The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative has reminded the Commonwealth that Sri Lanka has a poor rights record when it comes to real accountability, and said the international community must continue to monitor Sri Lanka on its message to mark Human Rights Day which falls today, December 10.
“Previous commissions and investigations have been plagued by government interference and failed to achieve meaningful results and are mostly seen as a government ploy to delay effective criminal investigations. Sri Lanka’s Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) failed to fix responsibility for war crimes and its recommendations remain largely unimplemented,” the CHRI said in its statement.
CHRI said complaints of torture, disappearances and the persecution of human rights defenders and journalists continue, accompanied by the unwarranted excessive military presence and involvement in civilian activities in the north of Sri Lanka.
“There can be no real reconciliation in Sri Lanka without justice,” said CHRI Director Maja Daruwala, “Freedoms like the right to associate, freedom of speech and freedom of assembly must be assured not only on paper but enjoyed on the ground without fear of retribution. As chair of the Commonwealth now, Sri Lanka must show not only that it can abide by the recently adopted Charter of the Commonwealth but champion the human rights agenda both at home and abroad.
A first step will be to demonstrate an end to impunity for past and present actions and ensure that dissent is not met with threat and victimisation.”
Until it can demonstrate these standards, CHRI urges the international community to continue monitoring Sri Lanka’s human rights commitments.
The CHRI has also acknowledged the recent initiatives taken by Sri Lanka, new Chair of the Commonwealth, to address concerns related to its human rights record. Establishing a Presidential Commission to investigate cases of disappearances during the war from the Northern and Eastern Provinces, the on-going nationwide census to assess the loss of life and damages to property due to the nearly three decade long civil war, setting up a National Inquiry on Torture with Commonwealth assistance and the Cabinet’s nod to the Witness and Victim Protection Bill, are all encouraging steps.
The Penetrator / December 10, 2013
LOL.. Looks like the king has gone through a few pages of reading.. Other than what is the use of all this talk about international pressure, blah, blah.. How can a student give a report to the principle about his misconduct, without receiving a darn good whipping.. LLRC.. What a joke…
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Dude / December 10, 2013
Mahinda Rajapakse MUST be STRIPPED of the post of Chair of the Commonwealth of Nations (which has become a laughing stock of the world and is now called the Commonwealth of Clowns) for war crimes and destruction of democratic institutions in Sri Lanka. The RIGHT TO INFORMATION has been consistently violated and denied the people of Sri Lanka and a petition will be made by media organizations and civil society groups to the Commonwealth of Nations to STRIP Rajapassa of the post of Chair for the destruction of the RIGHT TO INFORMATION and DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS of Sri Lanka
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Amarasiri / December 10, 2013
Penetrator…………………………………………
“The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative has reminded the Commonwealth that Sri Lanka has a poor rights record when it comes to real accountability, and said the international community must continue to monitor Sri Lanka on its message to mark Human Rights Day which falls today, December 10.”
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What a joke.. The best way to monitor is to monitor the way the Taliban and Al Queda are monitored and treated….by the Drones and Tomahawks…. Haven;t you guys learned from Sir Winston Churchill ( Nazi Germany), Bill Clinton ( Racist Yugoslavia) yet?……………………………..
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Coockoo Bird / December 10, 2013
The dark clouds are passing on the victims of state terror (BBS/JHU/SIHALA RAVAYA/NIL BALAKAYA etc) These abominations are some of their legacies of evil rule which will inspire the future writers and cinematic brains to bring out some excellent creations like “The Schindler’s List” for the benefit of humanity.
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Avb / December 10, 2013
I am proud, our king can read, and more importantly…as the photo shows.. He reads… Long live Rajapakses….
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Lapatiya / December 10, 2013
Most of the people including “Avb” under the impression that our king cannot read but actually he is Fluent in English, Tamil and Sinhala languages. Some Jealous People says he use Teleprompter to deliver speeches written by Lusian Rajakaruna, Rahulan, but don’t believe them as our King proved his capabilities in an Interview with Al-Jazeera.
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G1 / December 10, 2013
also with lots of hand gestures, I guess!!! :-)
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Darlin Silva / December 10, 2013
“King can do no wrong” is a legal jargon, presumably misinterpreted by the Attorney-at-law King himself. If this legal jargon is correctly interpreted in its true spirit, the King “will do no wrong” and this country will be a paradise.
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Lapatiya / December 10, 2013
What International community or commonwealth human rights knows about Sri Lanka’s Human right situation? They easily forgot that we have more than 2600 years of civilized history to our credit and defeated world’s most ruthless terrorist organization without killing even single civilian.
According to our Saddarmadveepa Chakrawarthi our Ranaviru forces were in the battle field with Human Charter in one hand and in the other hand weapon. This International community should know that there is no chance of shelling or killing civilians in “Humanitarian Operation” (Manushiya Meheuma)
Also these so called International community and commonwealth Human rights easily forgotten that how our Saddarmadveepa Chakrawarthi, then Percy Mahendra Rajapaksha, protected our Human rights in 1989/1990 along with Wasi-Deva Nanaykkara and Dr. Nimalka Fernando. Now Dr. Nimalka Fernado is trying protect her Human rights from Saddarmadveepa Chakrawarthi is another matter.
Now the CHRI Director said There can be no real reconciliation in Sri Lanka without justice. He will never say anything like that if they really know how our Independent Judiciary works under Nihathamani Nayaka thuma’s guidance.
He also mentioned that freedoms like the right to associate, freedom of speech and freedom of assembly etc. etc. Have they forgotten that how our Sanwedee Nayakathuma protected the freedom of speech of Hudson Samarasingha with the help of “Buth Packet” Deshapremi’s of SLBC over Dr. Nimalka Fernando’s issue? Have they forgotten that how Palapurdu Nayakathuma protected the freedom of assembly of S.M Chandrasena at Anuradhapura During CHOGM.
If CHRI can contact Callum Macrae and Jhonathan Miller they will tell you the exact situation as they got practical lessons while in Dharmadveepaya.
In my opinion nobody should come to teach us about Human rights, Media freedom, freedom of speech etc. as we are fully enjoying all these freedom’s under Aadmabarakara Thathta’s governance. Also commonwealth clowns should not cry any more about abuses of Human rights etc. and bare for another 2 Years like our foolish Gen. Public does.
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Palmsquirrell / December 10, 2013
Clearly the Tamil Diaspora have taken over the CHRI . It is all a worldwide conspiracy to destroy a 2600 year old Buddhist culture.
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Ajith / December 10, 2013
What do you mean by old Buddhist culture?
Is it:
Massacre of innocent civilian by Buddhists?
Abduction, murder or disappearance of innocents by Buddhists?
Destroy the religions and cultural identity of other cultures by Buddhists?
Corruption, unlawful and unethical activities of Buddhists?
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Thiru / December 10, 2013
2600 year old Buddhist culture has turned into a terrorist one in Sri Lanka, Burma and in Thailand.
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Palmsquirrell / December 10, 2013
It was sarcasm; as one often hears about how any criticism of GOSL is part of a nefarious conspiracy by Diaspora Tamils and GOSL’s supporters mention that Lanka has a 2600 year old Sinhala Buddhist culture.
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Backlash / December 11, 2013
Irrespective of the established skullduggery of the Rajapakses the world must strengthen its own instruments of global enquiry against
serial HR violators like Robert Mugabe and the like. They must be
reminded the waiting world has enough teeth to act against their
reckless excesses.
This home-grown product of LLRC Report, produced at the direction of a
perfidious and venal regime by a cabal of pliant lawyers, is a tactic in procrastination and crass trickery. The challenge is if responsible global bodies are taken for a ride by them or they will teach offending perpetrators a deterrent lesson that will take a long time to forget.
Backlash
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Bensen Burner / December 11, 2013
The members of the CHRI should not be misled and should not mislead. They must read the provisions of the Sri Lankan Constitution. The LLRC is a presidential commission the report of which is for the President to determine whether any further action is necessary and if so what action. The President is in no way bound to pursue any further action although Rajapaksa is trying to show to the international community that he is pursuing further action. Who is the bloody idiot who will want to expose themselves of war crimes when they are themselves the perpetrators of misdeeds. It is now time the international community woke up to such bluff and deception. Bensen
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Toss Upali / December 18, 2013
[Edited out]
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