28 March, 2024

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Is Radhika Coomaraswamy Eligible To Hold Positions Of Public Accountability?

By Amrit Muttukumaru

Amrit Muttukumaru

Radhika Coomaraswamy is no ordinary person. The public perception is that she is a person of high integrity and competence in her field of expertise. This leads to the further perception that she is suitable to hold any high office locally or globally in her field of expertise. She has at various times been (i) Executive Director of the International Centre for Ethnic Studies from 1984 to 2006 (ii) Chairperson of Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka from 2003 to 2006 (iii) Member of the Constitutional Council of Sri Lanka from 2015 to 2018 (iv) UN Under Secretary General and Special Representative for Children in Armed Conflict from 2006 to 2012 (v) UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women  from 1994 to 2003 (vi) Presently a member of the investigation team appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to probe the alleged abuse of Rohingya Muslims by Myanmar security forces. It is seen she is much sought after globally and in Sri Lanka to hold high positions of public accountability. 

The Constitutional Council of Sri Lanka was purportedly set up to depoliticize key public service appointments such as inter alia the appointment of Supreme Court and Appeal Court judges. Could not one question whether it was appropriate for Radhika Coomaraswamy to be a civil society nominee in a 10 member Constitutional Council made farcical due to 7 members being Members of Parliament?

She has now moved into unchartered territory for her by being appointed as an ‘Independent Non-Executive Director’ of John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH) with effect from 1 October 2018. JKH is arguably the country’s most diversified conglomerate with top tier market capitalization.

This writer in not suggesting or implying any wrongdoing by Radhika Coomaraswamy.  

This article is written in good faith in the global and Sri Lanka public interest to seek Radhika Coomaraswamy’s clarification on the damning allegations given below:

“Simply Signed Anything”

Subsequent to the media report of the dismissal of Dr. Rama Mani from the position of Executive Director of International Centre for Ethnic Studies (ICES) for alleged “financial problems”, a “Police entry” for the alleged “removal of documents” was also reported. The need for a “thorough examination of ICES finances over the last five years” was also mentioned.  

The appointment of Dr. Rama Mani was due to Radhika Coomaraswamy who was Executive Director of ICES of from 1984 to 2006 having to resign prior to her UN appointment. It was reported that it was Coomaraswamy who “was responsible for introducing Dr. Mani to ICES”.

In regard to the alleged “financial problems”, the media has made the following damning disclosure attributed to Radhika Coomaraswamy which apart from her own interest, in the larger interest of the pivotal international and Sri Lanka positions she holds she must clarify:

“Dr. Coomaraswamy, in accepting responsibility for some losses, has claimed that she simply signed anything put in front of her by the Financial Controller, who she thought was not competent.”

One could perhaps stretch a point (albeit not acceptable) if the Financial Controller was “competent”. Here we have Radhika Coomaraswamy allegedly stating the Financial Controller was “NOT COMPETENT”! 

To the best of this writer’s knowledge she has to date not denied this media report.

Should this not be of particular interest to John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH) of which she is now an ‘Independent Non-Executive Director’? JKH claims in its Annual Report 2016/17 :

“The John Keells Group is and has always been, a benchmark of corporate excellence in Sri Lanka” (emphasis mine)

JKH & ‘Panama Papers’

Radhika Coomaraswamy’s brother CBSL Governor Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy was a JKH Board Director for more than 5 years from 7 February 2011 until his resignation on 3 July 2016 subsequent to his appointment as CBSL Governor.

It is now more than two years since the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists’ in a worldwide exposé named persons in several countries including Sri Lanka allegedly linked to offshore companies in tax havens. This seems to be of no concern to Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy who has ignored my exhortations to him also in the public domain to address this issue in the interest of the country which has been designated by the European Union  as a ‘high risk country for money laundering’ subsequent to the ‘Financial Action Task Force’ (FATF) placing the country on its ‘grey list’ from November 2017 for which Dr. Coomaraswamy who has been CBSL Governor since 3 July 2016 for 16 months prior to this ruling must bear some responsibility.

While not suggesting or implying that the mere listing of names and entities in tax havens is indicative of wrongdoing, it must be appreciated that until the accounts are determined legitimate, they will remain suspect and the persons concerned ‘not fit and proper’ to hold any position of Trust involving the Public. Tardiness on the part of CBSL does injustice to those who have legitimate accounts.

A name included in the ‘Panama Papers’ is an erstwhile colleague of the CBSL Governor on the Director Board of JKH who is also Chairman of a Bank controlled by JKH. This person is expected to be elevated to the position of JKH Chairman next year. There is speculation that ‘conflict of interest’ may have a role in the inaction of CBSL’s Bank Supervision Department.

Will Radhika Coomaraswamy now a JKH Director raise this matter with her brother who is CBSL Governor notwithstanding this same person being primarily responsible for her appointment?

Even crucial issues of governance incidental to the egregious bond scam thrown up by witnesses at the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) probing the issuance of Treasury Bonds by the CBSL which include – possible tax evasion, money laundering and bank malpractice are not even on the radar of the CBSL. 

The Coomaraswamys have had a long innings at John Keells Holdings PLC. Her cousin Ms. Anusha Coomaraswamy who was JKH Finance Director resigned from this position reportedly for “personal reasons” in October 2002. Around the same time JKH Deputy Chairman Jagath Fernando too unexpectedly resigned also citing “personal reasons”.  

Suntheralingam HRC Report 

For this section of the article, the writer acknowledges the investigation carried out by ‘Colombo Telegraph’ subsequent to the handing over of the report on alleged grave human rights violations which include the killing of five students in Trincomalee to the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRC) which had commissioned the probe. 

The HRC Chairperson at that time was Radhika Coomaraswamy. The report compiled by the Special Rapporteur Suntheralingam led team confirmed involvement of some security forces personnel. 

The ‘Colombo Telegraph’ investigation has revealed much controversy after the handing over of the report to the HRC at the time Radhika Coomaraswamy was its Chairperson. The ‘Colombo Telegraph’ investigation has raised serious credibility issues which demands clarification from Radhika Coomaraswamy.

The controversy stems from (i) The Suntheralingam report not being made public by the HRC or the government (ii) Coomaraswamy’s initial claim that the final report was not available prior to her relinquishing her position at HRC (iii) Coomaraswamy’s subsequent claim after the final report was reportedly published in ‘Colombo Telegraph’ that she had indeed received the final report prior to leaving the HRC and had “ordered” that it be published although she “had no time to read it”. This begs the question as to how anyone in authority would want a report published if it has not been read?(iv) The Suntheralingam report is alleged to be a glaring omission in the HRC2006 Annual Report.

The question also arises whether the other HRC commissioners inter alia concurred (i) with the Suntheralingam report not being placed in the public domain? (ii) the report being omitted from the HRC 2006 Annual Report? The other commissioners include incumbent HRC Chairperson , Dr. Deepika Udagama who also has a responsibility to clarify matters in the public interest.

Both Radhika Coomaraswamy and Dr. Deepika Udagama were colleagues in ‘The Friday Forum’ which claims to “uphold norms of democracy, good governance, rule of law, human rights, media freedom and tolerance in our pluralist society”.

Coincidentally Mr. Marzuki Darusman – Chairman of the 3 member probe team of which Radhika Coomaraswamy is a member to investigate the alleged abuse of Rohingya Muslims by Myanmar security forces was previously Chairman of the UN panel of experts to probe alleged war crimes committed in the final months of Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflict. 

Conclusion

Since Radhika Coomaraswamy holds key positions impinging on the public interest both in Sri Lanka and globally, should she not without any ambiguity clarify the following: 

1) Is it correct that in regard to the alleged “financial problems” at ICES “Dr. Coomaraswamy, in accepting responsibility for some losses, has claimed that she simply signed anything put in front of her by the Financial Controller, who she thought was not competent.”?

To the best of this writer’s knowledge she has to date not denied this.

2) Was the Special Rapporteur Suntheralingam report on alleged grave human rights violations commissioned during the period she served as Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka not included in the HRC2006 Annual Report? If so why?

3) Did she protest if the report was omitted in the HRC 2006 Annual Report? If not why?

4) Did she change her initial position that the report was not finalized at the time she relinquished her position as HRC Chairperson with her subsequent claim it was finalized after it was reportedly published in the public domain by ‘Colombo Telegraph’? 

5) Did she issue an “order” for the report to be published although she “had no time to read it”? Is this professional? Was it published by the HRC? If not why?

6) Was the endorsement of the Government of Sri Lanka necessary in some shape or form prior to her appointment by the UN to high profile sensitive political positions within the UN system such as (i) Under Secretary General and Special Representative for Children in Armed Conflict (ii) UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women (iii) Appointment by the UN Human Rights Council to the three member investigation team to probe the alleged abuse of Rohingya Muslims by Myanmar security forces. If endorsement in some shape or form was necessary, did she deny this to the ‘Colombo Telegraph’?

7) Will Radhika Coomaraswamy now a JKH Director raise with her CBSL Governor brother, Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy the need for CBSL’s ‘Bank Supervision Department’ to  investigate the legitimacy or otherwise of the tax haven account of the JKH Director named in the ‘Panama Papers’ who is also Chairman of a commercial bank controlled by JKH?  This person is expected to be elevated to the position of JKH Chairman next year. The writer emphasizes that the mere listing of names and entities in tax havens is not indicative of wrongdoing.

Radhika Coomaraswamy’s clarification on the issues raised in this article is awaited in the Sri Lanka and Global public interest.

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Latest comments

  • 9
    2

    “Impeccable credentials” – my foot!

  • 10
    0

    to RC silence is golden in many matters so you wont get a reply
    many famous people have a hidden dark side
    it is time the hrc was thouroughly investigated
    another member is a relative 0f RC
    the panama papers have been forgotten just as many other things have been in SL

  • 15
    1

    Rathika loves power, money, fame and wants to be the center of attention, so she will run after any post. But her brother is crashing the Sri Lanka economy with Bondscam Ranil who looted the Central Bank with the advice of Washington’s Economic Hit men – MCC and IMF.
    Sri Lanka is being deliberately targeted to prise it out of China’s sphere in the Cold War between China and US. Lanka is now in the Washington “debt trap and Bail out business” and we see the Art of the Deal unfolding from Trumpland.
    Washington and its Asian proxy, Japan, whose dubious Namura Ratings (which bought Lehman brothers after the 2008 financial crash) gave the signal and is crashing the Lankan rupee. US is shopping to buy strategic assets – land and transport sector infrastructure cheap in Sri Lanka at this time.
    Also, a perfect storm has been created with Fake news regarding a Rajapaksa com back with 2 US citizens, Basil and Gota to distract media from the crashing economy and rupee with the Bondscame Ranil, Sira, US citizens Rajapaksa power struggle after MR’s visit to Delhi.
    Thus, On Oct 05, 2018 Colombo: Executive Vice President of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) David Bohigian and other U.S. government officials visited Sri Lanka The trip promoted U.S. investment in the region and strengthened cooperation with regional allies to drive economic growth and stability, the U.S. Embassy in Colombo said.
    The delegation met with Minister of Finance and Mass Media Mangala Samaraweera from the Government of Sri Lanka as well as representatives of American businesses active in the Sri Lankan market.
    Meanswhile US Economic Hit men are drafting Bondscam Ranil’s economic policies including Vision 2025 to benefit America First and the Global 1 percent. Bondscam Ranil, Mangala the Hairdresser and Avant Guard crook Tilak Marapaona all dance to IMF-WB, ADB and Millennium Challenge Corp. MCC i.e. Washington’s tunes.

  • 11
    0

    Thanks Mr.Muttukumaru,
    You have raised valid questions – and some probing. The issue is probity. Radhika madam should not skip these questions.
    Caesar said, “My wife ought not even to be under suspicion.”

  • 3
    9

    This essayist appears to have followed the career of the Coomaraswamys[ brother,sister and cousin] from day one!
    Why are they being singled out?

    • 10
      1

      Because she turned out to be the worst kind of traitor!

      Betrayed her own community that desperately needed her assistance in her official capacity and recognition to expose the dastardly treatment meted out by the State to an oppressed community – her own community at that!

      Instead she used her recognition to provide protection to the culprits, never mind how gruesome ofr of her community was massacred by the state!

      • 1
        8

        So back again with the bee in your bonnet! Keep your venom for people like Jeevan Thiagarajah. She actually commissioned the report but the Commission that took office after her did nothing with it. She tried in her position at the UN sent Alan Rock for example so much so that the people leaking this info accused her of bringing the responsibility to protect doctrine. For them she is a traitor because she betrayed the country for you she is a traitor because she betrayed the community- all proves that she was doing the right thing. Her report on Myanmar proves that she speaks truth to power regardless.

        • 10
          0

          Thushara,

          That is a pathetic defence!

          Radhika falsely claimed that she did not know the contents that would establish the truth on state’s massacres. And now you want to say she took her R2P seriously by reaching to the UN on the matter. How could she do that if she did not know the contents as she plainly claimed?! Why all the lies, smoke and screens and changing stories?

          She had a plumb job at UN if she was willing to bum-suck MR and bury the story – so she compromised her conscience and integrity, never mind that would deliberately deny justice to her own larger community that had suffered the massacre and more.

          Good try, but Myanmar proves nothing. Radhika had no personal gains to make by burying the truth. That is the difference knuckle-head!

          Education’s first real responsibility is to strengthen integrity. Those prostituting their education for personal gains are a disgrace and danger to the society– not just Radhika, but Jeevan, DJ, Rajiva, GL, ah yes, Muthukishna too!

          More sickening, perhaps, are those who rush to whitewash them!!

          • 0
            2

            You are the nutjob for human rights jobs at the UN you do not need government endorsement so your whole arguments falls flat. I just asked someone at the UN office no government endorsement so stop speaking untruths. She did not go there with MR’s approval he would have put one of his siblings. Whenever you write about her I will haunt you with this. She was my mentor got me all my breaks in life. I will not let you defame her.

            • 9
              0

              Thushara,

              Radkika does not need my help to defame her – she does that very well on her own! Just try to digest all the questions that Amrit has and even the previous CT article explicitly confirming that she was “caught red handed lying!”

              Your valiant attempt to provide a span-cloth (“amude”, if you will) to cover her shame, based solely on your personal indebtedness and gratitude for your personal-elevation, is quite gallant – nothing more, no substance!

              UN does not require by writ, but you are not unware of what is in practice – whether Governmental consensus is sought or not. This is not new to you but your sly attempt is obvious with your feigning naivety as you tried previously promoting the notion “if she was truthful in Myanmar, she must have been truthful in Sri Lanka”

              There is indeed much speculation as to why UN found the need to rush her out of Colombo before the UN would be forced to release a Final report, and why the sponsor, in any case, got that signed by RC even if she did not have the time to read the final version (while on the plane, was it?) Those speculations gain weight and credence, not because of me or Amrit, but by the continued reluctance, deception, and false statements by the proven liar Radhika.

              A liar, she is. A traitor she was. If she is forthright, she would not need an amude in the name of Thushara!! Amude, you want to be – amude, you will be, Thushara!!

              • 0
                7

                You are vicious mean man who obviously envies her. . There is no basis for your vilification except plain bile. People like you spread false rumours or exaggerate and twist real situations. You are the real nasty liars. In the old days we put up or were afraid of white vans but not anymore. Liar liar liar you are the liar!

                • 8
                  0

                  Thushara,
                  If as you say what Amrit and CT plainly state are only “false rumours or exaggerations and twists of real situations” all Radhika has to do is to explain her behavior and expose the falsity of those accusations. Why did she deny that the Report was finalized, and then change her story once CT exposed her. Why did she lie. Does it hold water for an eminent, legal academic to claim “though I signed it, I did not know the contents, and so will not take responsibility”?
                  Your desperate screaming the head off would have been amusing, if not for the tragic denial of justice to tens of thousands of massacred Tamil victims and their families whom Radhika battered out so callously and traitorously for a plum job for herself!

                  You are nothing but just a token of an excuse – a desperately minimal, flimsiest non-matter pretending to help Radhka hide her shame – yes, what else but a classic “amude”!

                  Radhika is a betrayer of her own community, and she found an amude in you! Good for you?!

                  • 0
                    2

                    Yea right the Sri Lankan government suggested Radhika’s name to be on the fact finding mission on Myanmar so that she could name generals that committed war crimes and give an analysis on genocide! You my dear sir are the nutjob liar- now you say well…not by writ but by practice…liar! Liar! Liar! You better invest in an amude

                    • 5
                      0

                      Thusara,

                      You just repeatedly reafirm that you are nothing but a pathetic crotch-cover, unable to either deny or explain why Radhika lied about her knowledge of the uncovering of mass murder of Tamils by the Rajapakse regime.

                      Radhika betrayed the Tamils and lied! That is not just what I said – but CT proved that and Amrit clerly spelled out those betrayal very effectively, elegantly and explicitly.

                      It is because of your and Radhika’s inability to forthrightly defend that betrayal that you have to just scream your head off, to save some sanity in your morbid mind that cared two hoots for those Tamils massacred and their families.

                      Radhika can try to hide her betrayal of her community from the world – but she cannot hide it from her conscience! That is what ultimately matters – Thushara the amude can only pretend to hide that horrid shame!

      • 2
        0

        We never regarded the Coomarasamys as Tamils. They have stooged people like JR for their own advantage from old times and have had a good life as a result.

    • 10
      1

      The essayist has probed for the good of the country at large, as the siblings are a duo playing an important role in the field of the country’s economy.
      I think the contribution by him is valid, in the context of the role played by certain other siblings in the previous administration which is now badly affecting the country’s economic stability currently.

  • 2
    2

    Ooouuhh! Lot of history.

    But Dr. Indrajit is not responsible for rupee depreciation and FATF blacklisting Lankawe. Ravi and Ranil used Mahendran. Almost nobody was accepting this when we were telling that first in 2016. Main reason for that misconception of was Chandra Jayaratne’s corrupted essays. He sounds like a Communist but running capitalist’s main coordinating bodies. That is another reason even the private sector is not picking up. But when we come back to the point, now Ranil and Mangala are using Dr. Indrajit. Only Cooli jobs are available for the Parai Demelos in Lankawe. But some of them brag a lot with their big mouths and when Kathirgamar’s end comes, they just humbly accept it. Mangala and Ranil passed Foreign Exchange Fraud Amnesty Act 2017 to help Old King to bring back most of his foreign deposit. There was country which told Mangala that Old King has $18B in foreign Banks. Mangala and Ranil got together and put a master plan to save that money because any time the West may freeze the money claiming not deposited with proper legal procedure & IDs. Because this was bothering them, they two brought the act in April 2017.
    Right after that Foreign Exchange Fraud Amnesty Act FATF listed Lankawe as number one crook in financial frauds. Now the rupee is also falling. That is the history; so there is nothing Dr.Indrajit to answer on that.
    Please change the question to Mangala and Ranil.
    Thanks.

  • 18
    2

    Amit, thanks for speaking truth to power!

    Indrajith is fiddling while Sri Lanka burns. ADB, World Bank/IMF and Japanese Govt. each hold more of Lanka’s debt than China. As Cb Governor he should be calling for debt cancellation from ADB and World Bank and IMF, but rather he is crashing the rupee, sending cost of living and fuel up and making the poor of Lanka pay for the greed of the political elites and business cronies.
    This is the neoliberal Bondscam model of development in Lanka’s “winner take it all society” that benefits the global 1 percent with America First.
    Indrajith the is an IMF clone and economic hit man who turns a blind eye to corruption. Hence NO investigation of Panama Papers leaks. His neoliberal stripes are well known, he is only a little better than A. Mahendran. During the days of the Rajapakas he told Basil that corruption was ok as long a job gets done. That was the policy at the Commonwealth Institute where he workd.

    Radhika Coomarawamy illustates the revolving door between money-politics, business, and the billion $ human rights industry, and its related Fake reconciliation with a new Constitution Industry

  • 5
    0

    .has claimed that she simply signed anything put in front of her by the Financial Controller, who she thought was not competent.

    Radhika Coomaraswamy is no ordinary person, This leads to the further perception that she is suitable to hold any high office locally or globally in her field of expertise. She has at various times then she knows what is she signing she has to answer and correct things even the financial controller who she things was not competent.

    Experts are always needed for advice on their respective field. make the non competent to competent.

    How did the Bond scam happened all are believed to be competent

    • 2
      0

      Bondscam happened with advice from IMF and MCCs Economic Hit men, because Washington wants Ranil rather than Mahinda Jarapassa who was seen as close to China to rule in Lanka.

      After Bondscam was exposed IMF turned a blind eye to corruption which is the real reason for the economic crash in Lanka and lack of FDI because of corruption in the most important financial institution in Sri Lanka, investors have no confidence to invest in Lanka.

      Recall those famous pics with Christine Lagard and Arjuna Mahendran sitting so close and buddy buddy! Now IMF is crashing rupee so that US Govts’ Overseas Private investment Corporation (OCIC) an buy land and strategic transport infrastructure and data platforms cheap at this time in South Asia and rest of world as well.

      Of course this is Trump’s global strategy, strengthen the US dollar and buy assets cheap overseas. The art of the deal under the current US President Trump who is a businessmen is to put “America First”.
      Lanka’s Problem is that Lanka’s leaders are so morally and intellectually bankrupt that Ranil’s economic polices are designed by and to benefit America and NOT Sri Lankan who are suffering as cost of living and fuel prices escalate as dollar strengthen. Sri Lanka will soon be like the island Haiti, Greece or Venezuela..

  • 6
    0

    Sooner we will have a Gedara Yana Gaman CJ.
    Porter Liyanage as Foreign Minister.
    Nandikadal Butcher as Executive President.
    Prince Namal as Minister of Womens Affairs.
    etc..

  • 1
    0

    JKH and Killi Mahendran tie up has to be Investigated.
    Why is the PM silent and looking the other way.

  • 0
    2

    There are more eligible candidates from the BBS for this position with TRUE Buddhists values.

  • 14
    0

    Amit Thank You for bringing up this matter. You are being diplomatic and courteous in presenting your case. The fact of the matter is Lankan elites and so called intellectuals have a long history of double standards, hypocrisy, bidding for politicians and act as proxies for the crooked politicians, getting political favors and paying it back in service (when they willingly sacrifice there own integrity /ethics for other/material/monetary gains) and eventually some of them ending up causing significant collateral damage which are worse than intended by politicians. In Us there is Manafort, Gates and Cohen. In Lanka pretty much most of these elites turn out to be white collar criminals, when they get closer to politicians. As the saying goes “A dog which sleeps with flea infested companion will wakes up with fleas.That is when you see them going to UN and telling other leaders” Tsunami was nothing but a cyclone????, zero casualty????? and so on.

  • 3
    15

    It is very clear to me that this amrit muttukumaru has a private grudge against this lady for, this has not been the first time such tastelessly suggestive crap has beended directed at the same person.

    It is getting clearer by the day that very soon no person who values his / her self respect will ever want to take up a responsible position in this country and be vilified for the trouble.

    Unless of course amrit muttukumaru or his likes volunteers and then does the job satisfactorily. .

    • 11
      0

      If you want justice and FairPlay, why don’t you call for an inquiry. The charges are serious. Not only has this person cheated the people of Sri Lanka but she cheats the people of the world. If true, does she not have to be stopped. She began life calling herself doctor when she had a first degree (a JD) in law from an American university. Since then, it has been a life of deception.

  • 2
    2

    A case of one brother, a naughty one at that, not
    liking the sister doing well. Come on. Pull your
    trousers up, Amrit!!

  • 0
    0

    ‘The public perception is that she is a person of high integrity and competence in her field of expertise. “

    Who’s public perception ? My perception is that half of the country have never heard of her.

  • 1
    8

    Mr. Muttukumaru

    Don’t you have other fish to fry ?

  • 2
    3

    If JKH Director name leaked in the ‘Panama Papers’ in 2016, we should have pressurized the CBSL to do the investigation long back, not wait till CBSL governor’s sister getting appointed to see if she is going to push her brother against her colleague .

    What is the priority here investigation or to see how she is going to handle the situation? (Writer also says, “She has now moved into unchartered territory)

  • 1
    4

    Radhika please do not answer these questions as you are prone to do and have done plenty of times. The title gives it all away.

  • 1
    6

    One of the most beautiful women Sri Lanka has ever produced

  • 1
    10

    Recent comments, mostly sadistic I must add, on Radhika are unfortunate and clearly driven by mischief. She comes of illustrious stock – patriots all; exceptionally well learned in the finest educational institutions in the world. She is an internationally known and respected academic who brought much glory to her Motherland. That certainly invites a great deal of jealousy and often undue prejudice.

    As to Rama Mani, the loss of this talented academic to ICES and Sri Lanka was singularly unfortunate. She was removed from Sri Lanka, under very cruel circumstances – with her crying little son dragged from school to the airport. It was then said the whole drama was a result of a conspiracy. Cut-throatism and jealousy among some of our twisted “academics” was at play. Names of Rajeeva, Jeevan, Dayan were floating around at that time. It was widely believed then the charade was part of a wider plan to smear and weaken ICES. Even sources in the higher echelons of the land were dragged in to what was falsely claimed to be a global conspiracy – planned by the usual culprits US and Indian clandestine agencies – to harm Sri Lanka on a possible R2P rap.

    Pandaranayagam

  • 2
    0

    Amrit Muttukumaru seems to be from the golden era when one’s signature is part of self. One took the responsibility of the contents of a document signed. One read a document before signing.
    In the ‘modern’ era, “Oh oh…….. I signed without reading” explanation has been used at all levels all over the world. The use of this explanation (with or without the Ohs) has come to stay.
    Radhika Coomaraswamy is a very successful person in the ‘modern’ era.
    .
    Radhika as Under Secretary General and Special Representative for Children in Armed Conflict and as the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women went out of the way to define ‘genocide’ off the perception of Mr/Ms Commonsense.
    Radhika has been appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to the three member investigation team (Chaired by Mr. Marzuki Darusman – Yes, THE Darusman) to probe the alleged abuse of Rohingyas by Myanmar security forces. Rohingyas are poor and Muslims.
    How will ‘genocide’ be interpreted? Watch this space.

  • 5
    0

    Ken Balendran’s ghost is still ruiling John Keels. That is why so many important posts are held by Tamils there especially board of directors and very senior management.

  • 1
    4

    Well with many people I share a deep suspicion of corporations but they do have money and let us see if John Keells develops some corporate social responsibility programmes under Radhika. As for the other debate on the Human Rights Commission is this not an old debate? Didn’t she produce a letter or an article by Suriya Wickramasinghe saying that Suntheralingam had told her that the report had been handed in on the last day of Radhika’s term and Radhika had orderted it be published since it was an independent report but that the Commission that followed did nothing and did not include it in the annual report.

    • 7
      0

      Farzana,

      Yes, UN hurriedly took her off from Colombo, but made sure she signed the Final report even if she had not read the final report. You don’t see any suspicious intent here?

      If the Comission did nothing about it as you claim, Radhika’s “Social responsibility” should have dictated Radhika to reveal that the Report was finalized and that she had authorized its release.

      Social responsibility would in fact go further, in taking necessary steps to ensure the Commission does something about it, and not bury it. After all it was initiated by her, public-funding obtained by her, and work supervised by her. Instead she claimed first that it was never finalized, and once CT proved her wrong she admitted she signed it but claimed she did not know the contents! How deceptive and what conceit?!

      As a supervisor, even if she had not read the Final report, she would/should have followed the progress, joined in the interim discussions as the investigations proceeded, and very likely had approved the draft prior to finalizing.

      Her denials are as grotesque as her willful betrayal of her community – a sell-out just for a prestigious job. And we are to now expect leadership in “Social responsibility” from a proven reprobate, now strenuously holding mum?

  • 7
    0

    Corporate Social Responsibility, the fig leaf to cover all the sins. Businesses will comply with the conditions favourable to the consumer but with nothing to the Business, only when they are dragged kicking and screaming and with a foot at the door frame. See the example of JKH from quite some time ago.
    Good for India but not for Sri Lanka
    Sausages and meat products are made in and are popular in Sri Lanka – they are seen
    daily on TV and are eaten that frequently. Parents may think that they provide good
    nutrition and children love the taste. The packaging provides a long list of ingredients
    (Chicken, Cereal binder, Milk Powder, Spices, Phosphates E450, 451, 452 etc) and
    cooking and storage instructions. However there is no nutritional information (e.g. how
    many grams of protein, fat etc per 100 grams of sausage) on packing which is vital
    information necessary to judge the nutrition value.
    These products are exported to India too and they paste the information on their label. 100
    grams of Chicken Sausages contains 11.8 grams of protein, 19.6 grams of fat and 1.8
    grams of carbohydrate and so on. What does the other 66 grams contain – water?
    spices? Certainly nothing of any decent nutritional value.
    So why is the nutrition information given to the 1 billion people of India but kept secret
    from the 19 million in Sri Lanka? Perhaps the Sri Lankan Food Labelling regulations do
    not require it and the Indian does? Should not “socially responsible” companies provide
    such information voluntarily rather than doing it only when forced to by regulations?

  • 7
    0

    Even I have heard Radhika does not have a PhD but only a first degree but calls herself Doctor. An international commissioner is cheating the world and Sri Lanka

  • 0
    5

    I agree with Katha and hopefully Radhika will do something about it. I am Anna and Radhika is co-supervising my thesis on domestic violence issues in Sri Lanka. Along with Thushara, Jeyashankari and others we will be watching this website for its falsehoods and nastiness toward Radhika a role model for all of us. What really gets me is this argument that she suppressed a human rights report so that the government will give her an endorsement for a top human rights job at the UN. During those years one sure way of NOT getting a good human rights job was to get the endorsement of the Sri Lankan government. Except for Treaty bodies human rights jobs are not only about member states.

    • 7
      0

      Anna,

      May be you can ask your mentor why she first lied saying the Report was not finalized, and then after CT proved otherwise, claimed that she was unware of the contents though she signed it.

      Seems like a mentor and a role-model extraordinaire, in a surreal sense!!

    • 7
      0

      Anna,

      Watching the website for “falsehood and nastiness” is not something you can pride yourself with.

      As a researcher, if you are confident that they are falsehood and (irresponsible) nastiness, not just in comments such as mine, but the entirety of Amrit’s article and the previous article by CT, why don’t you discuss with your mentor and other co-researchers and as a responsible adult, let alone a serious researcher, provide a legitimate challenge and dispel these wretched “falsehood and nastiness”? What is stopping you?

      Just watching the website is plainly perverse – unbecoming of a responsible adult, and a worthy researcher, don’t you think?

      • 0
        3

        You win the prize as the nastiest! Our theory is that you wanted a human rights job that someone denied you. The others are free loading. One of our Colombo friends said that Amrit is a good man but someone has worked him up with wrong information- perhaps it was you.

  • 0
    4

    I am here with other Sri Lankan women mentored by Radhika. We must also remember that Radhika was the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women where she played a historical role. She was appointed to the SRSG post on children and armed conflict because of that and not because she was Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka. As Anna has pointed out women’s groups and children’s rights groups pushed for her appointment. The government of Sri Lanka had nothing to do with it. Then why would she suppress a report to get an approval that she did not need. All this nasty crap. Watching this site

    • 6
      0

      Thomas, Shankari, et al,

      If any one of you or Radhika can forthrightly answer why she lied (CT, not I, asserted she was caught red handed) and her rationale behind not taking responsibility although admitting signing off on the document, then all your speculations are moot, right?

      It is only beacuse you don’t have an escape by confessing to the truth that you have to speculate or even invent about my intentions and purposes. Jeevan is convinced I am after his job! Go figure!!

      You guys are miserable excuses for education and integrity!! Just because she mentored some successfully does entitle her to blind respect and glory – you have heard of the long time mentor and unchallenged role-model Dad, Bill Cosby – rignt?

      The speculation is Radhika undermined her community – she helped hide the truth about the massacres by the State. If she can convincingly dispel that, then all other nonsensical discussion here are unnecessary. It is her failure (aside from being “caught redhanded initially”) that adds credibility to the speculations about her motives and betrayal.

  • 0
    4

    I gather there will be no more posts. All the girls are complaining. Your editing is not fair to give Kumar the last word. We mostly enjoy the Colombo Telegraph but please don’t let yourself be manipulated against people who are good for the country.

    • 3
      0

      Thusara,

      (Part 1 of 3)

      I can only feel sorry for you seeing the last-effort pitiful appeal to CT as you and the “girls” have no valid explanations for your mentor’s behavior!

      It seems you and the “girls” are all adult researchers, seemingly mentored by Radhika, and your defense is based solely on your blind faith, respect and personal indebtedness to Radhika rather than any objective reasoning or assessment. Mentoring responsibility in research is to strengthen your curiosity, independent thought capability and the discipline for reasoned analysis. What you guys seem to have strengthened is mere blind if not servile faith and veneration, not unlike the typical cult-mentality mentored by a shyster!

      First, note that it was the CT and Amrit, and not me, who jointly made the full listing of the accusations of being “caught red handed lying” as well as the other details of complicity of Radhika in burying the evidence of atrocities by the State on Tamils. So, it is amusing that you would appeal to CT that CT should help to buffer from my challenges to you and to Radhika.

      Second, what gives you the monopoly on deciding who is and who is not “good for the country”? Don’t you recognize your cult-servility in that assertion? Was MR good for the country? Is Sirisena good or bad; How about Gota? Sarath Fonseka? Take a moment to reflect on the stupidity of your self-assured pomposity!

    • 3
      0

      Thusara, (Part 2 of 3)

      Third, please grow a back bone and strengthen your curiosity and independent thought if you want to be a productive researcher. As evident from you as well as the “girls,” the current mentoring is hardly helping you on that count. Here is a suggestion. You don’t need to wash dirty linen in public. But act responsibly if you want to provide any support and objective defense to Radhika against the accusation by CT, Amrit or me. Sit with Radhika as a group and insist on her explaining her lying and the reason for her helping the Government in keep the findings buried. You do need to be quite straight forward and insistent until you get explanations to your complete satisfaction – not waved off with mere run-arounds.

      For instance, does it make sense that Radhika who initiated and obtained funding for the investigation, only because she had some credible speculations on Government’s culpability, then loses all interest even to find out what exactly the investigation unearthed. Does that make sense? Is that socially responsible, especially given her official responsibility as well as her duty to her own community and to the country as a whole? Also, it will be enlightening to find out why the UN had to rush her out of the country in such a haste, unable to give her perhaps a week or even a couple of days to complete the work. Instead they would ask her, after she got on the plane, to sign off on a report that she hadn’t read! Curious, don’t you think? What was the emergency that UN needed her in such a rush to take up her new appointment? Open your minds.

  • 3
    0

    Thusara, (Part 3 of 3)

    One or more of you were patting your own back assessing my retorts as nasty. If only you would talk to just one of the families of the Tamil victims that was denied justice because of Radhika’s callous neglect of her solemn duty to her community, they will enlighten you on what exactly “nastiness” is!

    Do you think you and the complaining “girls” will have the mettle to discuss candidly with your revered mentor?! Once you find out the explanations, and you jot it down and forward to CT, then you will have the “final word” that you so desperately seek.

    • 4
      0

      Thusara and his complaining “girls,”

      I am not sure if you are still to discuss with your mentor or perhaps just contemplating how best to manipulate to get the “final” word. In any case some thoughts.

      Note that all of the specific accusations came from CT and Amrit – not from me. I am just furious that Radhika stays mum, showing gross lack of any sympathy or respect to the tens of thousands of suffering Tamils whom Radhika helped deny justice.

      If you read each of your comments above, you will note that you are far from being “researchers guided by a mentor” – but rather naïve devotees hypnotically chanting “she is a great mentor, she is a great hero, she is of great stock”, etc., none of which either addresses Amrit’s questions or matters to those pathetically wailing men and women who lost their dear ones.

      I am truly concerned that you are just being mentored on how to use attention grabbing civic issues to seek and obtain UN funding, but devoid of any conviction and determination to put the funding to good use. Wasn’t Radhika a perfect example on that count? She was instrumental in seeking and obtaining UN funding leveraging a tragic, humanitarian need within her own community, and used it up to conduct the investigation – and then cared too hoots about the findings or its implication. Abandoned all interest the moment she got another UN appointment! Just easy-money, UN perks and NO responsibility!

      It seems you are being mentored for exactly that. I can only hope that the issue of Violence against women and other similar issues that you are waving around too are not similarly mere job opportunities under the pretext of “research” with no more concern than Radhika had for her own community!

      • 4
        0

        Radhika,
        .
        I am responding to your morbid silence on Amrit’s reasonable request for clarification, a silence obviously dictated by absolute cowardice having treasonously denied justice to your own community still in untold misery, THANKS TO YOU!
        .
        Thushara was right – you betrayed the Tamils and the SL State. Both stand validated. You signed the Final Report at UN’s request but did it behind the backs of SL State while boarding to take up the hurriedly arranged UN appointment to whisk you out of Colombo. Obviously SL will never let anyone else sign that report once you leave. So, you betrayed SL to please UN, and ensure your upgrade. UN’s shenanigans in the triangulation with the Moons, Nambiar’s and SL defense, or Annan’s use of UN for familial enrichment are nothing new.
        .
        Your betrayal in helping SL Govt deny justice to your community, Sri Lankan Tamils, needs no further elaboration.
        .
        As long as sharks exist ready to milk the UN pretending to safeguard human rights, but effectively trample on exactly those so affected, and do that so mercilessly and callously, Human Rights issues will only get worse, much worse, not better. I guess, we now have a clear picture on your mentoring objectives!
        .
        There is a special place in hell for mercenaries who can see only lucrative opportunities in the misery of other human beings, and an even exclusive a place for those willing to give devoted, faith-driven protection, just to ensure their share of the spoils! Cover-up is often worse than the Crime!
        .
        If my relentless writing here is vicious and nasty (the girls are watching still?!), I am the happier if the pain caused is even a fraction of what you caused the Tamil population still grieving, THANKS TO YOU!
        .

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