The British government has come under heavy criticism from its main opposition for failing to seek the UN rights body’s approval to refer Sri Lanka to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Forty-seven member states of the UN Human Rights Council will be voting on a draft resolution aimed at promoting reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka at its 46th session due to wind up on March 23rd.
Michelle Bachelet
In a strongly worded letter to Nigel Adams, Minister of State for Asia, the Labour Party has slammed the resolution drafted by the core group of six nations led by the UK as “too vague and insufficiently robust, in terms of both its content and its tone”.
“It fails to reflect the extent of the devastating impact of the human rights abuses that have been perpetrated in Sri Lanka, and it also falls far short of what is required in terms of tangible action,” says ” Shadow Minister for Asia and the Pacific, Stephen Kinnock.
Echoing the disappointment of war-affected Tamils in Sri Lanka and abroad, the shadow minister has highlighted UK’s failure to refer Sri Lanka to the ICC.
“It fails to recommend that this matter should be referred to the International Criminal Court. We fully acknowledge that two of the Security Council’s permanent members would likely veto such a referral were it to be tabled, but this is not an acceptable argument against trying. The UK government’s approach to the UN Security Council should not be determined simply by the veto-wielding intentions of two of its permanent members.”
The UN High Commissioner on Human Rights Michelle Bachelet urged member states to apply principles of universal or extraterritorial jurisdiction to violations committed in Sri Lanka.
She recommended exploring possible targeted sanctions such as asset freezes and travel bans against credibly alleged perpetrators of grave human rights violations and abuses.
The Labour’s Shadow Foreign Minister has questioned the UK government’s inaction in this regard when it has a Global Human Rights sanctions regime (the so-called Magnitsky sanctions), which impose asset freezes and travel bans on those who are guilty of gross human rights violations.
“It is very difficult to understand why not a single senior Sri Lankan government minister, official or military officer has been designated under this regime,” says Stephen Kinnock MP.
“This is a test of the moral authority and consistency, which you claim underpins the government’s Global Britain’ strategy. The UK government owes it to the victims and survivors of the atrocities that have taken place in Sri Lanka to ensure that it rises to the occasion and shows the moral courage and leadership that is so urgently needed,” he concludes.
The letter in full below:
chiv / March 9, 2021
Over to Evil Eagle, Perera , Soman and of course Dinuk , Please emlighten us with your precious knowledge on , how bad is UK and their Labour party.
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RAVI PERERA / March 9, 2021
Good Luck to your lab party. Nothing will happen to our Ranaviruvo
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Native Vedda / March 10, 2021
RAVI PERERA
The Sinhala Speaking Demela
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“Nothing will happen to our Ranaviruvo”
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Of course nothing will happen dumb Demela.
I suggest instead of living off Hindians, just take a walk through Hambantota where poor farmers are protesting for the past 53 days.
Do you know why?
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Pray for luck.
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Eagle Eye / March 10, 2021
Chiv,
When they ruled some of our guys licked the sss of those guys and managed to get all kinds of favors and became the most privileged group in this country. Now those guys are licking the sss of our guys who live there to get their votes. Not a bad deal!
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Sinhala_Man / March 11, 2021
We don’t want any of those guys interfering in our affairs.
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But if we ran our country better they wouldn’t be able to say these things.
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The ball is in our court.
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chiv / March 9, 2021
Your comments will be seconded by Ramona from Pittsburgh. There will follow up article from Rusiri / Laksiri duo supporting it.
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Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam / March 10, 2021
UK can act by imposing economic embargo and applying principles of universal jurisdiction. It is reported that the highest FDI (20%) to Sri Lanka is by UK, even above China (12%). Also large amount of exports from Sri Lanka goes to UK, USA, Canada and EU. Institute action in UK courts against Sinhala war criminals and request Interpol to produce them for trial. Conservative members supporting Tamil cause will take this up with the government. UK must arrest its citizens like Nosey Boy and his Sinhala lackeys, who are denying war crimes of SL
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Eagle Eye / March 10, 2021
Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam,
UK celebrated ‘Women’s Day’ while a woman who put cyanide capsules around the neck of women suicide attackers that killed Sinhalayo living there without facing charges for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
What a shame!
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You remind me the fox that went after the goat’s hanging thing.
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Nathan / March 9, 2021
The wheels of justice roll slowly. The international community does not move at speeds that rock the boat. Let us be patient.
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Dinuk / March 9, 2021
Does the UNHRC call for truth , accountability, and justice for the victims of the ISIS claimed Easter Sunday 2019 carnage that killed 250 people? If not, why not?
Accountability of the foreign hands behind the Easter carnage in Sri Lanka that spread Islamophobic terror narratives need to be revealed for non-recurrence of such deadly violence. Is there a devil’s bargain between the Colombo regimes and the Western block to hide the truth by using the UNHRC Report to ensure that the PCoI on the Easter Sunday cover up report is keeps the lid on the truth?
But the PCoI actually reveals the truth –
1. The bi-partisan UNP- Pohotuwa, Ranil-Mangala and-US citizen Rajapaksa corruption racket behind the attacks and cover up of the fact that the United States, Special Operations Forces, Saudi funds and Isreal propaganda experts were behind the Easter Sunday carnage in order to give USA an excuse to get SOFA and MCC signed in Sri Lanka in order to set up a military base, purportedly to fight ISIS in and protect Christians, but really part of the hybrid war on China and the rise of Asia is clear. Citizens of Sri Lanka are not fools even though their leaders are corrupt to the eyeballs.
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Sarath / March 9, 2021
When you are after too much drink, powerful smoke etc., then your imagination runs riot and you can write about “Special Operations Forces, Saudi funds and Israel propaganda experts to give USA an excuse to get SOFA and MCC signed in Sri Lanka in order to set up a military base, purportedly to fight ISIS in and protect Christians, but really part of the hybrid war on China and the rise of Asia is clear.” Very informed and intellectual! So much so that us common people have no way of understanding or verifying these drunken allegations. Once again, sarong lifted crotch high and shouting at the moon.
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Eagle Eye / March 10, 2021
Dinuk,
“Does the UNHRC call for truth , accountability, and justice for the victims of the ISIS claimed Easter Sunday 2019 carnage that killed 250 people?”
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Ironically, that place is not there to seek truth, accountability and justice to the victims but to perpetrators of crimes.
In their report, no mention of LTTE.
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GATAM / March 9, 2021
In the shadows!
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Tony / March 9, 2021
Is their ex-leader still searching for WMD in Iraq? Someone should teach this idiot about utter barbaric crimes which were committed by British colonialists for 150 years.
And what the government of Sri Lanka is trying to fix is “the divide and rule mess” they left behind.
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Eagle Eye / March 10, 2021
Tony,
Oh no! They do not commit war crimes, crimes against humanity or human rights violations. They just take measures to promote ‘Democracy’.
One of the measures they took in Iraq to promote ‘Democracy’ was to impose comprehensive sanctions that caused the death of about half a million children. When asked from one of their darling ladies “Is the price worth it?” she said “we think the price is worth it.”
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“…utter barbaric crimes which were committed by British colonialists for 150 years.”
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Rumble 2021 / March 9, 2021
UNHCR – UN refugee and destitute supply chain for the resource riched (developing poor and begging nations) countries to the Developed Nations to be beggars grovelling for a longer stay and a passport eventually/hard working/save the economies and service the industry as required (usually the toilet washers inc)/take the abuse and loose all the dignity in their life for a dollar and a passport while the UN permeant member states sell Armes for the liberators/insurgencies/freedom fighters(not sure what and who’s freedom they were fighting in a free and prosperous Sri Lankan then in the 70’s) and at the sometime train and sell Armes to the armed forced of the same nations too.
In addition to the slavery and sacrifices some abused and played the system to their advantage not contributing to Nation building in SL a land they left nor to take the new homes countries in the right direction of better human cohabitation principles using the million men and woman connection to both the lands prospering both communities at the same time.
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Thiru / March 9, 2021
To get the true story of what is happening to Tamils and their land in North-East Sri Lanka,
please read the long article by Mittal of The Oakland Institute Oakland, CA 94619 The Oakland Institute, 2021
THE DESTROYED LAND, LIFE, AND IDENTITY OF THE TAMIL PEOPLE IN SRI LANKA
New report accuses the government of driving Sinhalese colonization in Tamil areas
As the 46th session of the UNHRC assesses the new resolution on Sri Lanka, a new report from the Oakland Institute, Endless War: The Destroyed Land, Life, and Identity of the Tamils in Sri Lanka, brings forth shocking new evidence on the extent of the continued persecution of the minority Tamil population in the North and East of the country.
Under the guise of “development projects,” government driven Sinhalese colonization is growing within Tamil areas with the intent to change demographics and deny Tamil communities access to their land.
“Denying Tamils access to their ancestral land, changing the name of villages, replacing churches and Hindu temples by Buddhist viharas, and victory monuments dedicated to the Sinhalese domination, is a concerted effort to erase the Tamil history and culture,” Mittal said, adding that “the government’s strategy is also to geographically fragment the traditional Tamil homeland — the North and the East of the country.”
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Eagle Eye / March 10, 2021
Thiru,
I glanced through this report. This is a highly biased report that contains factually incorrect statements.
These researchers have believed bloody lies told by Demalu without verifying them from other sources.
They say “Thousands of acres of land have been confiscated to allow the settlement of Sinhalese…” This gives the impression that the Government took land belonged to Tamils by force. This is a blatant lie. When the Government start settlement schemes, they use ‘State Land’.
They say “to allow the settlement of Sinhalese in traditional Tamil areas”
How come the descendants of Dravida slaves brought to Yapanaya by Portuguese and and Dutch and eventually sought asylum in Sinhale have ‘Traditional Tamil areas’? These dumbos who did this research did not check the history of Sinhale/Sri Lanka. The land that Tamils occupy in the North and East are land belong to Sinhale, the country of Sinhalayo. Sinhalayo had their Kingdoms Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa destroyed by Dravida invaders in the North East of the country.
I will write to The Oakland Institute and tell them the truth about Tamils and ask them to withdraw this report that contains incorrect information that tarnish the image of Sri Lanka and Sinhalayo.
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Good Sense / March 9, 2021
Letter by Stephen Kinnock MP, to Nigel Adams the Minister of State for Asia is an eye wash and is written please his constituents and well wishers. The Foreign Office in UK is bureaucratically managed and is going to sound matters to a level that will best safeguard the interests of UK as a whole considering geo-political implications as well which Stephen Kinnock is well aware of. The writer of the letter is well aware that just because he writes one, the machinery will not necessarily respond to his call. If the Foreign office does not adequately respond he is going say “Boys! work hard to get a labor government next time to met your aspirations.”. If the foreign office does respond to some extent then he is going to say “Look! our efforts have worked and must continue to do our good work.”.
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