
On treatment to Tamils: “how must that state have treated the Tamils in the closing stages of the war,… how must they have conducted themselves in the North and East for thirty years and how must they be functioning in the former conflict zones today?”
Dayan’s assessments should carry truly heavy weight, given that he has been in the forefront all these years in protecting the regime. His reversal in position should be the best eye-opener, for both Internationals and the locals.
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lal / September 28, 2013
Thiru is absolutely right that the govt is also critised by Sinhalese. This is the way it should be – evaluate attitudes and take stock from within. This is something the Tamil community must do rather than blame others, in this case the Sinhalese, for all their grieviences, most of which are self inflicted. Tamils have suffered since 1948 because they have been misled by the likes of Ponna, Chelva, Sunda, VP motivated by their hatred towards the Sinhalese. It is not too late for Tamils to look at themselves from within. Thiru, thanks for your considered view.
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chuti / September 27, 2013
Hi Thiru,
Who made all these destruction??? Government of SL or the LTTE ??? Touch your heart and talking to yourself & see.. You will have an answer..
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Kumar R. / September 27, 2013
Weliveriya may provide some answers too.
Here is Dayan’s lament after Army denied responsibily at Weliveraya:
“How must that state have treated the Tamils in the closing stages of the war,… how must they have conducted themselves in the North and East for thirty years and how must they be functioning in the former conflict zones today?”
Does that throw any light?
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Dude / September 27, 2013
Sri Lanka’s disturbing HR record means that it should be BARRED from being a MEMBER of the Commonwealth! Never mind hosting the CHOGM circus – which is a MASSIVE WASTE OF FUNDS that the struggling poor have to fork out to boost the Rajapakse Military dictatorship.
The absolute absurdity, irrelevance and moral turpitude of this British colonial relic organization that is now a platform of third world dictators is apparent today. It will be dead and buried once the corrupt South Asian military dictator, Mahinda Rajapakse takes over as head!
India as usual has been playing its double games with the clown Sharma – sri lanka people should hold a massive protest against the CHOGM circus which is a massive waste of funds!
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Dodo / September 27, 2013
Commonwealth is further bankrupting Sri Lanka, whose currency is in free fall because of all the loans taken to host the CHOGM clowns and beautify the city for the parade of the military dictator to show his pomp and splendor!
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Suranee / September 27, 2013
“The government has concentrated powers in its own hands and led an assault on dissent, harassing and attacking critics including journalists, human rights defenders and opposition politicians.”
So by barring Sri Lanka from hosting the Commonwealth summit do you think its going to help the people of Sri lanka? If the Commonwealth summit is not held here as planned what type of message will the people, especially the ones who are suffering get?
This reminds me of how certain groups in the West and their supporters here in Sri lanka wants the country to be hit with an embargo? Isn’t it the people who are going to suffer? If you want to punish the guilty do so but please do not be cowards and punish the citizens of Sri lanka because not EVERYONE supports the guilty parties who committed these human rights violations.
The only drawback of this CommonWealth Summit which I see is appointing consultants who come from family backgrounds where their parents are ministers, chairman of companies, etc. This is very unfair for there are so many others who should have been given the opportunity.
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Ram / September 27, 2013
” C’wealth Giving Sri Lanka Carte Blanche For Human Rights Abuses – AI “
AI is funded and maintained to reserve this facility exclusively for the US and it’s proxies by pointing the finger in other directions, even when the evidence is overwhelming. It is a very efficient ‘NGO’ in that respect, and the leadership is paid very well.
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Native Vedda / September 27, 2013
Ram
When MR was the Human Right champion, these NGO’s helped him a lot.
Could you find out why it was right for him to work with NGOs then and its wrong for others to work with them now.
He sought UNRHC’s support in order to highlight the atrocities committed by the Sinhala/Buddhist armed forces against innocent Sinhala youth.
I believe your hypocrisy knows no bound.
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Sumathi / September 27, 2013
10000000 Salutes………. True True True….! victim of a authoritative Government.
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Spring Koha / September 27, 2013
The honchos of Marlborough House have been leaned on to ensure that somehow the CHOGM must take place in SL. The plan is for a big hitter, not a miliion miles from us, to then spoil the party; cowdung will hit the elegant whirring fans, and the whole gathering will be left in chaos, shaming SL in the process. Not an edifying spectacle.
ps: News that Prince Charles is to stay at ‘Tintagel’, if correct’ is most opportune, given that Solomon West Ridgeway, the fresh ghost of this edifice, comes from an old walauwe family that was most supportive and did very well during the era of the British, his family (with others) helping to deliver a quiescent native population to our last colonial master.
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Sunil Perera / September 27, 2013
If MR think that CW heads are coming to shake his hand and take photo-ops, he is badly mistaken.
They will surely look for every aspect of his Governing of Sri Lanka and will pass their Judgment.
Canada is Thousand times more respected among Commonwealth and International community.
If MR trying to hoodwink CHOGM head of states, he is badly mistaken.
Either he should put up with CHOGM norms or simply shut up.
We could see more CHOGM drama in coming months.
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lal / September 27, 2013
This woman, the author, should focus on her attention on astrocities committed by her own English race, and ensure her govt pay compensation to victims. That is, if she has any moral values. English have spilled more blood of innocents than Nazis, Romans, Americans combined. AI has decended to the gutter! Nobody, even her govt takes any notice of AI. I wonder why!
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Park / September 27, 2013
If Sri Lanka is serious in its efforts to correct the errors done in the past, Sri Lankan Government should request that Sri Lankan human rights issues should be included in the agenda at the Commenwealth Summit in November. This would give a chance for Sri Lanka to inform the world what they have done so far and get the support of the other Commonwealth countries and at the same time stop the UN Human Rights process.
This is a challenging request, but if the President has the guts and a honest urge to show the world that Sri Lanka is not a country of murderers then he should proceed with this action.
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justice / September 27, 2013
Park,
You are correct.
But he also will have to explain non-indictment of accused in the Trinco Five case,the british tourist murder case,the Bharatha Lakshman murder case,non-indictment of hundreds of suspected ex-LTTErs held in secret prisons,inaction on more than ten Presidential Commission reports of the past,and the latest reports of Welikada prison & Weliweria killing.
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Jim softy / September 28, 2013
Any country has a right to defend that country. That is why USA is using DRONEs in order to get rid of anti-US extremist people and jail their own for several hundred life times.
At the same wave length, Sri Lanka did what it had to do. That is weliweriya death is justified in the name of the country’s stability.
It is the Church which wanted more than once Mahinda Rajapakse out. So, Mahinda Rajapakse protected his govt and that what he must have done and ought to have done.
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JimSofty / September 27, 2013
AI is a corrupt organization which sees only the their preferred side of every thing.
AI had honourable origins. but, now it enables the abuse of very same rights it was supposed to protect.
Information are all over the web.
Has AI talked about SAUDI ARABIA ever ?
Some say, that AI is just another Organization which extort money from countries and governments and pull their own political agenda. Just another INGO.
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Rev:Devil / September 28, 2013
Jim !!? Are you the one who used to run across SSC and Keththaaraama Stadiums with the Lion flag on hand out of excitement after every Sri Lankan victories in Cricket !!? But I was informed that though we have a ”percy jilmart ” in this forum, The real ”Percy” is dead !!?
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Ampalam / September 28, 2013
AI is an organisation trying to bring Sri Lanka come back clean and set an example to the world that is now pointing it as committed war crimes. Unfortunately this is a time the news spread instantly in the digital media and nothing is private. It will spread even if you want to keep it secret. Those days are gone when you could do something like this and hide from the rest of the world. Of course things like this happened in several countries and the rest were not aware. If we point out at other countries at this time we are proving what the world is pointing at Sri Lanka is right. If the Leaders of Sri Lanka want to bring back fame to Sri Lanka the concerned Leaders should bring the criminals to task and clear the Country.
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Hela / September 28, 2013
Polly Truscott,
I can only say go and f….. yourself.
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gamini / September 29, 2013
This uncouth Bugger must be doing his Mother up every now and then, when she cannot find a dick to satisfy her. Hela the next time give her a Btoom stick or better still a Rice Pounder.
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