19 March, 2024

Blog

Sri Lanka’s Mohan Pieris Should Not Be Framing International Law At The UN

In a breath-taking attempt to subvert international institutions and the rule of law, the Government of Sri Lanka has proposed a candidate for election to the United Nations’International Law Commission, who is compromised by his failure to hold accountable the perpetrators of enforced disappearance, execution, torture and rape during his tenure as the country’s chief law officer. Mohan Pieris is now Sri Lanka’s permanent representative to the United Nations in New York but from 2008-11 he served as Attorney General of Sri Lanka, failing to investigate or prosecute those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity. In 2013 he was appointed to the post of Chief Justice, amidst a national and international outcry over the Government’s unlawful impeachment of his predecessor, Shirani Bandaranayake, which the UN Human Rights Council said was an assault on judicial independence and Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court ruled as illegal.

Mohan Pieris

“The UN’s International Law Commission codifies international laws, with some of its recent work being on areas like immunity, extradition and crimes against humanity. All lawyers and those who care about a more just world order must urge members of the UN General Assembly not to vote for this man,”said the ITJP’s Executive Director, Yasmin Sooka.

“Under Pieris’s watch, serious international crimes were alleged to have been perpetrated by the Sri Lankan security forces for which nobody has been held accountable. His appointment as Sri Lanka’s top diplomat at the UN in New York already sent an appalling signal to the international community regarding Sri Lanka’s disregard for accountability and was a slap in the face for thousands of victims who have still not accessed justice,” she added.

“This is a man who presided over a period in which journalists in Sri Lanka were abducted and disappeared, assassinated, brutally tortured and locked up just for doing their jobs. Media rights groups around the world must stand in solidarity with us against his nomination for a job that would help whitewash his record and that of his Government,” said Bashana Abeywardane of Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka.

“Those were journalists who exposed credible evidence warranting international legal intervention for gross human rights violations committed by the Sri Lankan State. Appointing a man who denied them justice to a global body that decides on international law is like handing over a hen coop to a jackal,”added Mr. Abeywardane.

Read the full statement here

International Truth & Justice Project (ITJP)
Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka (JDS)

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Latest comments

  • 23
    3

    This guy is worse than a jackal!

    • 11
      2

      Do they really think they can get away with this? MP should have some decency and patriotism towards the Motherland and get out of this so fast! Unless of courseche feels he is one if the 4 horsmen of the Apocalypse. Silly fellow.

      • 0
        2

        …course he…*
        ….horsemen…*

    • 6
      2

      Currently, there is a spate of extra-judicial killings of alleged criminals by the police while in their custody. I wonder what the UNHRC will make of it at the next session, even though the media is keeping very quiet about it. I am sure Mohan Peiris will find it possible to defend Nandasena.

      • 3
        0

        old codger
        .
        “I wonder what the UNHRC will make of it at the next session, …. “

        What can UNHRC do when C A Chandraprema is “in charge” of events in Geneva?

  • 25
    3

    Rajapaksas will be prepared to spend billions to bribe to get this person to International Law Commission with the advise from China and Russia. He might even bring law that it is lawful to rape, torture and murder by Russian, China and Sri Lanka military.

    • 0
      2

      A
      Do not let your imagination run riot.

  • 23
    1

    Appointments made by Asian states to such bodies are usually corrupt individuals who get there through nepotism. It is reflected in how we appoint diplomats and permanent secretaries to our External Affairs Ministry. Once appointed these persons are not taken seriously. What competence does Mohan Pieris have in international law. It is all becoming a comedy. We can sit on the sidelines and have a laugh but it is affecting the poor people of the country who are the ignorant ones bringing such a government upon themselves full of knaves and fools.

  • 15
    1

    This guy Mohana Peries is a shameless stooge not fit for anything except Raja Family. What a disgrace. Instead they can appoint Blind Eagle HLD moron.

  • 19
    2

    Remember he is the joker who went before Maithripala and told him that he would give any judgement that the President wants and to keep him as the Chief Justice? What a Cheap Justice he is!

  • 12
    1

    The set of “Jokers” in our Government want “ONE” among them to be selected for the “UN International Law Commission”. What more do we expect from our Government. Anyway, this Mohan Peiris holds a “Record”. In his maiden speech, he received a “WARNING” from the Chair of the Assembly. Perhaps, that would have been considered “Favourably” by our Government to nominate him for this position.

    • 9
      3

      “The set of “Jokers” in our Government want “ONE” among them to be selected for the “UN International Law Commission”. “

      From 2005 onwards …… Mahinda did Donald Trump …… before Donald Trump did Donald Trump with shameless Bill Barr et al.

      Compare that to Biden’s DOJ.

      Rajapakses are Prabakaran’s revenge/curse …….. from beyond the grave.

      Rajapakses have made being shameless, respectable!

      Now let EE come and be shameless! :))

  • 5
    1

    The Secretary General HE Gutares and his cohorts must descend from their cloud cuckoo land and put their ears to the ground and listen to how the earthlings have aptly described him the kind of Devil Mohan Peiris is. He is a disgrace to the world civilization, the most notorious Cheap Justice.

    • 2
      1

      H
      Sri Lanka could not rally adequate support against the UNHRC resolution. To be elected, one needs to be fairly well known in the UN circles or be backed by states with some clout.
      I see no such signs.
      *
      People from here have been proposed for the Nobel Prize for Peace. Did we take any seriously?
      I seriously doubt if this proposal is a well thought out plan by the government.
      Someone may have a fairer insight into government intentions than suggested in the emotional outbursts.

Leave A Comment

Comments should not exceed 200 words. Embedding external links and writing in capital letters are discouraged. Commenting is automatically disabled after 5 days and approval may take up to 24 hours. Please read our Comments Policy for further details. Your email address will not be published.