19 March, 2024

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Decision To Hold The 2013 Commonwealth Meeting In Colombo Was Wrong- UK Foreign Affairs Committee

By Colombo Telegraph

“We conclude that continuing evidence of serious human rights abuses in Sri Lanka shows that the Commonwealth’s decision to hold the 2013 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Colombo was wrong. We are impressed by the clear and forthright stance taken by the Canadian Prime Minister, who has said he would attend the Meeting only if human rights were improved. The UK Prime Minister should publicly state his unwillingness to attend the meeting unless he receives convincing and independently-verified evidence of substantial and sustainable improvements in human and political rights in Sri Lanka”  says UK Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee.

Foreign Affairs Committee today published the report on the role and future of the Commonwealth.

Read more www.parliament.uk

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Latest comments

  • 0
    0

    Sri Lanka didn’t fail the test;
    Sri Lanka just found 100 ways to do it wrong.

    If you prick us do we not bleed?
    If you tickle us do we not laugh?
    If you poison us do we not die?
    And if you wrong us shall we not revenge? – William Shakespeare

  • 0
    0

    why are they picking on Sri Lanka. India gave all the chemical weapons. It is not Rajapakse but Italian Mafia Sonia was behind all these well supported by rogue now the President Pranab. Catch them first

  • 0
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    The Brit parliament lecturing to SL (again) on human rights? Ha ha ha.. truly, satire is dead.

    A teenage Iranian haemophilic has died due to a shortage of medicine in the country. His death said to be directly linked to the impact that western economic sanctions are having on the Islamic republic. The director of Iran’s haemophilia society blamed Esmaili-Liousi’s death on the US and EU for their punitive measures against Tehran, which are also hitting imports of medicine and hospital equipment.”

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/14/sanctions-stop-medicines-reaching-sick-iranians

    The UK is a key partner in US/EU sanctions against Iran. The last time they did this against Iraq, they managed to murder about 50,000+ Iraqi children. Start counting the bodies, boys.

    And the Foreign Affairs Committee includes Mike Gapes MP, a dedicated Fluffer for Eelam who even had time to visit the LTTE’s Heroes Day celebrations in 2011.
    http://www.tamilguardian.com/article.asp?articleid=3987

    • 0
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      Mango, not only teenagers, but the unborn too have been, are being maimed, deformed and killed including the living by your regime’s poisoning them with arsenic! More than 20000 people have had their kidneys destroyed due to murderous measurers of your sugar daddy! And when these countries finally impose the same embargos against this despot you will understand the real consequences of offering your posterior to a senile despot!

      • 0
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        So, MR is now directly responsible for poisoning the unborn? Is there no end to his wickedness? How did you escape Mahinda’s evil clutches?

        I know you’re praying daily for foreign intervention to remove MR & his clan. Only India has the capacity to do that and they’re far too clever to get their fingers burnt in SL, again. No, MR’s removal job is a strictly local operation.

        p.s. about “offering bottoms” etc – I don’t really want to know about your sexual fantasies and fetishes.

  • 0
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    Has the world just woken up to what the Rajapaksa brothers have been doing to the people of Sri Lanka?

    There was evidence of mass murder of civilians by the Sri Lankan military for many months leading up to the final carnage but the world looked the other way. More and more information about the atrocities of the SL government forces are coming to light that were suppressed by the colluders such as India, UN, USA, Norway and the UK in this attempted genocide of tamils.

    The tamil diaspora are doing a good job in bringing all this information to light and they should be congradulated.

    • 0
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      What exactly did the UN do when the tamil Tigers massacred innocent civilians . Where were they hidng when the massacres of Dollar farm and kent farm happened, Civilians and little children were butchered by the LTTE . What happened when the little samanera priests were massacred in Aranwetlawa . What happened when the Anuradhapura , and pilgrims in Mosques were killed ? Why is the UN concerned so much when the terrorists are eliminated. Does anyone know the answer???

      • 0
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        Answer is LTTE people who committed murders have been killed while state terrorists who committed murders are roaming free.

      • 0
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        Kumudini,
        Massacres of tamils commenced in 1951.
        LTTE came into being after the July 1983 pogrom.
        http://nesohr.org/hrr/?show=all

      • 0
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        Merci Beaucoup, Siempre ;)

        “One’s terrorist is another’s freedom fighter” – Liberty

        We the Living :)

      • 0
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        Do you want me to list the massacres committed by the Sri Lankan military on the Tamils since independence?

        Do you want me to list the sites of the mass graves containing Tamil civilians massacred by the Sinhala military in the North and East?

        Do you want me to list the churches and temples full of Tamil civilians bombed by the Sri Lankan air force?

        We both can list the atrocities each committed on the other but what we are talking about is the attempted genocide of Tamils by the Rajapaksa regime. 40,000, and maybe upto 100,000, civilians wantonly slaughtered by the state, the state, and not by a terrorist organisation!

        Your so called humanitarian operation that killed tens of thousands of civilians is a crime against humanity, nothing short of it.

        • 0
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          Piranha
          Please ‘list the sites of the mass graves containing Tamil civilians massacred by the Sinhala military in the North and East’ and give it to BBC.

          There is no restrictions to travel now, I am sure they will dig it out and film them if true. Besides where were those US satellites while those atrocities were committed, eh?
          Leela

        • 0
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          Leela:
          If any civilization is to survive, it is the morality of altruisme that men have to reject.
          Picture , picture Who is??? I am.

          Bring in Rational Ethics eh?

        • 0
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          binjiu,
          All I was trying to say is that there were no such atrocities but collateral deaths as in any war. We cannot let you lot have witch-hunts.
          Leela

        • 0
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          Leela::

          Fallujah external forces slaughtering with the approved by the EU is under investigation and Shrub is on warrant issued by Genève judge while rajapakistan has received a US reprieve for the time he is in office.

          Rajapakistan slaughtering his “own innocent people” is the crime which is 1st Degree worse than Fallujah.

          Until they are let to live with dignity by guarantee Sri Lanka will be eating Withes Broth and experiencing hallucinations if not holman.

        • 0
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          Piranha,
          In this connection NESOHR (an NGO operating in the North) had recorded a list of massacres of Tamils by the SL army.
          It is published in a book more than 100 pages).

          Also availaable on line.

          Anyone can visit the link below:

          http://www.nesohrorg/files/Lest_We_Forget/pdf

        • 0
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          Ah, Piranha, playing the world’s saddest song (“Geeeenocide”) on the world’s smallest violin.

          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVFBK9GhS5Q

        • 0
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          Ah, Piranha, playing the world’s saddest song (“Geeeenocide”) on the world’s smallest violin.

          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVFBK9GhS5Q

      • 0
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        LTTE a terrrorist….Sri Lankan state ..a State terrorist. They dealt with the terrorist then and now they are dealing with a State terrorist. Any problem????

      • 0
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        kumudini

        UN does not give a damn about you stupid people whether you are a stupid Sinhalese or a stupid Tamil.

        In fact if UN wanted to establish its moral authority it should have taken measures to stop genocide of my people by Sinhalese and Tamils.

        As compensation the UN should now commence the repatriation of Tamils and Sinhalese back to their mother country India.

        When are you leaving?

      • 0
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        The world is full of hypocrites – and western politicians are just as opportunistic as those in Sri Lanka. Their noise against Sri Lanka is a pathetic effort to obtain minority votes, as they find it harder and harder to please the majorities of their own populations.

        That said, two wrongs do not make a right. Calling an accuser a hypocrite does not address the accusation… Sri Lankans must be ashamed of their Government, and the way it conducts itself, with little or no integrity or accountability.

        The longer the public ignore these issues, the more powerful the Government will become, and more difficult it will be to dislodge it using mere democratic mechanisms. The people of Sri Lanka must therefore use the pressure put on the Government by western forces to ensure the Government delivers what the public want, and not what the Government, or western Governments, or the Chinese Government, want.

      • 0
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        elimination of sinhala buddhist clergy from the face of the earth is a good thing. you must appreciate the efforts in pursuing that goal by tigers. killing sinhala civilians is after all a retaliation by tigers to avenge the killing of tamils by sinhala people since 1948.this is my answer to you. end of story.

        • 0
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          this post is meant for kumudhini.

  • 0
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    The Rajapakses are pretty adept at handling the venal lot. They are schooled in the manner of Mario Puso’s Godfather Don Corleone, who advised his sons every has a price. He said “make him an offer he cannot refuse” Kamlesh Sharma is obliged to do the Rajapakse bid.

    Senguttuvan

  • 0
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    Kumudini,
    Regret wrong website posted.
    Correct one is:-
    http://www.eelamhomeland.com/infor/Lest_We_Forget_p1.pdf

  • 0
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    Kumuduni you are exactly right in your assertions of the LTTE brutality against Sinhala and also against their own people.Now the LTTE is no more as a militarily active force but the present regime control by Rajapaksha family is slowly and surly taking over the democratic rights of the people of this country.Humans rights of the entire nation is threaten by the conduct of this despotic regime.In this country law applies only to the people who do not have connection to the ruling Click.Take the case of Sudarman Radaliyagoda who has few warrants from the courts for his arrest is freely moving with top hiraky and attending public functions while the law enforcement authority looks the other way.White van abductions are a common feature in this country.First it was Tamils now and it had shifted to Sinhalese people.Minister Mervin Silva hand his son brake the law of this country with impunity while the law of the country absolved them as law abiding people.Bottom line is that the police force of this country has become a security guards of the ruling click.Judiciary also to a greater extent towing the same line.Ruling given by the supreme court up-holding the punishment given to General Sarath Fonseka by military court is the case in point.So only the international community could hold this regime on its way towards a absolute dictator ship hence no one can find fault with the assertion made by the UK Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee.

  • 0
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    My suggestion is that British colonialists should compensate Sri Lanka for the destruction they carried out in the island and tender unconditional apology for the war crimes that the British committed during the invasion. After that Sri Lanka will be happy to get out of this rogue organization. How about that?

    • 0
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      what are you talking about man. british did no harm to sri lanka. in fact they educated and civilised you. stop moaning and complaining man.

  • 0
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    The above comments show the immaturity of writers who argue that if other countries have serious records of human right violations what does it matter if SL violates the rights of unarmed prisoners,students,political activists, journalists and other civilians.It is a tit for tat business of the Govt who has no regard for people who oppose.The day is not very far after the impeachment of the CJ to taste what it is to be when the last bastion of democracy falls into the hands of the ruthless regime.The only power which can tame this Regime is the International community.

  • 0
    0

    Sri Lankan government committed crimes against its own citizens not less than Gaddafi in Libya and Assad in Syria; the international community should condemn this misconduct, not invite Rajapaksa at Jubilee’s celebration or similar meeting. It is a implicit acceptation of that wrong doing.

  • 0
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    Kumudini: are you comparing the government to the terrorist? that is what you are doing. they were terrorist and that is why they saw the wrath. now if the govt does the same shouldn’t they also face the wrath? dont compare the terrorists to the government. their stance should not be the same stance the ltte did. come on…you got to learn this.

  • 0
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    It wont harm the country if the CHG Meeting is not held as scheduled. It will save a great deal of money which would otherwise be siphoned off by the family and supporters of the regime.MR will lose the chance to be in the spotlight and do his disgusting self adulatory speech before the Queen.

    On the other hand the good would be a strong message sent to the MR and Co. to shed their impunity and disregard for human rights. This would be a blessing in disguise.

  • 0
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    It is good that ‘UK Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee’ is very concerned about Human Rights abuses in Sri Lanka. But at no time we should let them forget their own human rights violations. We should tell them to go look at self in the mirror every morning.

    What I cannot understand is the same people that took more than sixty years for a British court just to accept the pathetic treatment of Mau Mau rebels by ‘Her Majesty’s Torturers’ pointing a accusing finger at us.

    Unlike our war of thirty years, Mau Mau rebellion that started in the fifties lasted just ten years. Imagine the total number of people the British must have detained, if human rights activists in Kenya estimate more than 5,000 are still alive.

    84 year old Nyingi, said in court that she was detained for about nine years and was beaten unconscious and bears the marks from leg manacles, whipping and caning. There were many other cases of castration, beatings and severe sexual assaults. God only know what ‘Her Majesty’s Torturers’ torture tactics may have been from Malaya to the Yemen, from Cyprus to Palestine.

    Those were only ‘Her Majesty’s Torturers’ acts in this century. What about mad acts by ‘Her Majesty’s ancestors’ Torturers’ in the century before? I mean; hundreds of thousands of all males killed other than infants and all cattle killed and all houses were burned and all paddy fields burned during 1918 rebellion against the British. We should present British a charge sheet for atrocities by their ancestors at the 2013 commonwealth meeting in Colombo.
    Leela

    • 0
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      Conveniently you are digging 60 years old stories. Why dont you go back 100 years, may be 200 years and even 1000 years. Those days the world order was different from that of now. We live in 2012 not in 1950s. Srilankan government needed international community to ban LTTE, to list LTTE as terrorists, to prevent fund raising for LTTE, to fund raise from GOSL etc etc… However, the same government does not want international community when they accuse that GOSL did a war crime.

      You expect everything to happen at your will!

      • 0
        0

        Kabi,
        I am talking about incidents and matters related to British High Court ruling delivered on Oct 5th 2012 and its repercussions.

        The fact that atrocities related to that case had taken place 60 years ago and older atrocities could be brought up in a similar case is an add on.
        Leela

        • 0
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          Leela

          How about filing a case against Vijaya and his thugs which took place according to your history something like 2500 years ago?

          I might consider filing a case against Tamils and Sinhalese for the genocide of my people over 2500 years.

          Would you help me?

    • 0
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      whoever you are,
      pls come out of the jungle you have entrapped with creepers of delusion.

      THE BRITS AND OTHER YANKEYS ARE TALKING ABOUT ; that THE continuing evidence of serious human rights abuses in Sri Lanka shows that the Commonwealth’s decision to hold the 2013 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Colombo was wrong.

      IN SRI LANKA. OK

      • 0
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        Is Sri Lanka Okay??
        No no! Kuddu Uda; athamai kudda uda, aney Mahinda rajapakistan.

      • 0
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        JULAAMPITYE AMARAYA says:

        “whoever you are,pls come out of the jungle you have entrapped with creepers of delusion.”

        Did you aim your question at me?

        • 0
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          Good, at least you understand that!
          Leela

        • 0
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          NATIVE
          I DID NOT INSULT YOU.

    • 0
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      Leela

      Let us take the UK to UN for their past violations of Human Rights over 200 years of Colonialism.

      You initiate the process I will support you.

      When are you planning to take the MR clan and his security forces for their involvement in war crimes and crime against humanity? The previous leaders were at it for the past 31 years which started on 5th of April 1971?

      Please don’t hide yourself in Vattukkottai.

      Come clean.

      You initiate the process I will support you.

      • 0
        0

        NOT ONLY PREVIOUS LEADERS [CHEATERS],
        BUT ALSO PRESENTLY VOTE RIGGING SO CALLED PEOPLE’S REPRESENTATIVES.
        AND KUDU DEALERS AND PARLMENTRY LEADERS OF CRIMINAL MAFIA GANGS HIDING BEHIND THEIR BOSSES.

    • 0
      0

      hi there , why do you people always live in the past. anyway, what are you trying to say. are you saying that britain shouldn’t speak out against sri lanka just because they were involved in human right abuses in the past. in other words are you saying to david cameron to shut his gob just because his great great grand dad committed human right abuses in kenya or elsewhere. if your tribe can kill 40,000 tamil civilians in 2009 , what’s the big deal if britain killed some 5,000 people or so back in the 50s.. mind you a third world hell hole like sri lanka is no match to britain. you simply haven’t got the means or power to threaten them. so stop talking a load of cobblers. face the reality.

      • 0
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        quite so – standards have hanged and silly looking back in history and judging historic actions – mankind was brutal, tribalistic, racist, religious intolerance, etc, etc, barbarity still continuing in many parts of the world – that does not mean one should not try to change within ones sphere of influence.

  • 0
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    Commonwealth should immediately open a fact finding office in Colombo and make sure if Govt. adheres to the promises it gave at the UN.
    Also govt. should allow some of CW members to witness the impeachment trial and procedures. Only if Govt. agrees to these, should commonwealth have it’s CHOGAM 2013 in Colombo.

  • 0
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    Says me………..and its easy.

    The decision to knowingly entertain Bob Saville in the News Night Studio of the BBC was wrong knowing he was abusing young & vulnerable in there for almost over 02 decades & the BBC ignored or overlooked.

    UK better speak about the wrongs after the ComCOF takes place in 2013, similar to Info. leaks after Bob Savilles death in 2011.

    Hilarious Brittain…..Another comedy contry yak.

    RAMA…. Yes… 40,000 killed by GOSL…. as per figures hidden by the UN, there is a balance of 110,000…. that I believe was killed by Velu & LTTE with diaspora blessings of course..
    GOSL has been merciful.

    • 0
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      dicky Bird

      So Velu and GOSL have committed war crime and crime against humanity. Lets start the proceedings against both.

      Since LTTE has been obliterated by GOSL, it is also guilty of erasing the evidence against LTTE.

  • 0
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    Sogam – not far from CHOGM – in Tamil stands for sorrow. In Sinhala I believe it is sokaya. It certainly will not stand to the credit of the Rajapakses if they are subject to sorrow again in the eyes of the wide world. Looks like even the Rajapakse pal Kamlesh Sharm is ducking for cover.

    Senguttuvan

  • 0
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    Britain has formally recognised rebels as “sole representatives of the people”

    http://tinyurl.com/cb33lut

    I know this a wet dream headline for Eelamists, but the ‘rebels’ are the Syrian rebel rabble. Britain, which fought and lost a war to a rebel rabble in Iraq, is fighting and losing a war to another groups of rebels (terrorists?) in Af-Pak and which has now taken the rebels’ side in Syria’s civil war wants to lecture GoSL on ‘human rights’? This is a sterling example of the Brits’ sense of humour.

    GoSL should announce that, in light of the UK’s proven predilection for invading countries and starting wars (in the last ten years), whether they are fit to lead the Commonwealth and attend the CHOGM.

  • 0
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    WoooHooo, Some one wants the GOSL’s gas gembas up the gum tree. ;)

  • 0
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    Best if the people in Sri Lanka wake up and hold their government to account – and if collectively the Sri Lankans develop denial syndrome, they don’t deserve to be part of the civilized world. This is serious war crime, and throwing mud at Britain or others will not remove the blot on Sri Lanka.

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