By Thambu Kanagasabai –
Thambu Kanagasabai
How much longer can Sri Lanka, albeit old or new regime, cajole and fool the United Nations? While the world awaits with bated breath for the United Nations High Commissioner’s oral report on Sri Lanka, this article endeavours to list in brief the various United Nations Panels’ core findings from 2010 – 2016 as well as the findings of other international human rights agencies which conducted their own investigations as to the commissions and omissions of Sri Lanka’s security forces from 2006 – 2010 including various comments and statements of dignitaries and world leaders – only to show how much resources, time and energy has been invested so far and how much substantive proof has emerged with no avail!
In his opening remarks at the 32nd session of the UN Human Rights Council, underway today June 13, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, His Excellency Prince Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, had a paragraph on Sri Lanka:
“In Sri Lanka, the government’s efforts to implement its commitments in Resolution 30/1 will require a comprehensive strategy on transitional justice that enables it to pursue different processes in a coordinated, integrated and appropriately sequenced manner. This will require the inclusive and meaningful engagement of all Sri Lankans. I will present an oral update later in the session.”
It’s a general statement that has nothing new that hasn’t been said before; very little will be gained by decoding it; except that we got confirmation that the High Commissioner is scheduled to give his ‘oral report’ on Sri Lanka, “later in the session.”
Much rests on what the High Commissioner would say in this much awaited oral report. Will he relent yet again when Sri Lanka, even under the new regime, the co- sponsor of the UN HRC resolution passed at the 30th session, has done nothing substantive to deliver on its promises. In fact the government has rejected any question of involving any foreign judges in any domestic inquiry it contemplates – a domestic inquiry that it has done nothing about.
The armed struggle by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam which commenced in 1976 with the failure of peaceful struggles initiated in 1956 by the past Tamil political leaders, reached its climax in the Eelam war IV from 2006 – 2009.
The war ended with a victory for Sri Lankan Government with the backing and silent consent of several countries including United Nations. Even United Nations and Human Rights Council depravingly applauded the Sri Lankan Government for its success in 2009, which was achieved with the commissions of war crimes, crimes against humanity etc. and harvesting 146,679 innocent civilian lives. The international community and United Nations woke up after independent western media and television channels exposed the horrific crimes committed by the Sri Lankan security forces including graphic live scenes of captured prisoners being summarily executed at point blank.
Worldwide agitations by Tamil Diaspora and condemnations by various countries and human rights groups forced the United Nations Human Rights Council to appoint several Commissioners, Rapporteurs and internal panels to undertake comprehensive investigations into the war crimes conduct and actions of both Sri Lankan security forces and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
Resources, Time and Energy Invested So Far
Year 2010 was the starting point for the international community and the United Nations to take notice of Sri Lanka’s human rights violations and initiating various steps to unearth the truths and expose the cover ups and false propaganda of Sri Lankan Government.
The United State’s State Department’s report for the year 2010 published on April 8, 2010 among other matters stated “a disproportionate number of human rights violations were committed against Tamils. Security forces tortured and abused detainees, authorities arbitrarily arrested and detained citizens”
The United Nations Secretary General His Excellency Ban Ki-moon later appointed the United Nations Panel of Experts on Sri Lanka in 2010, to look into the allegations of human rights violations and submit a report. Evidence was collected from various sources and human rights groups.
The Unrow Human Rights Impact Litigation Clinic of American University, Washington College of Law submitted evidence and even filed a lawsuit against Mr. Shavendra de Silva, a military general who commanded the 58th division during the war.
Italy based Permanent People’s Tribunal on Sri Lanka which held its first session in Dublin in 2010 confirmed “the commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity by the Sri Lanka Government which were continuing”
In June 2010, the United Nations Secretary General appointed a Panel of Experts on Accountability to advise him “regarding the modalities, applicable international standards and comprehensive experience of international humanitarian and human rights law during the final stages of the armed conflict in Sri Lanka.” The expert’s panel issued their report in March 2011, stating inter alia. “Indeed, the conduct of the war represented a grave assault on the entire regime of international law designed to protect individual dignity during both war and peace.”
Following this report, the United Nations Secretary General appointed Mr. Charles Petrie to examine the United Nation’s role in the conflict. This internal review, undertaken by Charles Petrie, reveals UN involvement in Sri Lanka to be a “grave failure” in preventing the mass atrocities, war crimes, crimes against humanity which occurred during the civil war from 2006-2009 amounting to genocide. This report also stated that “according to United Nations data most casualties were caused by Government’s fire.” Further the report also condemns the “Sri Lankan Government’s obstruction and manipulation of United Nation’s personnel.” The report also states that there were “credible estimates for the civilian casualties 70,000.”
The European Parliament also passed a resolution in 2012 calling for a United Nations commission to inquire into all crimes committed as recommended by United Nation’s Panel of Experts Report. Likewise Human Rights Watch and the International Crisis Group also called for an international investigative mechanism in 2012 while criticising the flawed Sri Lanka’s LLRC Report.
Consequently in March 2013 United States of America tabled a resolution in the United Nations Human Rights Council which allowed the then UN Human Rights Commissioner Madam Navaneetham Pillai to continue her reports including visits to Sri Lanka. She visited Sri Lanka in August 2013 and presented an oral update to the UN Human Rights Council in September 2013.
The 2013 US resolution in the UNHRC also called upon the Sri Lankan Government to conduct an independent and credible investigation into allegations violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law as applicable.
Calls for international investigation were made by several human rights activists and organizations in 2014.
- Northern Provincial Council, Sri Lanka in January 2014 passed a resolution unanimously to this effect.
- Tamil Nadu State Assembly, India representing 75 millions Tamils passed a similar resolution unanimously in 2014.
- Mr. Brad Adams, Asia Director of Human rights Watch Organization stated “it is clearer than ever that an independent investigation is needed to make genuine progress in providing justice for victims.”
- Amnesty International urged the UNHRC to ensure an international investigation in 2014.
- International Crisis Group called for a strong international mechanism to inquire into violations of international law by both sides in 2014.
- International Criminal Evidence Project based in Australia described Sri Lanka in 2014 “as an Island of impunity and concluded” that vast majority of alleged crimes were perpetrated by Sri Lankan Security forces.
However, Sri Lankan government has brushed aside these calls and put an end to the ‘international investigation’ cry and process with statements from the Sri Lankan President and recently from the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka on May 29th 2016 when he said that “judicial mechanism would be made of entirely Sri Lankan Judges,” which is already discredited in the UNHRC
Commission’s report and rejected by the UN High Commissioner for Human rights.
ALLEGATIONS OF GENOCIDE: The war from 2006 to 2009 between Liberation tigers of Tamil Eelam and Sri Lankan government ended with 146,679 Tamil civilians killed and or missing. The International community later accepted commissions of war crimes and crimes against humanity etc., which could be proved as genocide after credible investigations into the modus operandi of security forces during the final stages of war which included bombing and shelling of hospitals, humanitarian objects and in places declared as no fire zone where many thousands sought safety.
The Permanent Peoples Tribunal in its verdict after its hearings in Bremen, Germany in 2013 reached a consensus ruling that “the state of Sri Lanka is guilty of the crime of genocide against Eelam Tamils and that the consequences of the genocide continue to the present day with ongoing acts of genocide against the Tamils.”
The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Honourable Selvi Jayaram Jayalalitha characterised the 2009 atrocities as genocide and called for international investigation to punish the war criminals.
The UNROW Human Rights Impact Litigation Clinic urged the UNHRC to investigate and report on the charge of genocide, which is acknowledged by most of the members of international community “with request to UN Security Council to refer the matter to International Criminal Court.”
The California based Oakland Institute in a report in May 2015 “finds that a silent war is still continuing after 2009, in which thousands of Tamils are still internally displaced and subject to military occupation and fierce discrimination by the Buddhist Sinhalese majority with about 70,000 missing.”
Honourable Patrick Brown, Leader of Ontario Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in a statement on 18th May 2016, “regretted the insufficient progress in seeking justice for the victims of genocide”.
The Northern Provincial Council of Sri Lanka passed a unanimous resolution in February 2015 confirming the commission of the alleged crime of genocide.
The UN Panels final report on human rights situation in Sri Lanka was published in the UNHRC session in September 2015. The report dealt with the alleged violations said to have occurred between years 2002 – 2011. The report “identified grave violations which strongly indicated that war crimes and crimes against humanity were most likely committed by both sides of the conflict.” The report as stated by the Commissioner “reveals violations that are among the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole.” The report was compiled after the UNHRC appointed Commissioners conducted extensive investigations for more than eighteen months from March 2014.
The comprehensive and damning report resulted in the USA and Sri Lanka’s joint resolution in the 30th UNHRC sessions in September 2015. The resolution made six proposals encouraging Sri Lanka and ten proposals welcoming Sri Lanka’s proposed actions which almost diluted the provisions of the earlier UN’s report and making them sterile and emaciated to enforce with fruition.
The High Commissioner made an official visit to Sri Lanka in February 2016 to see for himself the progress regarding the implementation of the October 01, 2015 resolution. At the end of the visit the High Commissioner emphasized that “it is the victims who must determine and feel that justice is done”. The High commissioner “called for an impartial and independent court” without insisting on the hybrid court proposal which he strongly recommended in September 2015. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has thus acquiesced to the setting up of an internal mechanism by Sri Lanka which should be “impartial and independent” despite his earlier admitting the flawed functioning of the Sri Lanka’s judicial process reputed for impartiality and state bias.
In the meantime, UN Special Rapporteur Parlo de Greiff at the conclusion of his visit to Sri Lanka in February 2016, made the following observations among others. He warned about “the high degree of polarization, and questioned the Government’s willingness to abide by the commitments undertaken at an international platform.” He emphasized that “comments and statements of Prime Minister and some ministers about the fate of the disappeared also created consternation amongst family members of victims” Finally he emphasized that “Sri Lanka needs to avail itself of every possible means of demonstrating to all its citizens that the equality of rights is a meaningful motion in the country.”
Following his visit two UN Special Rapporteurs Honourable Monica Pinto and Honourable Juan Mende visited Sri Lanka in May 2016 and made the following important comments and recommendations. Among others Monica Pinto “requested more acceptable Tamil speaking Judges and police.” “Appointment of more state counsels and qualified translators to be assigned to tribunals to ensure fair trials and verdicts.” “Confessions under Prevention of Terrorism Act of 1979 should be coupled with supporting evidences,” to ensure truth in the judicial process. “To ensure that every person detained has access to a lawyer from the moment of arrest” which right should also be enshrined in the constitution and embodied in the legislation”.
Honourable Juan de Mende made the following recommendations among others. “Repealing the Prevention of Terrorism Act 1979 and replace it with another act after engaging in a national debate allowing full participation of civil society.”
He lamented the culture of impunity and lack of accountability with only six prosecutions against security officials initiated since 1994 and without a single conviction so far. “He also confirmed the consistent practice of torture of detainees under Prevention of Terrorism Act.”
Honourable Brad Adams of Human rights Watch Organization criticized the recent setting up of an “office for missing persons without the promised consultations with families of the disappearance,” which has also been condemned by other civil groups.
Now, after the lapse of eight months since the UNHRC resolution of October 01, 2016, Sri Lankan government has neither initiated nor discussed the implementation of any of the recommendations of the resolution and this is not surprising in the face of the time buying tactics Sri Lanka employs and has employed successfully in the past. International scholars from various countries have already vouchsafed this deluding tactics of Sri Lanka and have called for the implementation of the resolution without delay.
Amnesty International in a report on May 30, 2016 has called for an “increase of pace transparency and visibility of reform efforts ensuring these are undertaken with genuine cross community collaboration.”
Professor Steven Ratner of University of Michigan a member of the UNSO Panel in a Journal of Law stated in 2012 “ there is no environment to address accountability and dispense justice for war crimes etc domestically in Sri Lanka.”
The Law and Society Trust in 2010 stated that “commissions of inquiry in Sri Lanka have been more political exercises than genuine attempts to reconcile a traumatised nation.”
Asian Human rights Commission papers 71, 75 – 2010 commented “these commissions were not meant to engage in any genuine truth seeking and this country has no tradition in truth telling and reconciliation.”
The LLRC [Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission] Recommendations published in 2011 which are still kept untouched is one recent example to confirm the above allegations.
From 1977, thirteen State Commissions of inquiry into various issues were appointed and their reports and recommendations found their safe place as archives only as stated earlier.
Sri Lankan government has now out-rightly rejected international participation thereby derailing a genuine process of accountability, besides foreign dignitaries and organizations have voiced their criticisms and skepticism as to the proposed actions of Sri Lankan government regarding question of justice, accountability and reconciliation.
Honourable Hugo Swire of UK, Minister of State in charge of Commonwealth while in his visit to India on May 30, 2016 said Sri Lanka is “yet to fulfil the commitments made to the international community.”
British Conservative Party MP Berrie in a meeting with UK Tamil Groups in May 2016 stated that “the process of accountability is completely stalled in Sri Lanka.”
Prime Minister of Canada Right Honourable Justin Trudeau on May 18, 2016 emphasized the “involvement of foreign judges into the war investigations.”
Deputy Prime Minister of Penang, Malaysia, stated in May 2016 that “Sri Lankan Government is yet to prosecute members of armed responsible for the crimes.”
Making promises is a past time for Sri Lankan government and ministers which has been happening since 1948, the most recent being the promise to repeal of Prevention of Terrorism Act made by Prime Minister Honourable Ranil Wickremasinghe and foreign minister Honourable Mangala Samaraweera which also appears to be hanging in balance.
Sri Lanka’s ethnic problem and past actions of Sri Lanka towards Tamils are now internalized with United Nations, and United Nations Human Rights Council toiling to solve them, while Sri Lanka is expressing optimism to out manoeuvre any UN or UNHRC actions against it through promises and cooling diplomatic gestures. The world community will surely believe Sri Lanka while deserting the Tamils and allowing justice and accountability to lie in state prolonging their desperation and yearning for justice. Justice can only be achieved when accountability is upheld and dispensed with allowing room for reconciliation.
The duty and burden to achieve the above solely and squarely lies on the United Nations and world community to translate their resolutions and calls with fruitful actions and results, thereby upholding human rights and mete out justice to the Tamils, not allowing political and economic interests to prevail over humanitarian issues.
The High Commissioner, the UNHRC and UN thus carry out the duty and responsibility to ensure Sri Lanka`s compliance without any excuses. This is all the more urgent, as the UN targeted objectives of accountability, justice and reconciliation appear to be losing their hold on Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka also seems to have successfully cold shouldered the accountability and justice issues and is presently hanging on reconciliation which could also end up with half-hearted and unacceptable proposals for inclusion in the proposed new constitution.
Thanks to opposition within and out of the Government, Buddhist clergy, Buddhist extremists and chauvinistic organizations which are mushrooming and always voicing protests and opposition whenever any remedial measures are offered to Tamils.
Will the United Nations, the UN Human Rights Council and the High Commissioner rein in on Sri Lanka or continue to rely on its promises and allow it to continue the non-compliance and flouting of its own UNHRC resolutions with impunity?
The ball is in United Nation’s court
Reference:
United Nations Panel of Experts Report 2011
UN Internal Review Panel Report 2012
LLRC Report 2011
UNHRC Resolution 19- 2 2012
UNHRC Resolution 22-1 2013
UNHRC Resolution 30-1 2015
Amarasiri / June 14, 2016
Thambu Kanagasabai
RE: Testing Time For United Nations & Sri Lanka
“How much longer can Sri Lanka, albeit old or new regime, cajole and fool the United Nations? “
“Will the United Nations, the UN Human Rights Council and the High Commissioner rein in on Sri Lanka or continue to rely on its promises and allow it to continue the non-compliance and flouting of its own UNHRC resolutions with impunity?”
“The ball is in United Nation’s court”
The ball is in United Nation’s court and has lots of balls in its court.
Testing Time For United Nations & Iraq
Testing Time For United Nations & Syria
Etc. etc.
Most Brutal Hitch Slap Ever.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HG0yH6Jtp0
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Alfred Domino / June 15, 2016
“”Testing Time For United Nations & Iraq
Testing Time For United Nations & Syria””
20th January would be the beginning of wiping off the map of Syria and Iraq.
Just like Yugoslavia but with a difference – only Oil companies no citizens.
Just because faith and communism produces we can’t let them take the upper hand and vote chaos in a democracy.
UN is a toy boy that was created by USA because it had the money and the poor commies, socialist of the east loved the money.
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The U.N. system for calculating member nations’ “fair share” payment toward its regular and peacekeeping budgets has increasingly shifted the burden away from the vast majority of the 193 members and onto a relative handful of high-income nations, especially the U.S. Indeed, some nations pay next to nothing.
In addition, over three quarters of the total U.N. membership get additional discounts, with the cost also shifted to wealthier countries.
The end result is a hugely skewed bill for U.N. expenses.
In 2015, 35 countries will be charged the minimum regular budget assessment of 0.001 percent which works out to approximately$28,269 each. Twenty countries will be charged the minimum peacekeeping assessment of 0.0001 percent or approximately $8,470 apiece.
By contrast, the U.S. is assessed 22 percent of the regular budget (approximately $622 million) and over 28 percent of the peacekeeping budget (approximately $2.402 billion).
Put another way, the U.S. will be assessed more than 176 other member states combined for the regular budget and more than 185 countries combined for the peacekeeping budget. Who says America isn’t exceptional!
This is more than a complaint about dollars.
It’s also about the value received for those outsized contributions. Consider:
· An independent academic study assessing best and worst practices among aid agencies ranked U.N. organizations among the worst.
· Numerous reports, audits, and investigations have revealed mismanagement, fraud and corruption in procurement for U.N. peacekeeping.
· Studies and reports have identified U.N. peacekeepers as the source of the cholera outbreak that ravaged Haiti starting in 2010, leaving more than 8,000 dead and more than 600,000 seriously sickened.
· A 2014 study of eight of the nine U.N. peacekeeping operations with a mandate to protect civilians found that peacekeepers “did not report responding to 406 (80 per cent) of [the 570] incidents where civilians were attacked.”
· U.N. personnel have been accused of sexual exploitation and abuse in Bosnia, Burundi, Cambodia, Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, Kosovo, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Sudan. Recent news stories from the Central African Republic and Haiti indicate the problem is still far too common and the U.N. is more interested in concealing the issue than in confronting it.
· Atop all that, U.N. employees enjoy extremely generous benefits and salaries—over 32 percent higher than U.S. civil servants of equivalent rank.
Moreover, the U.N. and its employees enjoy broad protections and immunities and cannot be sued in national courts, arrested, or prosecuted for actions related to their official duties unless those immunities are waived. This places an extremely heavy responsibility on the U.N. to self-police, correct, and punish wrongdoing by the organization and its employees.
Unfortunately, oversight and accountability at the U.N. have historically been weak. And on the rare occasion when internal watchdogs bite, the organization moves to defang them.
Take the case of the Procurement Task Force (PTF) , a special U.N. unit that went to work in 2006 to root out corruption. It uncovered fraud, waste, and mismanagement involving contracts valued at more than $630 million. It led to misconduct findings and convictions of U.N. officials.
Unfortunately the PTF was eliminated in 2008—at the behest of countries angry about PTF actions against their nationals holding U.N. staff positions. The U.N. has not completed any major corruption cases since the PTF was eliminated.
Expect nothing new from UN but the ongoing American plan- Subic Bay and Islam.
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YakkalaSimon / June 14, 2016
Did you see how Saudi Arabia cajoled and bribed the UN’s silence about HR violations and facts about the Saudi led coalition’s massive number of civilian deaths in Yemen?60% of the deaths of civilians including children was because of Saudi led bombings. That is more than 2,000 people.
Ban Ki Moon admitted to it but they still cannot and will not do anything because money talks. SO that is where we stand on principle in the UN. UN also is a place for a lot of third world milk cows gaining lucrative jobs and lifetime perks because of politically correct quotas.
US has its head shoved in the Saudi King’s arse. That is why even on gay rights they come and do their gay pride stuff in nations like Sri LAnka because of the new FM of Sri Lanka but they are deaf dumb and mute about equal rights for gay people in Arab oil nations, even India or Malaysia etc. SELECTIVE morality and SELECTIVE preaching.
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Alfred Domino / June 15, 2016
“”US has its head shoved in the Saudi King’s arse.””
You got your knickers in a twist and did not listen to as to why Moon had to retract a statement he previously made on Monday.
How much does Saudi and UAE donate for UN’s upkeep General and Peacekeeping??
Shenali D Waduge is a asian moron who knows only pagawe while this is beyond pagawe- it leads to cant do won’t do of government servants on high salary.
Saudi with its enormous donations vetoed :Saudi Ambassador to the U.N. Abdallah al-Mouallimi, who held his own press conference afterward, offered his own back-handed confirmation of what happened.
“We didn’t use threats,” he said, “but such listing will obviously have an impact on our relations with the U.N.”
(they promised to withdraw funding in the region–Saudi Arabia is one of the U.N.’s largest donors in the Middle East, giving hundreds of millions of dollars a year to U.N. food programs in Syria and Iraq. In 2014, Saudi Arabia gave $500 million — the largest single humanitarian donation to the U.N. — to help Iraqis displaced by ISIS. Over the past three years, Saudi Arabia has also been become the third-largest donor to the U.N.’s relief agency in Palestine, giving tens of millions of dollars to help rebuild Gaza and assist Palestinian refugees.))
Ban said at a press conference. “At the same time, I also had to consider the very real prospect that millions of other children would suffer grievously if, as was suggested to me, countries would defund many U.N. programs. Children already at risk in Palestine, South Sudan, Syria, Yemen, and so many other places would fall further into despair.”
Salli no Thambi no. (no slot for communities to pay UN budget) you cannot win Don’t make life miserable for the ones living in the entire island and a disgrace to Lankan worldwide.(all resources have been exhausted)
Sri lanka has not even paid its regular donation of US$ 0.77 million. to the UN budget. Peacekeeping budget and Lanka is making money sending troops to rape etc which will not be questioned. USA pays $3 billion towards regular budget and $5 billion peacekeeping. (it covers to create wars and gather community of the poor world)
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YakkalaSimon / June 14, 2016
One more note, go back to SL and help innocent Tamils recover and heal and spend your western money to build wells and hospitals in the North. All the war monger Tamil Tigers live in the US and Canada etc. They have no place in modern post war Sri Lanka. Let Tamils living in Sri Lanka settle this with their Sinhala brothers.
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Yuktiya / June 14, 2016
In Germany, Hitler started the war to massacre Jews, in Cambodia, Pol Pot started the war to massacre innocent civilians, in Sri Lanka, Prabhakaran started the war to massacre Sinhalese. At the end of the WW2, Nazi leaders were tried and punished. In Cambodia, the UN tribunal tried the leaders of Pol Pot regime and punished them. In Sri Lanka what is happening is quite the opposite. In case of Sri Lanka what the UN should have done was to establish a tribunal to try LTTE leaders for killing thousands of innocent civilians. Prabhakaran is dead and gone but a number of leaders of LTTE are alive. Some of them hiding in Western countries. Get hold of them and punish them for their crimes against humanity instead of going after the armed forces that crushed the LTTE terrorists. The Government and the Armed forces have a legitimate right to do that. There were two armed uprisings by Sinhalese against the government and the government crushed them. About 60,000 youths lost their lives. No questions asked.
UN, the ball is in your court. It is not too late to change the emphasis of your allegations. Get your act right.
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Thamilan / June 14, 2016
UN writes big reports and publishes the problems but have no power to impose a solution. These big reports makes it difficult to solve the problem internally.
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Alfred Domino / June 14, 2016
What do you think security council member Russia is doing since other peoples money FDI, is not there??
What do you think the present American regime is? Even before Isaerel vetoed America vetoed it for Isaerel with its 22% overall or 28 % peackeeping.
A couple of days ago what did Banki tell the world about arm twisting Saudi.
Money is Power not newsworthy articles.
Money makes the UN dance to the tune.
the sinhala muslim government has found it diplomatic slot and no amount of kicking is going to topple humpty dumpty.
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Taraki / June 14, 2016
Thambu you will not get Eelam or Federalism or overseas judges or war crimes tribunals. You haven’t even got the PTA revoked. You haven’t even got Tamil political prisoners released. Why do you think the US via the UN haven’t insisted on even this minor step?
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Native Vedda / June 15, 2016
Taraki
“Thambu you will not get Eelam or Federalism or overseas judges or war crimes tribunals. You haven’t even got the PTA revoked. You haven’t even got Tamil political prisoners released. Why do you think the US via the UN haven’t insisted on even this minor step?”
Do you think these were your achievements since 1948?
Federalism and abolishing PTA are in the interest of all people. Great you stupid people really love to Cut off the nose to spite your face. So there is no change is there?
“Why do you think the US via the UN haven’t insisted on even this minor step?”
In effect I made the same comment to you many many moons ago, finally you have discovered something by yourself, its a great achievement for a racist. In any case I congratulate you and hope you would discover wheel and fire soon.
However, I regret to tell you that you are not going to have your Sinhala/Buddhist ghetto in this island either. This part is not my own discovery but a reality.
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Taraki / June 14, 2016
I will give you the answer. Its not a case of succesive Sri Lankan governments fooling the UN. It is a case of the Sri Lankan government and the UN getting together to work out what is politically acceptable to both of them. Realistically, the Tamils will get little or nothing.
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Native Vedda / June 15, 2016
Taraki
“Realistically, the Tamils will get little or nothing.”
It is not a question of what, when, how, how much …… Tamils will get in the end, but what will the country achieve/gain given that the history of misrule since 1948 supported by too many bigoted morons like you.
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Usha S Sri-Skanda-Rajah / June 14, 2016
Even the Paranagama Report has been ditched – which the former Secretary of Defense Gotabaya Rajapaksa has recently in an interview to Ceylon Today called the “listing of names” in the report and a probe on it as a “useless process”: “He took the one-sided story and made a report,” Gotabaya told Sulochana Ramiah Mohan:
https://www.colombotelegraph.com/…/if-i-become-president-i…/
Why has Gotabaya rubbished the report – because the Paranagama Report vindicates Channel 4 and Callum Macrae, stating, “the Channel 4 Reports were unlikely to be faked.” It also “concedes” Isaipriya’s killing to be an “arbitrary execution”..as well as 12 year old Balachandran’s.. adding: “In the Commission’s view, the Channel 4 programmes provide enough material to form a reasonable basis to believe that war crimes may have been committed, warranting an investigation.” Recommends direct international involvement in a judicial process, suggesting a, “joint international/domestic court” may be the way forward!”
http://www.channel4.com/…/sri-lanka-killings-channel-4…
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amal perera / June 14, 2016
Samanta Power, does not think so neither Athul nor Nisha.
Stupid to live in a fiction past.
Americans do what they usually do.
Its being populated by muslims who speak tamil at home.
Be careful Trump may lock you out like the Italians and Japs during WW2.
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NAMS / June 15, 2016
There would not be testing time for Sri Lanka as long as R. Sampathan( TNA) and Ranil sleep in the same bed.
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Kumarathasan Rasingam / June 15, 2016
Enough is enough, The UN and the International community will decide, if Sri Lanka fails to implement all accepted matters in the Resolution, Sri Lanka will always be in the UN radar until all the recommendations are completely implemented.
UN & IC knows the Sri Lanka’s procrastination, delaying tactics, and diverting and doing nothing.
Finally if Sri Lanka offer a federal system to the Tamils Sri Lanka will remain united as one country. If Sri Lanka blames the Sinhala Buddhist extremist and fails to deliver justice to Tamils, UN will be forced to conduct a referendum in the North & East for the people to decide their future. [ as in UN charter]
It is high time Sri Lanka come out with some genuine, honest & truthful measures to solve the burning problem – a decent poilitical solution to the Tamils.
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cat with 9 lives / June 15, 2016
” to solve the burning problem – a decent poilitical solution to the Tamils. “
Can you bring a winter plant from Europe and make it grow outdoors?
Without big and expensive greenhouse its not possible or create an island in the sea and grow it there.
Be sensible and follow the majority tamils of the island as they have no problems but you are the catalyst to the problem.55% live outside of north east.
You don’t have European blood to be served for your mishap there are bigger like Zimbabwe for IC/CommonW.
live by sword die by sword- remind the stupid bishop.
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Value Freedom / June 17, 2016
Tamils fled due to Sinhala Buddhist state sponsored chauvinism, racism, violence, Apartheid, destruction, mass murders, rape and genocide.
Tamil leaders in Singapore are from Eelam Tamil origin and their determination, discipline, dedication, hard work jointly with Chinese is well known all over the world.
Tamils those who fled Sri Lanka are prospering well in most Western nations and it is another evidence of mass discrimination and racism towards the Tamils in Sri Lanka.
Japan, another Buddhist nation that committed mass atrocities and US has responded strongly with nuclear weapons. Sri Lankan menace against humanity, mankind, atrocities, genocide are more dangerous, inhuman and barbaric for decades and it is time for the US to take action to put an end to this madness once and for all.
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Kumaraya / June 16, 2016
A well-timed article for a wake-up call to UN and/or the International Community to haul up Sri Lanka and fix a time-frame for it to clear up its past undemocratic sins against the Tamils and remedy their political grievances and compensation to the Tamil victims, while fulfilling its commitments to International Laws and convections so as to ensure peace in Sri Lanka.
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Shiva / June 17, 2016
Thanks for the article and Tamils all over the world continues to struggle against Sinhala Buddhist racist leaders and regime by exposing their denial of democratic values until Tamils achieve their freedom and independence. Continuance of Sinhala racism simply exposes that Tamils cannot live this Sinhalese due to their barbaric values.
It is not only testing time for the UN, it is a total failure of so called international community and UN that failed to prevent genocide against Eelam Tamils by the Sinhala racist forces.
The new Sri Lankan regime with leaders of historical hatred mindset are just passing the time as Obama administration comes to an end in November and they can repeat same lies and false promises that the Sinhala leaders have been doing since 1924 to the new US regime.
Lena Sinha’s report should be an eye opener for the UN that failed miserably to protect humanity and failed leaders are in a body that is formed to protect humanity and mankind.
Sri lanka continues to be a rogue and failed state and it must be isolated from global forums until end of Sinhala Buddhist racism and Apartheid and they respect rule of law, democracy, freedom, human rights, respect to other races and religions, Justice and no impunity to war criminals, mass rapists, torturers and those who committed genocide.
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Value Freedom / June 17, 2016
Thanks for the insightful article as UN has been failing on protecting mankind, human rights in many nations including Rwanda, Eelam, Myanmar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Syria.
All human rights activists, democracy defenders, those who believe in universal rights and progressive leaders all over the world have to struggle for peace, democracy, freedom, human rights, rule of law for all. All must jointly put an end to dictators, tyrants, rogue and genocidal regimes!
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Siva / June 18, 2016
Thanks for pointing out the failures of global bodies that are formed to protect civilians, human rights, ensure international law, R2P and Justice.
Sinhala leaders have been successful with false promises, apply their corrupt practices to cover up mass human rights abuses, torture, denial of rule of law and justice, attack on the media and journalists and genocide.
New regime is with old leaders who are alleged committing mass atrocities but with masks to deceive the international community. All democracy and peace lovers should struggle globally against this brutal Sri Lankan regime, exposing their madness against humanity, isolate this regime until they comply with international law, ensure human rights, apply rule of law and justice equally to all and end of impunity to Sinhala Buddhist chauvinists, human rights abusers and war criminals.
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