The former Chairperson of the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission Dr. Radhika Coomaraswamy now says, she did receive the Special Rapporteur Suntheralingam’s report on high profile human rights violations, and ordered it to be published.
Dr. Radhika Coomaraswamy
Last night she states further; “contrary to the suggestions made in the comments, at no time did I seek or receive endorsement from the Sri Lankan government for any of my UN appointments. Please publish this as your report has done unnecessary damage, since it seems to imply that we were pressurized to suppress the report and that we succumbed to that pressure.”
When asked for her opinion on the non-publication of the report, she said “It is not proper to comment on the actions of the HRC Commissions that came after me.”
Two days ago, Dr. Coomaraswamy told Colombo Telegraph that Dr. Deepika (Udagama) had also confirmed that the report was not finalized when they left the HRC. “Neither she nor I can remember the contents and if it had been finalized we would surely have remembered,” Dr. Coomaraswamy said.
Yesterday the Colombo Telegraph has published the unpublished report commissioned by the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission in 2006 which had explicitly concluded that security forces personnel were involved in several high profile human rights violations including the killing of five students in Trincomalee in January 2006 and the abduction on 31 January 2006.
We publish below our correspondence with Dr Coomaraswamy;
From Dr Coomaraswamy to Colombo Telegraph;
After your email I researched this matter of the Special rapporteur’s report of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka on the killing of the Trincomalee five. Suriya Wickremesinghe in her tribute to Mr. Suntheralingam which actually can be found on your website (November 7th 2013) had this to say- taken from what Mr. Suntheralingam told her
‘In January 2006 Suntheralingam was, with MCM Iqbal and Visakha Dharmadasa assisting, appointed by the Human Right Commission of Sri Lanka to look into conflict related killings taking place during the ceasefire. High profile cases so examined into were the abduction of the Tamil rehabilitation Organisation staff, the killing of five students at Trincomalee, the rape and murder of Elyathambi Tharshini, the killing of Kattankudy Divisional Secretary ALM Faleel and the killings at the Akkaraipathu Mosque. The report which had important conclusions and recommendations was HANDED OVER TO THE CHAIRPERSON ON HER LAST DAY OF OFFICE AND ORDERED TO BE PUBLISHED’
As you know I left for New York that night. I did not have time to review the contents nor did the rest of the Commission. We expected the Commission that followed to do the right thing. Please also note that contrary to the suggestions made in the comments at no time did I seek or receive endorsement from the Sri Lankan government for any of my UN appointments. Please publish this as your report has done unnecessary damage since it seems to imply that we were pressurized to suppress the report and that we succumbed to that pressure. I am sorry I did not bring this to your attention earlier-RC”
From Colombo Telegraph to Dr Coomaraswamy;
To the best of your recollection, when did you resign as Chairperson of the SL HRC. Was it on or about the 15th April, 2006?
In Suriya Wickramasinge’s account of the matter, in her obituatary for Mr. Sundaralingam, she writes, the report was, “ORDERED TO BE PUBLISHED”. Did you, as Chairperson order its publication? Who ordered its publication? Would Mr. Sundaralingam have the authority to order its publication? If indeed, you “As you know I left for New York that night. I did not have time to review the contents nor did the rest of the Commission,” how could it be that you ordered its publication?
The public record indicates that Justice P Ramanathan was appointed commissioner after your resignation. After his death in Dec. 2006, Justice Anandacoomarasway was appointed commissioner. Are you aware the report of the SL HRC for 2006 (http://hrcsl.lk/PFF/2006%20&%202007%20%20HRC%20Annual%20Report.pdf), makes no mention of the Sundaralingam report. Would you comment on this omission, even if you were unaware of the omission up until now?
To the best of your knowledge did other sitting commissioners, including Dr. Udugama, who you have cited in the previous email, protest the omission of the Sundaraligam report in the annual report of 2006?
Quite apart from its mention or omission in an annual report, would you comment on the non publication of the report?
From Dr Coomaraswamy to Colombo Telegraph;
The term of my Human Rights Commission ended on the 31st of March 2006. The term for all the Commissioners ended up on that date, including Ms. Udagama. I left for New York that night and took up my posting on the 15th of April at the United Nations.
I have now spoken to individuals both at HRC and some of the investigator team and they confirm that all the members of the suntheralingam investigation came to see me on the 31st and handed over the report. I said I had no time to read it but given its importance called the secretary to the Commission and in the presence of the investigators ordered him to have it published.
It is not proper to comment on the actions of the HRC Commissions that came after me.
Related posts;
T. Suntheralingam, A Judge Like Many Others
crazyoldmansl / January 7, 2014
Ah my beauty past compare how sweetly you sing a new song! Typical UNesque posturing and absolutely spineless wiggling around. Mahinda though foolish is upfront about his positions. This on the other hand is disgraceful and well in the tradition of WMDs.
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Benson Burner / January 7, 2014
Ms. Coomaraswamy appears to be suffering from bouts of amnesia. The fact that justice Suntheralingam is no more appears to be in her favour.It would unfair to draw him into this debate. She now admits:”I had no time to read it but given its importance called the secretary to the Commission and in the presence of the investigators ordered him to have it published”. It is very unlikely that secretary would not have carried out her instructions unless they had very valid reasons to do so.She cannot therefore now disclaim responsibility for the succeeding Commission for not publishing it. Her hypocrisy is quite evident. Benson
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Thiru / January 8, 2014
Rat(thika)is abandoning ship before the ship sinks in Geneva 2014.
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Real Peace / January 9, 2014
Rathika C did not forget to talk about the HR violations committed by the LTTE. But she turned a blind eye or kept her mouth shut about the horrendous HR violations committed by the SL regime. What a disgusting woman she is. Positions and money made her an HR [Edited out].
Well done CT, you have done a good job *******************
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Raj / January 7, 2014
Can any one give us the the amount of money spent for this report, which I guess is paid by public funds. I also wonder whether any disciplinary action will be taken for negligence in the part of the respective officials for not publishing the report on a timely basis.
Of course credit goes CT for bringing this issue to public.
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Ajith / January 7, 2014
Dr. Radhika Kumaraswamy is another face of Sharma of Commonwealth. She was part and partial of a cover up in support of the Sinhala regime. Why was she silent until now?
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Burt / January 8, 2014
Can you trust any professional in Sri Lanka just because they put their name to it?
“Jan 07, 2014 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s key business chambers have called for a probe on official statistics following reports on how an official was allegedly asked to boost gross domestic numbers in a court filing.”
SAD!
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Kunju / January 7, 2014
All this is because Ms. Coomaraswamy took Colombo Telegraph into her confidence. Her vast experience should have told her that journalists will be journalists and she is silly for being so trusting. She did the right thing the Wickremesinghe tribute says it quite clearly- she got the report on her last day she ordered that the Secretary publish it even if she had not read it because it was important for her. Who are trying to cast her in a bad light? The LtTTE supporters who have not forgiven her because she refused to condone their atrocities or the government because she is so independent? I do however suggest she take Gingko Bilboa for her memory
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Kumar R. / January 7, 2014
The argument she didn’t have the time to read the final version before release holds no water – it is ludicrous.
She was fully involved and in fact had the lead role in the investigations, and so there is no question that she was regularly kept informed of the minutest of the details as they were uncovered. There is also no question that she would have had ample opportunities to review previous drafts and discuss with the author, and possibly even part-take, if not lead, in many group discussions with the investigating team.
There is no chance she had anything less than full knowledge of the crimes, well before the final version was compiled — she had nothing to learn about the truth from the final version. That excuse is nothing more than a cop-out.
CT, perhaps it will be worth asking Radhika if she had seen the drafts prior to the final version; were the horrific details so unimportant that she can’t remember them? Even if she left for the new job, was she so disinterested to check up on the progress after she left office? Having known the gruesome details, did it ever occur to her to discuss the issues with other HR personnel at the UN?
Lame excuse after lame excuse is not going to help recover any credibility. Coming clean forthright may help.
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gamini / January 7, 2014
Kumar,
How can she come out clean on this, knowing the gravity of the Commission Report and it’s Importance when Human Rights Violations in Sri Lanka has been heard from every corner of the World and had CT not brought this lapse to the notice of the readership, this women would have kept quiet. Now she is trying to find scape goats to palm blame. She is a damn DISGRACE to the entire Tamil Race.
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shankar / January 8, 2014
” She is a damn DISGRACE to the entire Tamil Race.”
Not only that,she is a damn disgrace to women too.Who will entrust women with responsible positions if they behave like this giving excuses of last day and could not read etc.Then back to the kitchen it will be for vast humanity that has been fighting hard to leave the bloody kitchen and get into the office.Once you get into the office you can’t be complaining that it is too hot here.
She has let down women very badly.It is women and children who are worst affected due to human rights violations in this world.It is women who have also been the brunt of male chauvinism and shoved into a corner with limited roles in shaping the destiny of humanity.When women get a chance with responsible roles like this they should seize this opportunity for their fellow genders sake and try to do a better job than the males and show the way forward instead of silly excuses like kindergarten children like this.
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M.Sivananthan / January 10, 2014
She worked for the Sri Lankan government and not to the “corners” of the world.
Did you ever read the report?
What are the big things there?
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shankar / January 11, 2014
“What are the big things there?”
Everything deleted now that justice suntheralingam is dead.Co incidence that he died a few weeks ago?
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M.Sivananthan / January 11, 2014
So, you dont find anything suitable for dollar collection.
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shankar / January 13, 2014
There is,for example this,though it may not be in the report.Because of large number of brutal atrocities no need to rely only on this report only.
http://tamilnation.co/images/indictment/060608vankalai1.jpg
http://tamilnation.co/images/indictment/060608vankalai3.jpg
http://tamilnation.co/images/indictment/060608vankalai2.jpg
The whole village ha gone to the church to sleep in the night,this family had got late to go it seems.So the beasts would have had a gala time sadistically torturing and raping the whole night and even their screams nobody in the village to hear.If people like your radika had done their jobs fearlessly like lasantha these may have been avoided.This happenned in june 2006.here is an excerpt from the internet
[The father, daughter and son were hanging dead in one room while the mother was dead on the floor in another room. The intestines of the seven year old boy are seen protruding. The vaginal area of the twenty – seven year old mother and nine year old daughter were extremely bloody. It appears that the killers have sadistically tortured their victims including the thirty – eight year old father.]
Here is another excerpt
[Both the father and the two children are alleged to have been tortured, and stabbed before being killed by hanging. The father Moorthy Martin had been stabbed in the stomach and chest. Son Ann Nilxon had been stabbed in the stomach causing his intestines to disgorge.Daughter Ann Luxia had stab wounds around her viginal area.]
Here is a excerpt from DBSJ
[Mary Madeleine was dead on the floor lying naked in a pool of blood. There were signs of her being sexually assaulted brutally. The bodies of Martin and the children were hanging inside the room. They had been tortured , beaten and hacked to death. Pieces of rope in the house were used to hang the bodies. The intestines of the boy were protruding. The areas around the girl’s vagina were crimson red with blood. It was feared that she too had been violated.
The carpentry tools of Martin like the “uli” or chisel had also been used to prick, cut and torture the victims. In addition heavier and sharper weapons like knives or bayonets too had been used to hack the victims. Some sado – masochistic persons with a bestial nature had been at work in the house. No firearms were used . The cold – blooded barbarity of a brutal nature defied description. Only people crazed with callous hatred or those whose senses had been distorted through narcotics could have inflicted such gruesome cruelty.]
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M.Sivananthan / January 17, 2014
Which village you refer here?
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shankar / January 19, 2014
can’t you see from the link given it is vankalai in mannar.
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valluvanv / January 12, 2014
Well said,
hats off to CT
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J.Thavarajah. / January 7, 2014
There is an old Chinese proverb.Dead men tell no tales.Mr.Suntheralingam died a few weeks ago.
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Leon / January 7, 2014
Yes to say that she did not have the time to read the report is totally unacceptable. Ms C’s term ended on the 31st of march 2006 and she took up the UN appointment on April 15th 2006. She had ample time to read the report as well as to inquire whether the report was published.
The question that should be asked, which any normal person would have done is why dint she give at least a telephone call to Mr Sundaralingam to find out whether the report was published.
Please Ms C come out with the actual truth, your credibility is at stake and your fitness to hold a responsible position with the UN.
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shankar / January 8, 2014
“fitness to hold a responsible position with the UN.”
Sack her from the UN.Ettapans have ruined the tamils from time immemorial.We should first clean up our won stables and not have ettappans in any positions of authority if we want to get ahead.The enemy within is the most dangerous of all because it can do untold damage by running with the hare and hunting with the hounds.
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Kumar R. / January 8, 2014
This is not merely a Tamil issue. It relates to proper Governance and UN’s responsibility in helping in the process of ascertaining some basic HR principals that the countries have agreed to for global good.
Radhika had a very responsible position in SriLanka that to a large extent involved HR issues. She had the right to appoint and fund a commission to investigate violations. She led and coordinated such an investigation on very specific issues, and the investigations revealed multiple misdeads by high-profiled forces and the State.
Having first tried to evade a confirmation, she has now conceded that she did authorize the release.
First, her signature attests to her taking the responsibility for the contents – whether she read it or not is irrelevant. You and I can’t sign and agreement or contract and then claim I didn’t have the time to read the contract and so am not bound by it. You sign it; you own it.
Second, since the investigation under her commission revealed Government’s culpability in crimes including murder, torture and abduction, as an HR official, she had the responsibility to bring that to the attention of officials, public, and the parliament, and in fact the International HR officials. Her changing job is not an excuse for not following through.
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M.Sivananthan / January 9, 2014
Ettappan? Who is that? Your grand father?
Killing Tamils is an easy business for LTTE morons. That is the history. You also cry to get the head of this woman. It is too late we took many heads of the LTTE morons. You lost an opportunity of dollar collections.
You talk about human rights. That is the funny thing. Butcher talks about vegetarianism.
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shankar / January 10, 2014
Biggest ettappan was prabha.
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M.Sivananthan / January 10, 2014
When did you realize it? Now or after the white flag?
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shankar / January 11, 2014
When he started to kill Indian jawans.
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gamini / January 10, 2014
I believe Gota is the biggest ettappan, trying to be a Vegetarian when he is really a Butcher.
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shankar / January 10, 2014
Ettappans are bastards who betray their own people.Gota may have other faults but i don’t think he has betrayed the sinhalese intentionally.His actions may backfire on the sinhalese one day but he is not an ettappan because it would not have been intentional which is i think a crucial aspect of ettapanity.
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M.Sivananthan / January 17, 2014
Butchering LTTE morons is always a good job.
LTTE wanted more people should be killed to increase their support for Eelam. All the Tamil diaspora morons never asked to stop the killing the fleeing Tamils by LTTE.
Now all of the LTTE morons became human rights activists. If LTTE purposely kill Tamil people. it is not a cocern for the Tamil morons.
LTTE killed Tamils purposely for a foolish propaganda.
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shankar / January 11, 2014
“Vegetarian when he is really a Butcher.” There is another word for that.Hypocrite?
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Sowden Edward Asange / January 12, 2014
Hence someone once said…”God save me NOT from my Enemies BUT from my FRIENDS, for….. enemies will always be enemies, but a friend who is a snake under the grass is invisible….”
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aratai / January 7, 2014
.
Damage is done Dr…get your facts together…. who knows, this report might come up in upcoming geneva meeting in march?
:-)
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Kunju / January 8, 2014
Why this campaign against RC. Let us ask ourselves will the current Human Rights Commission appoint any Special Rapporteur? She not only appointed one but someone of great integrity and character. If she wanted to cover up she need not have done anything at all. We must give credit where credit is due and now move forward with a demand for justice. At least thanks to her Commission’s proactive work we have this report. She cannot be held responsible for its non release it is the Commission after that must bear that responsibility. Knowing her she will be happy to come before any international process and she will do a sterling job.
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shankar / January 8, 2014
like calling people for a dinner and giving wattalapan only.
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RajasH / January 8, 2014
another day in the office for her
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G1 / January 8, 2014
“We don’t need an international investigation when we have had a vibrant civilization of 2,500 years. We have perfectly educated people and I think we’re perfectly capable of carrying out our own domestic inquiry. –Nonis”
This is what our Patriot NONIS mahathaya meant by “perfectly educated people carrying out our own domestic inquiry” I guess. :-)
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M.Sivananthan / January 8, 2014
Human Rights is now a tool for intimidation and thuggery only. USA/Canada/UK and some countries always involved in the violation of Human Rights but they use the same to intimidate other countries.
In the case of Radhika Cumarasamy, she finished her job and left for another job. What is the big deal here? In her new job, she exposed many truths about the child abuse of LTTE.
Further the LTTE supporters better shut their mouths on the human Rights issues because they have no moral rights to talk on the matter.
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aratai / January 8, 2014
.
Please note that one of the student who was killed is the son of a Dr., who was against LTTE and a UNP’er, who even treated many SL soldiers.
Do you want him to shut his mouth too?
:-)
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Kautilya / January 8, 2014
“As you know I left for New York that night. I did not have time to review the contents nor did the rest of the Commission. We expected the Commission that followed to do the right thing” – Radhika C.
“one of the student who was killed is the son of a Dr., who was against LTTE and a UNP’er, who even treated many SL soldiers.” -Arati
May be she was going to come back as the head of the R2P forces who were poised to take over the whole of Sri lanka and exercise the “right tom protect”. Unfortunately that did not fall into place.
Now you see that Radhika C has her own agenda, her own career etc. Paid agents of various organizations have to follow the dicta of their pay masters.
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M.Sivananthan / January 9, 2014
Who is that Dr?
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shankar / January 8, 2014
“In the case of Radhika Cumarasamy, she finished her job”
What do you mean finished.She did not do her job before she left,that is the point.She was employed in her role to fulfil a task and she did not fulfil it.She had two weeks between the two jobs to also follow up.She did not do that too.After taking the new job she did not follow up her unfinished business.When i migrated abroad i called my replacement and tied up loose end for which i would have been blamed for not finishing.
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M.Sivananthan / January 9, 2014
You have no experience and not know the procedures in public employment. Your expectations of political issues cannot be settled by her.
You guys want her to do your politics. She was not assigned for the job and she is not a politician.
Did you or any other LTTE moron ever talk on the issue of child soldiers of LTTE? She exposed the matter in her UN assignment.
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shankar / January 9, 2014
There is nothing for her to expose you EPDP pimp and procurer of tamil women for army.the whole world knew that the LTTE was having child soldiers. Radika need not expose ,there are plenty of photos and videos of children with guns and those were not banned by the LTTE.She was good at ‘exposing’ something that everyone already had been exposed to but failed to do her job as a human rights commissioner which is playing with lives unlike other jobs.Got the point you idiot.She should have published the report and then taken the UN job.I’am sure the UN would have understood and given her a bit of extra time to finish her work and come for the new job because the job she was going into was also a related type of one.It was obvious that she deliberately got out of the responsibility of publishing the report and passed the buck to her successor knowing fully well that it will not be published at all.It is integrity that we are talking here you idiot about not your pet subject of the LTTE with whom you have had your traditional inter tamil cut throat rivalry with.We are not interested in her doing politics for tamils,just that she does the job that she had undertaken to do for the tamils.By not doing it she denied someone else from doing it.The human rights abuses should have been nipped in the bud at that time and maybe we could have avoided the huge casualties that occurred later.So she has to take some responsibility for that.
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M.Sivananthan / January 9, 2014
Pimping is your business. LTTE morons like you never know the UNO or Sri lanka.
You ask her successor the reasons for not publishing the report. Tamil morons like you never know anything about the issues of child soldiers or the rights of the children.
You guys sang Hosanna for LTTE morons all the years.
Try to know how an employee will work when changing employers.You are a typical Tamil donkey!
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shankar / January 10, 2014
We are both tamil donkeys.Welcome my donkey brother.We are donkeys because the sinhalese kicked our ASS well and truly.
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Sri / January 8, 2014
Fradulant Pilot & the US based President of the Fraud for Justice, shut your mouth.
How much you and your brother donated to the LTTE? Shall I tell you?
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Kuththuvilakku / January 8, 2014
Now RC says she received the report but did not know the contents!!! How can one with her higher degrees say she ordered the release of the report without knowing its contents!!! Not a good reflection on the Universities she got her degree from or where she taught.
I agree with Kumar R that CT should ask her about her denial that she did not know the content of the report.
Knowing the dignity, integrity and competence of the Author of the report, and that RC has ordered the publication of the report (assuming she is telling the Truth) a person with her higher degrees would have taken a copy of the report with her to read it in her flight to the UN briefing on her new assignment. Or at least read it during her arrival in New York and the 10 days before she assumed duties so she is aware of what she ordered to be published.
It is hard to believe that a person who was to be in charge of reporting and eliminating the curse of Children in combat is disinterested in reading the report of the commission she initiated on the killing of children in Trincomalee and killing of civilians by the state.
It is also strange that RC is denying that the then Madame President of Sri Lanka or her Ministers dealing with the UN did not support her initial application to the post at the UN.
My only appeal to RC is please do not accept any appointments that has to do with the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed on Tamils or anyone anywhere.
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Kunju / January 8, 2014
First it is she did not publish now it is she did not read- how is she to read a two volume report that is given to her on the last of her term in office. After that day she has no right to do anything as Chair of the Human Rights Commission. Obviously some of the people above have an agenda and we all know what it is- it has nothing to do with seeking the truth. RC
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Agnos / January 8, 2014
Ms. Coomaraswamy?
Signing as RC, a Freudian slip?
No use blaming people here or questioning their motivations. Final reports like this are formalities; the rapporteur would have given you detailed heads up on his findings. Knowing full well that you were going to leave HRC, you could have asked for the report’s finalization a few days earlier and publicized it yourself. After all, there is not much in that report that would take an inordinate amount of time to prepare. The whole report could be done in a day or two. Your actions are therefore suspicious, consistent with, at a minimum, a desire to kick the can down and avoid getting blamed. And your lame excuses are only making things worse for you.
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Kumar R. / January 9, 2014
Agnos,
Good catch on the inadvertant RC signature in Kunju’s comment.
Adds to the credibility-loss of this once celebrated “straight talk” opportunist! Has not guts to defend her official work performance and moral responsibilities – now have to hide under pseudonyms and make derogatory remarks on legitimate critics rather than provide any objective defense. How low can you go?!
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Ken Robert / January 10, 2014
agnos
Signing as RC, a Freudian slip?
Kunju’s style of writing in English is a dead give away. Kunju can’t be RC.
ken
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shankar / January 10, 2014
Kunju’s real name is manju.Short for manjula as known in UNSECO by her colleagues.She is RC’s kunju.
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ken robert / January 10, 2014
Shankar
It is quite likely kunju is closely associated with RC ( is she an IRC?). RC’s interview is in daily mirror. She is getting cheap publicity by stating the religious infuence in politics in Srilanka.
I would like to reiterate a comment made some one ” hiding the findings of the report in her position it self is a crime against humanity”.
I hope my countrymen note, our sytem chooses unprincipled stooges as aptly put by sivanathan ‘ she is loyal to the company she worked for’.
Thank you CT for this expose
Ken
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shankar / January 10, 2014
I was just joking mate.I knew kunju was radika.In one comment she mentions RC.In another comment she signs off as RC.They say man is a creature of habit.Apparently it seems women are also in the same boat.We all make mistakes in our life.If i could live my life all over again i would do things differently.Unfortunately none of us get that opportunity to live our life again and rectify the past.So since none of us are perfect just say a mistake was made and move on without giving childish excuses and going back to school again.It is a sensitive area human rights and those involved in it will have to get used to copping some flak.
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ken robert / January 10, 2014
Shankar
I agree .
Ken
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M.Sivananthan / January 10, 2014
hahaha sankara!
You have difficulties in dealing with Kunju. That is the trouble.
A guy Kali is crying You and me are the same.
Now you jump to the boat of Kali the smuggler.
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shankar / January 10, 2014
“A guy Kali is crying You and me are the same.”
Don’t worry about that,kali is an LTTE who went mad when pipe with barbed wire was inserted into his arse and pipe taken out slowly.He escaped from angoda(he pronounces as ankota when he told me)and now is always on the beach waiting to welcome the tamilnadu army which he says coming after march.
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Roshan / January 8, 2014
The lady has given an explanation. It is not fair to make unwarranted insinuations accusations against her.
The report has been around since 2006 and it might be a good idea to ask those who followed her as to why they did not take any action to publish it.
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Sam / January 8, 2014
Did you meet her recently?
Mind your business
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M.Sivananthan / January 9, 2014
Idiot!
Publishing the report was not her job. Why did not her successors failed to publish it?
The main problem of the LTTE morons like you were the woman was so critical of LTTE and its child soldiers.
You morons think that LTTE had all the rights to kill abuse and kidnap Tamils.
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ken robert / January 10, 2014
Siva annai
Please stay with the main theme of the discussion
Ken
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Kumar R. / January 9, 2014
The lady has not given an explanation – she has merely given lame excuses: first, I don’t remember, next, didn’t have time. High time she gives explanation as a responsible adult.
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gamini / January 8, 2014
Radhika Sharma and Kamalesh Coomaraswamy are all the same. The more she tries to cover up, the more she stands exposed. How Pathetic! See the type of people trying to protect her now. It makes it even worse.
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Kunju / January 8, 2014
Mr. Agnostic “a report like this can be done in a day or two”- obviously you have not written a report of quality in your life. So why do you think she asked someone of the calibre of Suntheralingam to do the report when she could have done nothing at all or better still appoint you or someone like that character Shanker or Gamini and get a biased irrational report full of venom and hatred which even if finally released would have been of no use to anyone except those who have prejudice in their hearts and murderous agendas up their sleeves
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Agnos / January 9, 2014
Well, you don’t know me and what my academic and professional accomplishments are, so you are welcome to make any assumptions about me. But you are making hysterical comments here, unbecoming of a high UN official.
Most people critical of you here have been critical of the LTTE and the Rajapaksa regime as well, so your assumption that it is their supporters who are critical of you, is patently false. And even if we assume that I was understating the time needed to ‘finalize’ the report, the thrust of my criticism remains.
Since no one is defending you, you come in as Meena and Kunju to defend yourself, and slip up by signing off your real initials as RC.
I can’t believe that you have degrees, including in the law, from Ivy League Universities, but still don’t see the obvious flaws in your defense.
The facts are clear to any neutral third party, so I will leave it at that, and save my time.
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shankar / January 8, 2014
“better still appoint you or someone like that character Shanker or Gamini “
what is the point of worrying about who is appointed to do the report when it is not published for 7 years.I think the best fellow to appoint when you are colluding with someone not to ever publish a report is the fellow who comes wheeling that kadalai wagon.That kadalai was really good stuff and i used to eat it those days in galle face with vadai and fried prawns.He has a lot of paper cuts with him and radika could have asked him to do the report and given him a wink on the sly too to show it is a farce and a 1000 rupee note to keep him from blabbing.
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Nadarajah / January 8, 2014
Recently MCM Iqbal gave a very good account to one of the Tamil TV about all the Commissions to which he was a member.
He pointed out that none of those Commission reports were published. This report may be one of it.
Since Dr. Radhika Coomaraswamy has mentioned his name in her reply, we request MCM Iqbal to give his independent opinion.
Hope, Dr. Radhika Coomaraswamy, will not tell MCM Iqbal, what he should write in the Colombo Telegraph.
Now it is to MCM Iqbal.
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Das / January 8, 2014
I know Deepika Udagama from my University time.
Why Deepika is hiding here.
She also has her duty to give her explanation?
Otherwise she will be considered guilty.
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Kumar R. / January 8, 2014
In this second blog piece, Radhika has confirmed that she has read the reader comments on the issue and is concerned about the responses she saw. We are indeed glad she is aware and is following the comments. However, why is that she does not want to address within this space the concerns the readers have raised, and provide an explanation to help us understand better.
For instance, here are some clarifications that I will appreciate:
• Were you truly unaware of the findings that the Government forces were implicated in what seem to amount to crime against citizens/civilians?
• Even if you didn’t have time for the final report, did you not have any chance to see previous drafts before the final report was submitted?
• Did you not have any discussions during or at the end of the investigations that would have alerted you to the principal findings?
• Even if we accept your claim, don’t you have to take the responsibility for the contents of the report since you commissioned it and also approved (signed and ordered) it for release?
• Having initiated the Commission, and having helped find funding to implement it, did you consider the findings not significant enough that you decided to completely ignore the matters once you left your job? Do you think that was a responsible thing to do considering your elevated responsibilities as a HR guardian and having found High Profile State involvement in crimes against citizens? Didn’t you have the responsibility even after accepting your new job to check up on the progress and the reaction to the Report that you approved to be released?
• Your response “It is not proper to comment on the actions of the HRC Commissions that came after me” is disingenuous and a courage-less cop-out. Can you at least tell us what you would have done if you still remained in that job and if the President failed not take appropriate action on the report?
If you are earnest in your observation” contrary to the suggestions made in the comments at no time did I seek or receive endorsement from the Sri Lankan government for any of my UN appointments. Please publish this as your report has done unnecessary damage since it seems to imply that we were pressurized to suppress the report and that we succumbed to that pressure. “, you should be willing to provide these clarifications.
Else, your defense amounts to another canard.
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Kunju / January 9, 2014
Shanker -You have obviously not been to Sri Lanka in a very long time. The Galle Face green is about to be dredged for some multi million dollar project. You should either turn your attention to the problems of your host country or come back to Sri Lanka and do something useful instead of wallowing in cynicism and trying to destroy the reputation of some of the decent people left in the country. I am sure the Kaddalai man would would be grateful if you did that and since you seem to know the way to corrupt people you will be perfectly at home here.
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shankar / January 10, 2014
“The Galle Face green is about to be dredged for some multi million dollar project.”
There goes another beautiful spot where ordinary people could come and enjoy themselves.One by one these bastards will take away everything that people have just to make their money and commissions.I used to come frequently after work with my family and also on weekends.My kids were less than 5 years at that time and we enjoyed ourselves and also so many other families were enjoying there.What a tragedy now others cannot enjoy what we did.Good that i left srilanka because the people’s views or feelings on any matter will never be considered by these bastard politicians there who think of the people only as cows to be milked.At least in a western country i’ am not a cow but a human being who has rights and responsibilities.Thanks for your invitation to come back and do something useful there but i don’t want to be used like a condom and thrown away. i told srilanka thanks for the ride and got off the car long ago.
BTW don’t you think I’am doing something useful at the moment for srilanka though my feet are not there my heart is.The internet is going to be the most powerful tool in the 21st century.So let us all get together and do something for our country where are heart is but unfortunately our feet isn’t.I’am really not interested in doing anything useful for western countries because the swollen headed characters here they can easily beat asian countries because they are so full of dumb asses. I hope srilanka can prove them wrong and catch up with them and beat them too one day and bring them down to earth.
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M.Sivananthan / January 9, 2014
Some LTTE dollar collectors worry for missing dollars. These LTTE morons never never talk anything about the atrocities of the LTTE, specially about the child soldiers.
Most of the people barking at this woman have no idea how to make a report or whose responsibility of publishing it.
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Kunju / January 9, 2014
Agnos I do not think Radhika coomaraswamy is pretending to be me to attack you. You are not that important especially if you think that five human rights fact finding reports in five different parts of Sri Lanka can be done in two days. You surely cannot have academic qualifications and if you do they must be dubious. You obviously have no experience in government either. The HRC is not Dr. Coomaraswamy’s private estate. When her term is up that’s it, the king is dead long live the king. It is curious that you direct no anger at her successor- why is that – is he related to you? Who is Meena?
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Agnos / January 9, 2014
When we do our PhD theses in engineering at major American universities, we spend 4 or more years doing the research, but it gets ‘finalized’ in a review of only a couple of weeks. So a commission that sits over a few weeks or months hearing witness testimonies, and starts writing the report early, doesn’t need a lot of time to ‘finalize’ it.
Of course such nuances are beyond your comprehension. I will leave it to you to have your fantasies, and you can be any little Kunju you want to be in Sri Lanka.
But before I stop making any more postings under this thread, I will explain the reason I did not attack her successor. By then it was Mahinda Rajapaksa who was the president and appointed the commissioner; knowing his regime’s atrocities and its murderous character, which I have attacked incessantly on GV and CT over the last 7 years, why would I take the HRC by then seriously? CBK was a bit more liberal, and much was expected of the HRC at that time. That is why I said RC had a unique opportunity.
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M.Sivananthan / January 9, 2014
HRC reports are not the same as engineering theories. HRC has to deal with the political aspect of the witnesses as well. Those issues are not so easy as you imagine.
I know the lankan engineers who dont know how to make spoon.
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saman / January 9, 2014
the true face of Colombo elite feminists. they see women’s liberation in their academic writings and in fake activism. human rights is just a wealth making source. this news did not surprise us. the same fate came about to ices under her.
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Kunju / January 9, 2014
Perhaps engineering people should stick to engineering and not profess about law and human rights processes if they do not know anything, Anyway let us mow unite against this monster MR and use RC’s report. If you read her mirror interview today you ca n see that she will be an important ally.
As for Saman what is your problem.? I don’t think the Coomaraswamy’s need any money they have enough wealth don’t judge others by your standards. ICES thrived under her and Neelan- it is a great loss that those voices are not here and we have to listen to bitter ill informed people like you.
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jeevar / January 9, 2014
//I don’t think the Coomaraswamy’s need any money they have enough wealth don’t judge//
This is not a good argument; in fact all the empirical evidence appear to suggests that having a lot of money and wanting more of it are highly correlated :-)
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Fathima Fukushima / January 9, 2014
What is [Edited out]
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Joseph / January 9, 2014
Dr. Radhika Coomaraswamy
With all these cheating and hypocrisy, are you still ambitious to be the next High Commissioner for Human Right?
You are nowhere comparing to the earlier and present High Commissioners for Human Rights.
You must be joking
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M.Sivananthan / January 10, 2014
If she become HR commissioner, she never read LTTE statements word to word like Navaneetham Pillai.
Navaneetham pillai proved she is useless to human rights. I hope Navi Pillai got bribes from LTTE criminals who are hiding in South Africa now!
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Kunju / January 9, 2014
So this is what it is all about. You think she is going to be considered for the next High Commissioner for Human Rights and you are afraid of her independence from the LTTE parts of the Tamil diaspora! You are trying to pre-empt her consideration for the post. So you have decided to start a campaign to make her name mud. Perhaps you should not waste too much energy. It is very unlikely that she would want the post since the last thing anyone needs in his/ her life is to deal with people like you!
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ken robert / January 10, 2014
” so you have decided to pre-empt her consideration for the post”
How can commentators could influence her future?
This is about whether she did the right things when she was the commissioner of SLHRC.
Kunju don’t get muddled in a panju!
Ken
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Agnos / January 10, 2014
Ken Robert,
I am breaking my vow not to post again because obviously you don’t know how I came to the conclusion Kunju = RC.
When I saw RC, I immediately remembered an email from her to the ICES staff when there was a tantrum at ICES about Rama Mani.
See her email below published in the Nation ( http://www.nation.lk/2008/02/03/inter2.htm) where at the end she signs as RC as well.
That shows a habit and the slip. And yes, this kind of slip can also be called Freudian slip.
I have absolutely no doubt Kunju = RC.
Apart from the signature, no one else will argue as passionately, as insistently, and possess as much personal detail about her as Kunju does.
——–
To Professor de Silva, Pradeep, Jeevan, Sam, Jani, Dushante,
I read The Nation article – in a way it is a relief because nothing more – no more dirty linen can be exposed again in public. Just some factual information since some of you must have been the source for the story.
I got permission from the UN to be on the ICES Board till September 2006, so that I could personally attend the Board meeting and hand over power. So, the allegation that I attended the Board meeting when I was no longer a member of the Board is wrong. The letter of resignation, as you may recall, was tabled after the Board meeting.
Ban Ki Moon himself requested that I serve on the advisory panel of the Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, along with Francis Deng and a whole score of UN officials.
Linking the opposition to Rama, to the campaign against international scrutiny of human rights and humanitarian activity in Sri Lanka; goes against the very heart of the ICES Colombo mandate and though earlier I was campaigning for a smooth transition, I cannot now in any way support anyone in complicity with this project. I was actually quite neutral about personalities and only worried about due process, but now I have very strong feelings about the suitability of people to run an office.
As a member of ICES (if not a Board member), I have every right to be interested in ICES. The UN did not ask me to stop being a member, only that I cannot be on the Board. I will continue to interfere, cajole and plead and if necessary, be rude. (RC)
———
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ken robert / January 10, 2014
Agnos
Thank your reply. well done.
Ken
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