By Eran Wickramaratne –
Eran Wickramaratne MP
If the Government fails to manage the UNHRC resolution on Sri Lanka properly the economic consequences will be catastrophic
This government is stumbling from one crisis to another. Poor economic management, dismal management of Covid-19, and now to disastrous management of foreign diplomatic relations. The vote on the Sri Lanka resolution at the UNHCR showed how few friends we have retained. The lowest point in foreign policy management since the end of the conflict. The present resolution is heavily weighted towards the correction of the infringements of human rights of the past 16 months over the issues pertaining to the military conflict that ended over a decade ago.
The government has compounded its policy failures by appointing the wrong persons for defined tasks. The Covid-19 virus containment should have been led by health professionals and scientists from the outset. Our diplomatic initiatives should have been led by foreign policy professionals.
An urgent fresh appraisal is needed to minimise the negative economic consequences of the resolution. We must not risk legal battles in foreign jurisdictions, travel bans, economic and trade embargoes. The economic consequences will be catastrophic.
A fresh approach will require the implementation of human rights initiatives as identified in Sri Lankan commission reports, where investigations and accountability are dealt with by domestic mechanisms that meets the concerns of the international community. Arriving at the truth is an essentials part of the healing and reconciliation process. This coupled with a fresh diplomatic initiative could avert a further economic and financial crisis within the next couple of years.
We in the opposition will support a progressive fresh initiative in the interest of all our people.
*Eran Wickramaratne MP – Former State Minister of Finance
Black Lankan / March 24, 2021
Why not appoint Blind Eagle to lead the foreign policy pundits? As long as a small bunch of guys with lobsided views and beliefs run this country there is simply no hope. The loss at the UN is catastrophic. Just see the countries that supported SL. Oh what a pitty. All those countries are killers of their own people and corrupt to the core with no idea about human rights or human values. SL can simply forget about those rougue countries and find a way to move forward by including the minorities into the governance and respect fellow humans. Just believing a few blind racists and illiterate clergy will certainly destroy SL.
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old codger / March 25, 2021
“The government has compounded its policy failures by appointing the wrong persons for defined tasks”
To start with, the boss himself is only good at shouting orders at people.
Then, there are the movers and shakers, like homeguard Weerasekara, the Admiral Professori, Channa Jayasumana the confidant of Natha Deviyo, Wimal W, all with their own ideas on domestic and foreign policy. There is absolutely no coordination from the top to keep these loose cannons in check. Chandraprema is bad enough, but
it is a good thing that Weerasekara and Jayasumana were not sent to Geneva. Three minutes of their Stone Age thinking would have converted all the abstentions to Yes votes.
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SJ / March 25, 2021
OC
Were things very different a few decades earlier?
JRJ got Cyril M to say things that he would like to say but rather not.
But there was control on what ministers said otherwise.
RP was tougher but there was an agenda within that led to his decline and unfortunate murder.
Loose talk got fashionable under CBK. But it was under MR that we saw a pattern evolving of remote controlled loose talk, although with a few indiscretions.
Yahapalanaya was anarchy when it came to speaking on behalf of the government.
GR may have fared better with a military government, but there too he would have had trouble with jungle fatigue and saffron uniformed loose cannons.
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old codger / March 26, 2021
S.J,
I fear the trend is from bad to worse. From cunning opportunists to illiterate nincompoops. Perhaps democracy reflects the voters too much?
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Naman / March 24, 2021
EW
You were once with the UNP which too is culpable of minorities bashing since Independence. SJB of Premadasa
has to come to terms with the great need of bringing discipline into ALL the Security Forces of GoSL. We need these forces to learn all three languages of the country and be respectful in dealing with the minorities as well as rest of the citizens in SL. Politically, I do understand that Premadasa has to agree to protect those officers who were involved in war crimes. In order to put the country onto the RIGHT tract we need to….
(1) The 20 th Constitution formulated according to the wishes of ALL Sri Lankan citizens. Need to make sure
Judiciary is not under Politicians ; Parliamentarians right to express their opinion and ask Questions on GoSL actions; Media Freedom;Minorities Rights; Independent Constitutional Council to have control on the appointments of government jobs at the higher level; Independent Bribery & Audit Commissions
Can both SLPP and SJB get the active support of Diaspora to bring peace and prosperity to Mother Lanka.
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Eagle Eye / March 25, 2021
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Svenson / March 24, 2021
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Pandi Kutti / March 24, 2021
Thanks for keeping it brief. Now try to work harder and please your master Svenson
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Thiru / March 24, 2021
None of the Sinhalese leaders since independence (D S Senanayake included) understood or valued the concept: Unity is strength. Ever afterwards the subsequent leaders followed the same goal of establishing Sinhalese Buddhist hegemony over the island, and to this day they want a unitary state to complete their desire for Sinhalese Buddhist supremacy.
With that kind of attitude taken by the Sinhalese ruling class egged on by the racist Buddhist monks peace, prosperity and progress will be out of reach to all Sri Lankans.
Moreover there is no rule of law to achieve anything lasting.
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Eagle Eye / March 25, 2021
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hanchopancha / March 24, 2021
May 20th 2017 Colombo Telegraph
A Letter To The Public From A Retired Judge
By B.F.R. Somasighe –
Do please, Mr. B. F. R. Somasinghe send your phone contact to 0711551301. Thank you.
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Ajith / March 24, 2021
Eran,
Forget about UNHRC resolution. UNHRC did not come to us but it is we who brought UNHRC. IPKF did not come but we brought IPKF. LTTE did not come but it is we who brought LTTE. We don’t need foreign policy but we need a well structured national policy. Both UNP and SLFP (SLPP) who took the power did not have or had a national policy to respect the rule of law, justice and humanity for every citizen and every child to feel that they belong to this island. What they did was to brought national policies to divide the people in order to enjoy their personal benefits. They misused and abused the power again and again to suit their family needs, not of every child of this island. If we have not killed those Tamil Sri Lankan children (LTTE is also a Sri Lankan) who surrendered at the end of the war or bombed hospitals and schools during the war or at least implement some of what we promised to do in front of our children we would not have to sell this land to China and India, we would not have to answer any international body. Why our Sri Lankan children do not ask these questions to their teacher or parents or Religious leaders? Do these teachers, parents or religious leaders and media tell the truth or explain?
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Eagle Eye / March 25, 2021
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Buddhist1 / March 24, 2021
Can anyone say that the present regime in Sri Lanka is worried about the economy or about their existence of holding on to power using “Racial Card”. The answer would be clear its the “Racial Card” they are worried about.
On the other hand, it’s not only the Govt that would bring about an economic embargo, it would also be the Judiciary. Why I say this is looking at the recent judgements “nidos kota nidahas” given by the courts its clear the Judiciary in SL is not independent. When there is no independent Judiciary in the country violation of human rights will be rampant and this too would bring about embargo in the future against SL.
In my opinion UN Resolution should have had a clause re: the requirement of reforming the Judges in Sri Lanka.
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Simon / March 24, 2021
Ajit: “….reforming the Judges in Sri Lanka”. I think you did a typographical error in stating the word “reforming”. Did you mean to say “REHABILITATE”? In my opinion, it is more appropriate to say “rehabilitate”. The other day, in a case (against Sathosa Chairman & few others on bribery charges) that came up before the courts, a defense lawyer informed the Judge, that the Bribery Commission would be “Withdrawing” 47 cases on “Technical” grounds and he pleaded that his case too, is postponed until such time. The Judge allowed the request. Did the Judge have any “Official” information to that effect from the Bribery Commission? I stated, this fact to justify the use of my world “Rehabilitation”.
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Eagle Eye / March 25, 2021
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Pon Lanka / March 24, 2021
UNHRC resolution passed on March 22,2021, mainly by the world Developed Countries, whilst other economic powerful countries such as U.S.A, Japan,India etc ( though abstained from voting ), is a clear warning to the present Government and as well as their loss of confidence in Sri lankan politicians. The economic consequences would not only be catastrophic in short term,but, also be worse in long term, when they individually or collectively implement economic sanctions on Srl lanka. Therefore, change in the attitude of the Government of treating all citizens of mother lanka equitably would be the only solution.
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Naman / March 24, 2021
Buddhist1
In SL, the Judges get promoted as long as you dish out judgements that pleases the NGR or M.R. They know what happens if they do not. Ask the former CJ –S. Bandaranayake who was impeached in hurry. Telling the Truth in SL is a crime. For the victims to talk about what had happen to them by the Goons is a Crime. Why has the country come to this state? Are the Sinhala Buddhist Fundamentalists and power greedy politicians the CAUSE? OR is it the SILENT EDUCATED citizens of SL???
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SJ / March 25, 2021
N
Is it not elsewhere?
Why has Edward Joseph Snowden self exiled himself in Russia?
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Mallaiyuran / March 25, 2021
“The present resolution is heavily weighted towards the correction of the infringements of human rights of the past 16 months over the issues pertaining to the military conflict that ended over a decade ago.
A fresh approach will require the implementation of human rights initiatives as identified in Sri Lankan commission reports, where investigations and accountability are dealt with by domestic mechanisms that meets the concerns of the international community.
We in the opposition will support a progressive fresh initiative in the interest of all our people. “
Eran is not alone, from South, seeing this resolution as a Buddhist Sinhalese’s resolution also. But when Eran writes an essay like this, we just can passively accept it. Of cause UNP had a lot in it to arrest the criminal, prosecute and stop the things turning to this direction. But entire UNP portrayed them as the saviors of War Heroes during Yahapalanaya time. We don’t know if Eran’s speech could do any good for Buddhist Sinhalese, because we don’t know if the horse has bolted already or not. Still, latter is better than never.
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Easton Scott / March 25, 2021
For all his positive attributes and intentions, Eran W seems to have misunderstood the resolution and its consequences.
Eran says, “An urgent fresh appraisal is needed to minimise the negative economic consequences of the resolution. We must not risk legal battles in foreign jurisdictions, travel bans, economic and trade embargoes. The economic consequences will be catastrophic”.
Whatever sanctions that might be expected to be placed, are supposed to be restricted to travel bans and asset freezes on INDIVIDUALS, against whom there are credible allegations of serious HR violations. None of this should affect the government or people of Sri Lanka. I shall appreciate it if Eran will acknowledge this with an appropriate comment on this page.
Of course we can expect the government’s spinning wheels to work overtime, and to claim that the passage of this resolution is the cause of the economic mayhem that is ahead of all of us due to this government’s abject mismanagement. No surprises there, but one hopes that the masses will not swallow that “guliya”.
What do you think, guys?:
Thadi Priyantha Phail?
Nondi Dinesh Gunawardene Phail?
Admiral Professor Jayanath Colombage Phail?
Mahinda Mama Phail?
And last of all, undoubtedly, His Excellency, the Rt. Hon. Lt Col. Nandasena Sir Ambaaneta FAIL!!!
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Easton Scott / March 25, 2021
Time to recall the murderous Thadi Priyantha, the sexy Saroja Sirisena and all the other miserable, unqualified, intellectually and linguistically challenged envoys back to mother’s breast.
Let’s wait and see which of these buggers/buggeresses takes the fall for this catastrophe. When they return, Nadaseeni can make them all generals and deploy them to key public roles so they can continue to harass the masses.
Could it catastrophe have been prevented? For sure. How? By solid introspection, by punishing the guilty (yes, loku Sir included), shedding ethno-racism, moderating the influence of the yellow-robed thieves, and implementing non-discriminatory policies and instilling some good old commonsensical, people-centric governance.
Not rocket science, you know.
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Simon / March 25, 2021
Mr. Eran Wickramaratne: You speak of “Economic Consequences”. I think it could be seen as a “Two Way” street, in that, one can lose and also gain. I see one “Beneficial” side of that adopted Resolution. That Resolution has “Mandated” the High Commissioner to establish a process of “Collecting”, “Scrutinizing”, “Collating” and “Preservation” of “ALL” information of Human Rights Violations in Sri Lanka. A Budget of US$ 2.8 million has also been allocated for setting up that “Mechanism”. I emphasize the word “All”, because it would cover a very “WIDE” field of “Violations”, be that in the field of “Rights” originating from all activities of “Governance”. That office will now proceed to recruit an army of qualified and eminent personnel to handle that onerous task. Now the question that arises in my mind is: Is it necessary at all to have Sri Lanka Human Rights Council with a Chairman, Commissioners and all sorts of Staff and “Accommodation” for them to function, with a huge “Budget” allocated from Tax Payers money?. We can come to some arrangement with the same type of “Mechanism” that would be set up by the COHR and “SAVE” a considerable amount of our Tax Revenue by “Dissolving” our outfit.
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Thiha / March 25, 2021
I like your statement that the government has compounded policy failures by appointing the wrong people for the job. This is not an accident it is deliberate. A fresh approach is wishfull thinking ain’t going to happen. The request for investigation and accountability by the UNHCR has already been dismissed arrogantly. So let the invevitable happen my dear Eran because you know what, it is about time the scoundrels who call themselves the Sinhalese and 69 million of whom voted for the like minded scoundrels are taught a lesson and made to pay for how they have conducted themselves for the past thirty odd years. Two JVP massacres, the 83 riots, the war, the killing of multiple media personal and the bombing of media institutions, Intimidation and thuggery directed at any one who opposes them. The list goes on an on. What we have here is the perfect storm. Let it rain but make sure you are ready to take power back after the storm has ended. Until then hold you fire. The situation now is pointless and useless.
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Eagle Eye / March 25, 2021
“The lowest point in foreign policy management since the end of the conflict.”
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‘Jadapalana’ Government reached the highest point in foreign policy management by co-sponsoring the UNHRC Resolution admitting that Sri Lanka Armed Forces committed war crimes and human rights violations and those charges should be investigated by foreign judges. Probably, Sri Lanka may be the only country in the world to do such a dumb thing.
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kali / March 25, 2021
Gotha is a highly temporamental CRIMINAL and ICC beckons. Sinhala Lanka under him is doomed.
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