Ron Ridenour
An unprecedented move by internationalists and activists for human rights and justice, one that could inspire controversy among left oriented governments and peoples´ solidarity committees, will take place next spring.
“In April 2013, a panel of international experts will be convened as Judges of the ‘Permanent People’s Tribunal’ to examine reports submitted by many specialized working groups on the accusation of the crime of Genocide against the Government of Sri Lanka and on the accusations against various international actors who had supported and prepared the conditions for the Sri Lankan Government to implement this alleged crime,” stated the Rome-based ‘Permanent People’s Tribunal’ (PPT) on November 3. (1)
This decision is supported organizationally by the ‘Irish Forum for Peace in Sri Lanka’ (IFPSL) based in Dublin and the International Human Rights Association (IMRV) based in Bremen.
In mid January 2010 the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal on Sri Lankan held its sessions in Dublin, Ireland. There were four findings:
1: That the Sri Lankan Government and its military are guilty of War Crimes;
2: That the Sri Lankan Government and its military are guilty of crimes against humanity;
3: That the charge of genocide requires further investigation;
4: That the international community, particularly the UK and USA, share responsibility for the breakdown of the peace process.(2)
It also found that member states of the United Nations had not “complied with their moral obligation to seek justice for the violations of human rights committed during the last period of the war” [Sri Lanka government war against the Tamils].
The PPT was referring to Human Rights Council Resolution S-11/1 of May 27, 2009. Cuba led the majority of members to vote for the Sri Lanka government drafted resolution. The resolution only praised Sri Lanka government for ending the hostilities and for the “liberation” of tens of thousands of Tamils (who were, in fact, up to three hundred thousand Internally Displaced Persons incarcerated for many months and even years in concentration camps). It only condemned the Tamil Tiger guerrillas (Liberation Tigers for Tamil Eelam) for terrorism and made no mention of the long-endured suffering, pogroms, indiscrimination and inequality suffered by the Tamil people at the hands of the Sinhalese majority governments and military, and Buddhist monks. Since the time of the resolution, Cuba has stepped up closer ties with the Mahinda Rajapaksa family government, even inviting him to Cuba as a guest of honor for four days. (3)
The case for genocide
“On January 2011, the Catholic Bishop of Mannar made a submission to the Sri Lankan Government’s own ‘Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission’ (LLRC) that according to his calculation, 146,679 people are unaccounted for (he used the Government’s own statistics to show this)…The casualty figure issue is just one factor – which we have highlighted to emphasise our point. Various other factors – such as an examination of the historical background which had laid the basis to the events that led to the military operations in 2009, as well as, whether or not the continuing issues that the Tamil people in the area concerned are facing at the moment are related to this history, needs to be carried out properly to deal with the overall reality.
This follow up session will be held in Germany.
Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal was initiated in 1979 by the left socialist and anti-fascist resistance fighter Senator Lelie Basso. He had been a judge on the International War Crimes Tribunal, also know as the Bertrand Russell-Sartre Tribunal, in 1966-7, concerning war crimes committed by the United States against Vietnam, and the 1973-6 investigations regarding war crimes committed by Latin American dictatorships, assisted by the USA. One of Cuba’s few women guerrilla fighters, Melba Hernandez, was one of the judges when she was chairwoman of the Cuba Committee for Solidarity with Viet Nam.
PPT has held more than 40 sessions on war crimes and crimes against humanity, as well as genocide, in many parts of the world: US war crimes against Nicaragua, national dictatorship war crimes (usually with the assistance of US military forces and the CIA) against Argentines, Guatemalans, El Salvadorans, Filipinos, the Western Sahara, Eritrea… It has investigated and condemned Turkey for committing genocide against the Armenian people. In 2006, it ethically sanctioned the economic neo-liberal model and multinational corporations for violations of international principles respecting human rights.
Among the many prestigious PPT panelists have been Nobel Prize winners: Adolfo Perez, Sean MacBride and George Wald. Many judges and associates have either come from Latin America and/or been close to the Cuban revolutionary process, as well as its allies in the ALBA alliance, among them are: Francois Houtart and Miguel D’Escoto.
(1) http://www.tamilnet.com/art.
Gianni Tognoni, Secretary General, Permanent People’s Tribunal (PPT), Rome
Jude Lal Fernando, Irish Forum for Peace in Sri Lanka (IFPSL), Dublin
Nicolai Jung, International Human Rights Association (IMRV), Bremen e.V
Contact: irishpeaceforum@gmail.com
imrvbremen@gmail.com
(2)http://www.tamilnet.com/
(3) Much of my writings of late have focused on the Tamil people’s struggles for human rights and justice and the lack of natural solidarity that Cuba should be taking with them instead of the opposite: support for a most brutal Sri Lanka regime. Here are a few of my articles on that issue and connection, as well as on how the worst terrorist states in the world—the USA and Israel—have always backed the Sinhalese racist governments with arms and heavy war machinery, intelligence and surveillance, and money. Furthermore, in this world of geo-politics with odd bed partners, China, Pakistan, Russia, and Iran have also heavily aided the Sri Lanka Sinhalese chauvinists in committing gross atrocities against the Tamil people. I have also written a book on the subject published in India in 2011:
“Tamil Nation in Sri Lanka”
http://www.ronridenour.com/
“Cuba-ALBA let down Sri Lanka Tamils” http://www.havanatimes.org/?p=
“Cuba hosted Sri Lanka Pres/War Criminal”http://www.
“Cuba’s contradictory stance on Tamils” http://www.havanatimes.org/?p=
“Cuba outvoted at UN Human Rights Council over Sri Lanka-Tamils http://www.havanatimes.org/?p=
“Sri Lanka war crimes-genocide with West complicity”
http://dissidentvoice.org/
Saliya Bandara Wickremesooriya / November 11, 2012
If the United States is tried for genocide, how will its allies respond? I’m asking the writer, even if the US will never be tried.
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Wuliangguobinjiu / November 11, 2012
It should never have come in the vocabulary of small fry.
As they say in the U.S.: “Deal with it.” ;)
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k.kovian / November 11, 2012
Dear my lovely saliya,
may be your damn bloody brain in ruins..get damn help..your malaya ancestrol leader will be in international court very very soon…you moadayas ruined your land and worse f****d my beloved land…now ask questioning USA human rights…what a damn fool are you go back to basics..
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Native Vedda / November 12, 2012
k.kovian
Your name sounds like the Tamil version of Govia.
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k.kovian / November 12, 2012
You mean caste….
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Garry White / November 12, 2012
So what US is doing to OTHER people, Sri Lankan government is doing to it’s OWN people.
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Saliya Bandara Wickremesooriya / November 12, 2012
LOL,, I love the way those who are unable to understand my humorous, sarcastic question, have responded. Guys don’t take it serious. I’m with you. Sri Lanka must be tried for genocide, especially MR.
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gamini / November 11, 2012
It appears that everything seem to culminate at the right time for Sri Lanka by the begining of 2013. Everything to do with ’13’, including the 13th Amendment. Complicity of the West to this Corrupt Regime should be exposed.
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Wuliangguobinjiu / November 11, 2012
You know the Kfir – 80% Obumer administration.
Lobbyist fund elections and the present administration is theirs as much as the future would be.
Read David (Will Obama Be Bolder Now?)his description of” power.”
It’s the Media men like J. Snow who carried out the very best exposure to date.
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Wuliangguobinjiu / November 11, 2012
Ron: Quote: “Sri Lanka To Be Tried For Genocide Against Tamils: How Will Cuba And Its Allies Respond?”Unquote
Who cares what they think we are acting when the time is right was the statement made by Cameron on behalf of the EU when it assisted the Libyans and the ones who ate the sheep were right behind providing aerial logistics and more.
That’s what a special relationship is all about.
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Mango / November 11, 2012
Latest news from the Dublin Show Trial.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPwb9d4Jij8
Cuba doesn’t have time for whining Eelamists and their fellow travellers.
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Dr Romesh Senewiratne / November 11, 2012
The “Rome-based Permanent Peoples Tribunal”??
That wouldn’t be the Catholic Church, would it?
Oh, Mister Ridenour, you’ve done it again!
The LTTE bosses must be getting rather worried…the past is catching up with them, faster than they ever expected.
BTW, CT and crowd. I have already provided all the necessary evidence. All you have to do is a Wikipaedia search on “Sam Peckinpah”. But the strategy of achieving “realistic violence” used by Peckinpah was used by others, long before he used live ammunition to kill “Indians” in his “Western” movies. John Wayne and Charlton Heston, Clint Eastwood…they were using this method since the time of silent films.
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Anti-Boru / November 12, 2012
Romesh Senewiratne:
Your father applied medical criteria to an attempt to identify one of your heroes’ descent into criminal insanity. Perhaps you should consult him about your condition.
WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU ON ABOUT?
You make even less sense than you usually do!
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Dr Romesh Senewiratne / November 12, 2012
No, I wouldn’t expect you to understand it. Like the dudes at Princeton University (Native Vedda and his mates) you’re “a bit thick”.
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Candidly / November 12, 2012
Ron Ridenour & the Permanent People’s Tribunal are basically saying “the Sri Lankan government and armed forces are guilty, now lets pretend to hold a trial and prove it.” However, I think the only people taking any notice are themselves and those covering up for the LTTE. Just a group of bored academics with nothing else to do with their time.
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Citizen / November 12, 2012
It is not a big problem for the govt to have war crime trials against the black sheep in the forces so that foreign powers do not need to involve. Problem appears to be the involvement of VVIPs who gave the orders.
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Leela / November 12, 2012
“We, the Russians, must listen to the words from the West very attentively. If the West stops criticizing Russia, if they say that Russia is doing well and the Russian democracy is winning, then it would only mean that we, the Russians, have lost the war for the right to be the masters of our land.” Sergei Lunyov-Politonline
Let progeny of yesteryear white colonialists like this writer and separatists like binju and co have their pipe dreams; but we Sri Lankans should think in the same line as that Russian.
Leela
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Wuliangguobinjiu / November 12, 2012
Leeeloo the naughty boy of the “monkey court” in Sri Lanka.
Poppy cultivation is at 100% in Afghanistan and the Russians are drowning and its right up to their eyes so Putin is begging of Obumer to stay in Afghanistan (they went into Afghanistan in the first instance back then to stop it) Perhaps your patriot kudu Duminda can swim in it too. It is used in the pharmaceuticals industry and the Russians need it but what is available is on their streets to blow up the minds- cut the gas to Europe that’s the message. Don’t you know what happened when Sirima was confiscated the sterling estates; Lankans were in bins looking for rice that would have fallen from the moon (it is sad but true). Look at what is happening with the takeover of Repsol.
You should try to understand more of geo-economics than lean on to one political side because you would drown too like a poof case.
Bolo Hindustan Ki Jai- IPKF ;)
In China dissent is brewing, because under pressure the west is pulling out systematically before 2014 for a South China Sea Rendezvous. Folk are losing jobs in drones and are blaming the party folk quite rightly. At present the unemployment is 150 million and by 2014 it’s expected to hit the 200 mark.
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Anti-Boru / November 12, 2012
Leela:
When are you and Dr Brian Senewiratne going to tie the knot? You certainly sound like you are well suited to each other insofar as promoting Sinhala Buddhist Majoritarianism is concerned!
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David Blacker / November 12, 2012
The PPT has tried the US already for crimes against the Vietnamese people, China for crimes against Tibet, etc. Not a single such “trial” has ever resulted in anyone actually being tried for anything. The only achievement of the PPT was in the field of industrial safety. One more straw for the weak-minded to clutch at.
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Wuliangguobinjiu / November 12, 2012
Captain Sarge. I like the Mini Roadster, a convertible version of the Mini Coupe, ;) The cryptography was very classy commercial American.
The Irish have only done what they know best- Judiciary, judiciary.
While if an Anglo-Saxon even sneezes the world takes note and you can confirm this even from the Chinese. The reason being they have a sense of humour, are dreamers and are very realistic. Notice the only man who made the world listen was John Snow a simpleton who travels by bicycle from Hampstead Heath to work and fro.
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David Blacker / November 13, 2012
I do hope at least you understand what you’re typing.
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Wuliangguobinjiu / November 13, 2012
Small mind I generally don’t type because my mum always told me it was for a woman. I am industrial engineer not a foot solider or journalist and it’s while I handle it that I play with CT. My input happens to be pure logic and numerical though I read and write several European languages. I speak to my 3D BOX. With eight DisplayPort sorry you need $50k for it-it’s my Porsche.Dual Intel® Xeon™ E5-2690 Series with eight cores per processor (16 in all); DDR3 1600 MHz 256 GB memory Matrox M9188 PCIe x16 multi-display Octal graphics card 2 GB of memory.
So I dont put my fingers to correct anything like grammer but just upload- sorry, when a kid I saw star wars and thought I like that “computer do this do that etc from capt kirk.Good luck press officer.
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David Blacker / November 14, 2012
Capt Kirk is a Star Trek character, not Star Wars. Regardless of whether you use your fingers or toes to type, it’s the fact that your comments are utter nonsense that sparks such mirth, not your grammar :D
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Anti-Boru / November 12, 2012
David blackhead:
Now look at who’s talking about “weak-minded!”
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Dr Romesh Senewiratne / November 12, 2012
David Blacker is anything but weak-minded.
He’s not afraid to show his name and face. Unlike you.
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Bob / November 13, 2012
But how can you be sure – that DB^s Photo is he himself…. ?
As DNA specialitst have you made it without our knowledge ?
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David Blacker / November 13, 2012
Great riposte, Anti. Don’t forget to try it out on Uncle first.
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Wuliangguobinjiu / November 13, 2012
Quote” Not afraid to show the face”Unquote
Hoho! Like galle face it does not speak either as in QQ.Sic pricks unable to face the world of truth and accountability.
The professionals I dislike the most are “doctors and lawyers” who cling onto the computer as if it’s going to run away when one is supposed to check the blood pressure while the other is supposed to advice. On the other hand I have a couple of doctor friends who run practices and they like me speak to their PC while checking my blood pressure because they also know programming and .net. Generally everyone likes to learn plain English oxford English from an Englishman or woman and the proof lies in the fact that London has an income of £ 6 billion from English tourism. To hear a kangaroo I puke.
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David Blacker / November 14, 2012
Yes, keep talking to your computer, but it would be more useful to talk to your shrink.
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Brian de Bois Guilbert / November 12, 2012
This is an ineffectual organization of the Loony Left :)
Who gives a s**t about them, let them have a cart load of trials with Tiger sympathetic,nostalgic Diaspora in attendance
Why should we even care about these leftist old fogies
We should have good laugh over this :) (Y)
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A,Sivakumaran / November 13, 2012
Now MR and brothers can claim refugee in China.
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Wuliangguobinjiu / November 13, 2012
China never to many ramifications. Perhaps North Korea but I am sure you woul like him to go the same way as his buddy Kaddfi. Leave it to fonney even if he is in the opposite side.
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