By Rajiva Wijesinha –
Dr Rajiva Wijesinha, MP
I was called up by the BBC when they received a leaked copy of the Report to the Secretary General on the work of UN Agencies in Sri Lanka during the conflict period. They wanted me to comment and, though they would not share with me what they had, I agreed since I did not want the debate to go by default.
They promised to send me the text of what their correspondent Lyse Doucette was posting on their website at 2 pm GMT. They would not send this to me beforehand, though they said they could give me some time to study it. Since however they were going on the air at 2pm, I thought I should respond straight away, and this proved sensible, for even before the email arrived, I saw the discussion begin on BBC television.
Radio actually gave me a reasonable time, though nothing like as much as had been allowed all those who attacked Sri Lanka. TV, which followed soon afterwards, cut me off after a couple of minutes, though they did ask me to answer another question for a later programme.
They have not confirmed that this was used, and a friend in Britain who accessed the link to the Newsnight programme found that I was not there. Perhaps there was a mistake, but the track record suggests that suppression is the order of the day. Lyse Doucette’s piece had comments from several of the usual suspects, including Benjamin Dix who first surfaced in Geneva in 2008, when the UN in Colombo apologized for his antics.
He is joined now by someone called Edward Mortimer, who is involved in something called the Sri Lankan Campaign. Not one of those she cites on the piece put up on the Web challenged the basis on which the current UN Report has been produced.
But we can scarcely complain about this, given that the authorities has simply let this happen, without anticipating the problem foreshadowed in the original Darusman Report.
I mentioned the need for this, and asking the UN to look at its own records which had been ignored by the Darusman Committee.
The only response government made to the patent incompetence of the Ministry at the time was to appoint Sajin Vaas Gunewardena as Monitoring Member of Parliament, and he is supposed thereafter to have brought order into the administration. I assume he was also expected to contribute to policy making, but since the same approach as before continued with regard to relations with the UN, I suppose he too was overwhelmed by the prevailing ethos of waiting for crises and then hitting out blindly on all sides.
What I said at the time, to quote from the letter I sent the Secretary, was that we should ‘ensure correction of those aspects that are clearly misleading of what is erroneously referred to as a UN report.
At the same time, we should treat seriously aspects that are not inaccurate and that create an adverse impression….. I have in several publications drawn attention to errors, and I believe a summation of these should be brought to the attention of the UN Secretary General. At the same time he should be asked to respond to the queries on the attached page, since they bear on the credibility of the report as it has been compiled’.
Amongst the queries I suggested were –
* Did the Panel consult the heads of UN agencies in Sri Lanka with regard to the various allegations contained in the Panel report, and in particular those concerning;
a) Alleged rape
b) Deliberate deprival of humanitarian assistance
c) Unnecessary suffering for the displaced
d) Lack of information about rehabilitation sites?
It would be useful to ask the UN Secretary General to circulate the letter of the UN Resident Coordinator with regard to conditions at the camps….
* Did the Panel consult the head of the ICRC with regard to the various allegations contained in the Panel report, and in particular those concerning
a) Transportation of the wounded and others from conflict areas to government hospitals, and the treatment received by these
b) Transportation of food and other supplies to the conflict area
c) Information provided by the ICRC to government about conditions in the conflict area, and in particular the establishment and operation of medical centres.
It would be useful to ask the UN Secretary General to circulate the letter of the ICRC head to the navy regarding its support for ICRC operations, and to request reports from him with regard to these matters. …
* Did the UN set up a ‘networks of observers who were operational in LTTE-controlled areas’….. Was this with the authority of the UN Resident Coordinator, and how did it fit within the UN mandate? With whom were its reports shared? …
* Did the Panel consult the UN Special Representative on the Rights of the Displaced, Prof Walter Kalin, and use the reports he published? Were they aware that he visited Sri Lanka three times during this period?
* Will the Panel explain errors such as the attribution to government of actions relating to the LTTE (Footnote 92)….?
* Will the Panel provide sources for the various estimates mentioned in Para 133, as well as all alternative estimates with regard to the given figures? …..
* Has the Panel studied the reports of UN committees which make clear the reluctance of agencies entrusted with funds for the benefit of Sri Lankan displaced citizens to upgrade facilities at Manik Farm despite numerous requests…..?
Recently too I have tried to suggest that we work together more coherently with the UN.
But nothing was done, and now our friends too are being thrown to the wolves, because we did nothing to produce a common, detailed response to the calumnies.
Donald J Gnanakone / November 19, 2012
Rajiva is his usual pathetic self, denying all war crimes, casualties or more accurate is killings of 40,000 or 100,000.
He is Mr. Denial of Sri Lanka, and with his British accent he is the LOUDEST objector of all allegations of crimes and violations including the CONCENTRATION CAMPS, where torture, rape, and other HR violations were prevalent.
Rajiva has been blindly denying every single violation since 2009, so obnoxiously than rationally that BBC, or Al Jazeera or Channel 4 would cut him off at every possible opportunity they can. Then Rajiva complains that his opinion is not heard or viewed.
Grow up Rajiva to be taken seriously. Strangely he hardly speaks in Parliament, similar to Tiran Alles who has not uttered a word in 3 years until yesterday, as pointed out by Ranil Wickramasinghe.
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sach / November 20, 2012
‘CONCENTRATION CAMPS, where torture, rape, and other HR violations were prevalent.’
The camps are now no more. You can go n meet these ppl, TNA can meet these people, media can meet these ppl but hardly any1 has comeup with any evidecne or even strong allegation of such a crime. why is that? Isnt it the absence of such crimes?
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LOL / November 20, 2012
Thanks to agreed that there was a camp like that ran by government. Yes, TNA and under agents did after resettled in jungles but not when they were in camps. when they spread what happened during the war and in the camps(Eg. Channel4), majority of the people (probably you as well) told its LTTE’s propaganda and international conspiracy against Sri Lanka. because they need to divide the country. As long as those people are in this country no justice for Tamils.
Don’t worry all the witness’s statements are now in the hands of relevant countries and probably well documented. This report is outcome of such witnesses. people like RW thinks they can play around with UN and it’s member countries like what they did last 3 years and continue to do the same. though it looks its working well, this will not last for long.
Now my Muslim friends are sharing Palestinian’s hardships and pain of those small children and women in FB and blaming Israel is a war criminal. As per Israel, Hamas is a terrorists and not Palestinians.
But when the war was in SL same Tamil children and women running here and there without food, medicine, no house and under shelling and air attack daily and for years. But they all watching how military was approaching LTTE.
Entire Sri Lanka was watching this and not even a single FB share to save Tamil children and women. you all including this regime labelled entire Tamils are LTTE. When Tamils told this regime is a war criminals, you people say its LTTE’s propaganda and your regime’s hand are clean.
This is you and people of Sri Lanka. Really shame.
In my point Israel also a war criminal like Sri lanka. They have a well planned agenda on Palestine which is damaging the infrastructure and their economy. So no wonder every year Israel will start a war and damaged Gaza’s infrastructure as much as can and temporally put on hold, so entire community will be in the temporary settlements for decades without any hope.
This is what happened to Tamils for decades. Little by little all the gov destroyed infrastructure and forced Tamil’s to leave the country. now resettling in jungles so no one in their own land. lands grabbed by the name of security zones, military installations, hotels to their goons, cutting down valuable trees, illegal sand sale, destroying temples, etc etc.
But talking about reconciliations and other hand systematically destroying Tamil’s identity. This is called genocide.
When people in south understand this, I think SL will be a miracle of Asia.
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Native Vedda / November 19, 2012
How The Discourse On Human Rights Is Perverted
By who?
You hoo.
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Dilan / November 19, 2012
Rajiva, you are not qualified to compaint about anything here because you had been already identified as a great lier.
You told a great lie about the blue eye children in the Tamil IDPs camp, insulting the whole Tamil community.
I have seen here and there many were challenging you to show the photograph of those Blue eye children and you are silent on this matter.
I do not think any neutral media will respect anyone who tell lies for their food allowance.
Shame on you Rajiva
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AMT / November 20, 2012
Did you read the LLRC report in full !!!!!
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Pandukabaya de Silva / November 20, 2012
Hey Wijesinghe…you are the one who is perverted – at all different levels I may add!!
Nothing more to be said. Your pained and typically complaining response is not worth digesting.
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Anti-Boru / November 20, 2012
That’s rich! The ultimate perverted political commentator talking about other people’s perversions. If there was a law against hypocrisy, this character would be serving a life sentence. (That is if such wasn’t considered a capital offence punishable by death!)
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Medamulana Meeharaka / November 20, 2012
As a Singhalese, I am really dissapointed with folks like this guy, who is protecting a rogue regime of MA-RA like Wimal W and Merv the Perv does in a different way.
In today’s technological world, you cannot hide mass human genocides with globe troting Satellites and GPS technology in such advanced state.
Try to acknowledge the human loses as in any war like scenes and then move onwards with reconcilaitions like what South Africa came after the eark aparthied era.
Way to go man..
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sach / November 20, 2012
“In today’s technological world, you cannot hide mass human genocides with globe troting Satellites and GPS technology in such advanced state.”
Then where is those evidence of genocide? y cant the terrorists turned HR activists show any sattelite imagery of alleged war crimes? As u accepted sattelite images should have captured if there any. And the absence of them means no war crime against civilians.
“Try to acknowledge the human loses as in any war like scenes and then move onwards with reconcilaitions like what South Africa came after the eark aparthied era.”
SL gov has acknowledged human losses. And work towards reconciliation (though gov could have done better). U have suggested nothing more than gov does. Get some education on SA and SL was never a SA. There was never an aparthied here.
Congrats for the name it really fits u
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Leon / November 20, 2012
Mr Wijesinghe all the questions that you have posted can only be answered if an independent international investigation is established. Mr Ban Ki Moon SG has the power to appoint an investigative committee and let us hope that he will.
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gamini / November 20, 2012
This Pudding Basin is trying to bring in Old Hat to rekindle his importance which is no longer valid or recognised. GET LOST!
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Native / November 20, 2012
You were hiding behind the UN chief all these times. You could do everything you wanted because of UN chief was silent on this matter. But after the internal review, moon accepted UN’s review report and acknowledged why UN failed. Now you are blaming UN chief and entire UN.
We understand one thing, we all know what you are trying to say, Your question is where the hell UN was if war crimes and genocide happening?
Other side of the coin says
– Who the hell forced UN to go out of war zone?
– Who the hell ordered to target Un convoy to create panic withing the mission in SL?
– Who the hell deported UN people if you ask them what the hell they were doing here? if you expect UN to do what they suppose to do, then for the same reason deported them.
– Who the hell stop media to enter into war zone to the ground reality? (War needs media in where the civilians are not where your artillery, MBLRs are.. you allowed only media to show how your MBRLs were shelling… but who the hell stopped media to show where it hit?)
-Who the hell deny access to UN to visit war zone?
-Who the hell stop UN visiting concentration camps?
-Who the hell purposely targeted UN food convoy, so they can fear and leave the war zone?
– Who the hell stop ICRC to take medicines to wounded people?
– Who the hell targeted hospitals to force ICRC to give up their service?
– Who the hell stopped accessing humanitarian sites?
– Who the hell asked UN to send money to Gov than directly access the situation and help displaced people directly?
– Who the hell stopped UN/ICRC or any other foreign bodies to speak directly to the displaced/resettled people without military presence?
etc etc.
Those the questions in educated people’s mind, not the people around you.
This is not a good sign and this is not your opposition to simply blame and play the game. Don’t put SL people in trouble by using their own tax money.
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Ramona U / November 20, 2012
It is every anti-royal family activists dream that this joker becomes the next foreign minister..i hope it happens.
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Wuliangguobinjiu / November 20, 2012
That will be the day SL will sink faster than your dream.
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suryagamage nilan / November 20, 2012
Has Kalu Suddhar had a change of heart! Unless they have opened a swiss bank account with MR I doubt he will sing another tune!
Why do we dignify his Mahinda chanting as worthy of attention?
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Srikrishna / November 20, 2012
Rajiv!
Who is realy guilty in the Action Faim massacre?
you told the entire world earlier about your hypothesis, why not repeat it?
Is it some kind of vicarious liablity?
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Rama / November 20, 2012
when they look at you anything is possible.
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Mango / November 20, 2012
So, the essence of the UN’s anger at SL is that it :
a) destroyed the LTTE, and,
b) fought the war to an unarguable conclusion in a fashion not approved of by the UN, various human rights organisations and the shell-shocked pro-LTTE diaspora.
c) discredited the global ‘peace support industry’ by finally proving Luttwak’s seminal thesis of “Give War a Chance” where he stated:
“AN UNPLEASANT truth often overlooked is that although war is a great evil, it does have a great virtue: it can resolve political conflicts and lead to peace. This can happen when all belligerents become exhausted or when one wins decisively. Either way the key is that the fighting must continue until a resolution is reached. War brings peace only after passing a culminating phase of violence….”
d) “too many” civilians died in the final months of combat. But it isn’t clear what the ‘acceptable level of casualties’ would’ve been. Was it 4, 40, 4,000, 40,000 or 400,000?
As they’re unhappy about the manner of Sri Lanka’s victorious conclusion, they can never be satisfied. These regular eruptions, like the incurable Lyme disease, are a fact of life. They’ll flare up every year with the same symptoms and same outcome.
GoSL for its part has been criminally negligent in not having any sort of discernible, intelligent plan for dealing with these post-war Eelamist whiners. GoSL’s allies must be wondering at their sheer incompetence.
Prof Wijesinha admits this truth: ‘But nothing was done, and now our friends too are being thrown to the wolves, because we did nothing to produce a common, detailed response to the calumnies.” The responsibility for this goes right to the top. MR, Gota and the rest of the clan.
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