By Colombo Telegraph –
“The U.S. Embassy is concerned about reports that hundreds of Sri Lankan family members of the disappeared were blocked in Vavuniya by Sri Lankan authorities while traveling to Colombo. These family members are calling for information about their missing loved ones. The Embassy calls upon Sri Lankan authorities to allow free movement of these citizens. The right to freely express opinions is universal and protected under Sri Lankan and international law.” says the US Embassy Colombo.
On 5th March 2013 the family members, who were travelling to Colombo to participate in a protest campaign and to hand over a petition to UN regarding their disappeared relatives, were blocked in Vavuniya by a joint operation of the police and the military.
“The United States is constructively working with international partners to support of these basic freedoms through the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution in Geneva. We continue to urge the Government of Sri Lanka to follow through on its own commitments to its people by implementing recommendations made in their Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) Report. The LLRC recommends thorough investigations into disappearances as well an establishment of a mechanism to address cases of the missing and detained. Since last year’s UNHRC resolution the United States has grown increasingly concerned by the lack of progress on these issues, as well as backsliding on other important areas of fundamental democratic rights. All Sri Lankans should enjoy the same rights and live in dignity, sharing a democratic, secure, and prosperous future.” the Embassy further says.
Mahinda Samarasinghe, the Sri Lankan envoy on Human rights said last week;
“The Government is in the process of devising measures to pay compensation to the owners of properties within such areas or provide them with alternate land. I must re-emphasize that the military is in no way engaged in civil administration which is the sole responsibility of civilian officials. There are absolutely no restrictions on travel today in the North and civilians enjoy complete freedom of movement.”
kaputakukula / March 6, 2013
With incidents like these, the SLG is only strengthening the claim of Channel IV. Do the government need this action at THIS TIME? Are they short of good, witty, humane advisors?
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kopkuvilan / March 6, 2013
BY STOOPPING THESE PEOPLE AT VAVUNIYA SRI LANKAN FORCES AND THE GOVERNMENT IS INDIRECTLY ACCEPTING THAT OTHER SIDE OF VAVUNIYA IS A SEPERARTE COUNTRY.OVER TO DUD DEW GOONASEKERA,VASIDEVA NANAYAKARA AND PARITHAPA PRBA GANESAN.
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premalal / March 6, 2013
America is speaking for the families of missing people while the leftists who are against America are silent on missing people.I do not know whether I should cry or laugh.
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Dev / March 6, 2013
Wonderful, this could not be happening at a better time !
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dicky Bird / March 6, 2013
Its not stopping that matters BUT who instigated them??
TNA with the diaspora money to coincide with Geneva.
This is all too familier. These Tamils never learn.
Did they do the same thing against ltte when under their rule??
Now that LTTE & VP are dead, it appears that their tongue and jaws ans regained muscle.
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Mango / March 6, 2013
So, the BBS criminals are allowed to run riot whilst these Tamil civilians are prevented from making a wholly justified demo asking about their disappeared family members.
If the ‘international community’ and various groups like AI, HRW, ICG would wean themselves off their crack binge of LTTE dispora’s obsession with war crimes, they’d be able to attack GoSL where it’s domestically weak (prisoners still on indefinite detention etc) rather than where it’s domestically strong (ie. war crimes).
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / March 6, 2013
Mango,
You are . What bothers me is the timing of various. Tamils want to march from Vavuniya to Colombo to seek their disappeared! The President has flagged off a march of Buddhist monks( local and foreign) from Kathirkamam/ Kataragama to Jaffna !
Why all these marches to coincide with the Geneva hunting season? Why could not such marches be organised at other times?
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran
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Dev / March 6, 2013
You seem to be clutching at straws here, these woman have been protesting many times throughout the year, not just now !!
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / March 7, 2013
I am referring to the marches.
Dr.RN
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / March 8, 2013
The Chief of the UN office in Colombo today has said all communications can be sent to his office by post. He is right. What was the need for the march at this point in time.
Dr. RN
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JULAAMPITYE AMARAYA / March 6, 2013
Because people like you Start barking at the Geneve Hunting Season.
But Hunting in Sri lanka never stopped,
You Know why?
because
There are opportunistic [may be guys like you] persons rally behind predators.
Situation become alarming to destruction.
In Sinhala there is a saying;
IGURU DEELA MIRIS GATHTHAA WAAGEI.
[giving ginger, exchanged for Chilies.
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / March 7, 2013
Julampittye Amaraya,
Predators are hunting predators in Geneva. All I am saying is that given both are predators, it is not fair for one to hunt the other. This is not opportunism, but objectivity. Opportunism implies some benefits to the proponent. There are no benefits being sought or being given. Even if offered the benefits will be refused.
There is no hunting in Sri Lanka now. There are yet rampant problems relating to rule of law and human rights in this country. However, this applies to the whole country. Bad governance has got worse. The BBS is a manifestation of this and the government is patronising it. Of course, there can be hunting again soon, if we are not alert and sensible. I will rather err on the side of caution and be called names, than on the side of false pride, revenge and unwise bravado.
Dr. Rajasingham Narendran
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Mango / March 6, 2013
Dr Narendran,
Perhaps GoSL’s enemies abroad still don’t appreciate that attacking it on the war crimes issue only strengthens MR’s hand, domestically. Even people who hate and despise MR for what he’s done in the post-war period (family rule, corruption etc) will not join the war crimes crowd.
But we also know that the overseas LTTE won’t stop the war crimes campaign, providing MR with a perfect excuse for shouting ‘foreign intervention’ to divert attention away from his many mistakes.
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / March 7, 2013
I Agee .
Dr.RN
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Safa / March 6, 2013
Desperate acts of the govt to hide the truth.
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R.KOVIAN / March 6, 2013
Good Hope US wil come to the conclusion, separation is the only answer. Sinhala budhist barbarism never going to stop until tamils liberated and recognise their right to self determination….
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Natasha / March 7, 2013
All the rights of SriLankan citizens destroyed, police is politicized, no independent judiciary to seek justice, crimes and fraud not investigated, and basically there are no fundamental rights for any citizen except for politicians.
After adoption in Geneva, UN Security Council look in to this matter, legal procedures could start very soon, procedural resolution in UN cannot be vetoed, China did not even give a loan to cover massive budget deficit.
Future of Sri Lankan dictatorship is extremely bleak. This type of overwhelming suppression would come to an end very soon.
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Mahela / March 7, 2013
This UNHRC session is the last opportunity for Tamil community to express their grievences and to rescue them before the next GOSL pogrom.
The sooner UNHRC act to rescue Tamil community, the better chances it has to save them.
It is not only the Tamil community but all the freedom,democracy and justice loving Sri Lankans who are at risk from Govt. thugs.
Never ever trust a double faced, double acting Hambanthota Weeraketiya Gas Gembas.
Also crook JR Jayawardena’s nephew RW is the next fake Sharia Law, Gorilla war UNP head clown who is helping Rajapakses to stay in power is the next wolf one has to be careful of.
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justice / March 9, 2013
Stopping/obstructing the travel of busloads of people to colombe to take part in the parade of those who have lost family members, gives the reply to what Mahinda Samarasinghe had stated at geneva – quoted above – the last sentence is relevant.
The US now knows that sri lanka does not practice what it says in international fora.
This is the correct time for such parades and marches when sri lanka is the cynosure of all eyes due to the UNHRC deliberations.
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PresiDunce Bean / March 9, 2013
The difference between the US and Silly Lanka. Two examples.
IN Silly Lanka
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Kitnasami Rajendran(57) of Udayarkattu North, Udayarkattu in Mullaitivu District was illegally arrested in 2008 and has been detained without trial for more than four years. He was tortured in the custody of the Colombo Criminal Investigation Division and is now detained at the Anuradapura Remand Prison after being produced in the Vavuniya Magistrate’s Court and the Colombo Magistrate’s Court. To-date, Rajendran has never been shown a charge sheet describing his ‘crimes’. This case is yet another illustration of the exceptional collapse of the rule of law in the country. There are hundreds of such individuals in Silly Lanka jails held without trial.
In the US
http://youtu.be/u7AmeCquD-s
click link to see video.
This is the difference between a country like the US and a country like Silly Lanka. If an SL man was wrongfully imprisoned (and there are 100s in custody at the moment) he would have got nothing! There are 100s of locals who are also tortured in the custody of the police, but none are compensated with even one humanitarian rupee. In the case of this US citizen the story is much different.
(CNN) — Stephen Slevin’s 22 months in solitary confinement in a county jail left him traumatized and physically weak, but he’ll soon be a multimillionaire for his suffering.
The New Mexico county that locked him up on a drunk driving charge, isolated him from other inmates and accused of essentially forgetting about him for nearly two years agreed this week to settle his lawsuit for $15.5 million.
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/07/justice/new-mexico-inmate-settlement/index.html?hpt=hp_c2
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Rama / March 10, 2013
sinhala black monkey army have taken away the little bit of freedom tamil people had. it’s black sinhala monkey army rule. black monkeys are the masters. sinhala black monkey army physically and sexually harass tamil people. sinhala black monkey army are notorious child molesters. black monkeys raped prostitutes and molested children in war torn haiti. after sleeping with haitian prostitutes , black monkeys refused to pay them for services rendered.
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