
“The resolution co-sponsored by our government at the United Nations Human Rights Council is a mutual agreement entered into by Sri Lanka, as a sovereign member state of the UN, which recognises our responsibility to embark on a process of reconciliation among communities that will foster peace and prosperity.” says the Friday Forum.
Issuing a statement last night the Friday Forum said; “This resolution is an opportunity to do what is right, by ourselves and for ourselves, and for our future generations. Over many decades, including the post-war period, there have been assassinations, abductions, torture, and conscription of children and sexual violence perpetrated on women. These realities have often been denied by most politicians who have tried to promote racist and divisive ideologies to achieve short term gains. In this environment we citizens must support efforts to establish an impartial investigation, probing the events that are perceived differently, so as to arrive at a consensus on what happened, and what needs to be done. It is only in this way that we may achieve a common understanding of a troubled era in our history.
“The joint resolution is a reminder that truth-seeking and justice, however complex, ensure social integration, and that their absence is detrimental to civic order and the rule of law. Prudent investment of resources in critical areas of national life such as education, health, protection of environment, strengthening our institutions and the media, and wise and responsible political leadership, will be our best chance to detect and resist recurrence of injustice, discrimination and impunity for violence and abuse of power.
“If we are serious about a non-recurrence of the human rights abuses of the past, we should acknowledge that those guilty of criminal behaviour under our law must be brought before the courts, and held responsible. This is an issue of individual accountability for unlawful conduct, and must not be thought of as punishment for heroism or as political vengeance. We cannot condone impunity or amnesty for brutal acts of violence and abuse. The prosecution process must also respond to individual suffering, and support victims and people who come before the courts as witnesses. Psycho-social support is required for these people both during and after the process.
“If we want to ensure that we never sink again into the decades long conflict we have emerged from, we must put in place a political framework that upholds the rights of individuals to their personal dignity and security on the one hand, and the rights of groups and communities to equality and non-discrimination on the other. This will necessarily include devolution of power to the regions and power sharing between the central government and the regional bodies responsible for governance.
“Extremism, adversarial and divisive politics, and the cynical exploitation of sectarian fears and insecurities, obstruct our common search for truth, justice and reconciliation. If we can rise to this challenge and ensure that the victims of violence of all communities receive justice and are accorded dignity, a reciprocation of trust, forgiveness and amnesty is likely to be stimulated. Our common history records periods of cordial coexistence among our ethnic communities during times of normalcy as well as tension. This is the goal for which we as a nation must strive.”
Mallaiyuran / January 29, 2016
It seems NPC’s Jehans counterpart Dhanapala is missing at Friday forum. Sounds like an statement, unlike Jehan PhD’s double meaning one, really calling for an honest investigation.
Beyond that, the truth the resolution was co-signed only to fool America. Sec.Kerry’s office has Sinhala Intellectuals. He cannot make a clean decision on the matters of Lankawe. Until Sec.Kerry gives an unconditional guarantee to the leaders of the war crime that they will be able to go free, the New Royal government’s EP, PM and each and every ministers and important officials will be talking to media different things until Sec.Kerry pull off all his hair and walk on the DC roads bald headed like a homeless madman, unless he run away from his office before that happen to him.
Externally, Sec.Kerry keep praising to the medias the achievements of the New Royal government he seated, but internally he knows until he retires “he has caught a tatar”. let him deal with that situation.
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Mahe / January 29, 2016
Congratulations Friday Forum.Yes its time Sri Lanka came clean by clearing its name once and for all of all these allegations. The Rajapaksas ruined our beloved country’s good name in the name of winning the war.We must have a credible investigative mechanism so that wrong doers , who ever they be, would be punished.Only then will we regain our rightful place in the community of Nations. We have hidden behind human rights violations for too long.
Let the curse of the Rajapaksas end.
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Patriot / January 29, 2016
For your information the curse ended at the Nandikadal
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cholan / January 29, 2016
@ Patriot
Nandikadal is not the end it is the beginning …….
Where were you till 2009 May?? hiding under bed hugging your wife coward ????
Can you go in front of Karuna and slap him who is walking in the heartland of Sinhalese ?
Cheers
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Kumar R / January 29, 2016
Yes Patriot Dayan, we all understand how you wish it ended there!
Wasn’t that your line in Geneva – that single handed victory you used to chest-beat about, but that remains elusive to this day, 6 years going?
Pathetic – not patriotic!!
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KEW / January 29, 2016
[Edited out]
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kali / January 29, 2016
Prof. Savitri Goonesekere
Geneva Resolution Is A Mutual Agreement:
*** Without wishing to cast doubt on your ( Friday Forum) observations the Tamils can only past judgment on it based on the following.
Ranil rips up the press
Ranil fumes over media & war crimes issue
‘Domestic war crimes probe to meet international standards’
Paranagama Commission says 40,000 figure a myth
SL’s disappeared probably dead: PM
1)“The resolution co-sponsored by our government at the United Nations Human Rights Council is a mutual agreement entered into by Sri Lanka, as a sovereign member state of the UN, which recognises our responsibility to embark on a process of reconciliation among communities that will foster peace and prosperity.” says the Friday Forum.
*** The resolution passed was to wrongfoot the UN to avert an inpending disaster and Sinhala Lanka managed to win buying time. But from the above statements it is obvious to anyone GOSL had no intention of honouring the agreeement.
2) “Extremism, adversarial and divisive politics, and the cynical exploitation of sectarian fears and insecurities, obstruct our common search for truth, justice and reconciliation. If we can rise to this challenge and ensure that the victims of violence of all communities receive justice and are accorded dignity, a reciprocation of trust, forgiveness and amnesty is likely to be stimulated. Our common history records periods of cordial coexistence among our ethnic communities during times of normalcy as well as tension. This is the goal for which we as a nation must strive.”
*** All of the above when it takes a Racial connotaion unleashes terrible atrocities as we have seen.
One year on all the THUGS , CRIMNALS & THIEVES ( who are even talking of forming New Political Parties ) are being protected by GOSL headed by MS & RW with the support of MRs henchmen. How can we expect Justice with an Internal Mechanism. Frankly We cant.
It is up to the UN Chief to put the record straight.
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CountryFirst / January 29, 2016
The Mutual Agreement was carried out without the required parliamentary approval with a 2/3 majority as clearly stated by the Constitution’s Article 157. In addition….
It was evidently done because had the issue been debated, it would have led to a lengthy session plus a likely losing situation for the Proposers if it came to a vote being taken….an embarrassment that had to be dutifully avoided.
Sri Lanka’s MangalaS to the rescue in order to save US/UN face by co-signing without a study of all the implications. Sloppy work as usual, Sri Lanka! Shame on the Foreign Ministry!
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Kumar R. / January 29, 2016
Yes Dayan, we all understand how you wish it ended there!
Wasn’t that your line in Geneva – that single handed victory you used to chest-beat about, but that remains elusive to this day, 6 years going?
Pathetic – not patriotic!!
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Nirmala N / January 30, 2016
[Edited out]
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Sellam / January 29, 2016
It is a watered down resolution by America and India and that is why Sri Lanka co-sponsored it. Nothing is going take place under the home grown investigation. That too would be watered down and the perpetrators of the crimes committed would go scot free and they are already free. It is a waste of time and energy. There are basic requirements for the Tamil people that has to be addressed which the government is not willing. The Tamil leaders too have fallen foul for it.
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Saman Adikari / January 30, 2016
Friday Forum that bunch of moribund Elites any how ready to sell our Country for any body less cost; it does matter for US and Indian domination and re-coloinilaztion of Island of Sri lanka.
For interest of country is not least bother by Friday forum Elites. Their political agenda is drafted by US ,British and Norway white race.
And People of Sri Lankan sovereignty to be surrender for Tamil Rough State in North,subsequently for US military base in Eastern of island which is unconditional support and agreed by so-called Friday elites.
That is politics of elites of Friday Forum .
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Ponkoh Sivakumaran / January 30, 2016
Good Try. But it will not work. The Sinhalese are deep in the shit of their Mahavamsa myth ever to get out of it. They will waddle in the shit for many more years to come and the world will pass them by.
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