Observing International Day for the right to the truth, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged States to adopt measures to promote truth, justice and reparations for victims, which is so crucial to ensuring that gross human rights violations are not repeated.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
“Throughout the world, from Colombia to Tunisia, from Mali to Sri Lanka, from Nepal to South Sudan, the United Nations has advocated for inclusive and genuine consultations with victims and affected groups, especially women, girls and those who are far too often excluded and marginalized.” Ban Ki-moon said yesterday.
We publish below the statement in full;
This annual observance pays tribute to the memory of Monsignor Óscar Arnulfo Romero, who was murdered on 24 March 1980. Monsignor Romero was actively engaged in denouncing violations of the human rights of the most vulnerable individuals in El Salvador.
Across the world, every victim has the right to know the truth about violations that affected her or him. But the truth also has to be told for the benefit of all people and communities as a vital safeguard against the recurrence of violations. The right to the truth is closely linked to the right to justice.
To advance this effort, the UN supports fact-finding missions, commissions of inquiry, mapping exercises, and truth commissions, which document human rights violations and make recommendations to ensure accountability, reconciliation, and other reforms.
Throughout the world, from Colombia to Tunisia, from Mali to Sri Lanka, from Nepal to South Sudan, the United Nations has advocated for inclusive and genuine consultations with victims and affected groups, especially women, girls and those who are far too often excluded and marginalized. Their meaningful participation must be ensured in all relevant stages of transitional justice processes, and their specific needs must be fully recognized in any reparation measures.
Securing the testimonies of victims and witnesses is also essential to ensuring the rights to know the truth and to justice. Appropriate mechanisms for the protection of victims and witnesses, including their physical and psychological integrity, privacy, and dignity, must be put in place.
Moreover, the preservation of archives and other documentation relating to human rights violations is crucial for ensuring undistorted historical record and preservation of memory.
On this day, I urge States to adopt measures to promote truth, justice and reparations for victims, which is so crucial to ensuring that gross human rights violations are not repeated. Let us all do more to protect human rights and human dignity.
Amarasiri / March 25, 2016
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
RE: UN Advocates Inclusive And Genuine Consultations With Victims In Sri Lanka: Ban Ki-moon
“Observing International Day for the right to the truth, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged States to adopt measures to promote truth, justice and reparations for victims, which is so crucial to ensuring that gross human rights violations are not repeated.”
“On this day, I urge States to adopt measures to promote truth, justice and reparations for victims, which is so crucial to ensuring that gross human rights violations are not repeated. Let us all do more to protect human rights and human dignity.”
That is very good, but no DOUBLE STANDARDS please.
Can you please take on the Great Satan and its cronies as well?
Aggression, a supreme international crime, is Worse than Terrorism.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPRvssOZiKA
Published on Sep 18, 2013
Noam Chomsky, professor of linguistics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the author of many books including, with Andre Vltchek, On Western Terrorism: From Hiroshima to Drone Warfare, talks about his new book, his body of work and his take on recent events, plus listener calls.
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Kumar R. / March 25, 2016
While it is certainly a relief and welcome hind-sight that at least now, well after-the fact, that the past UN Chief wakes up to the wisdom “States to adopt measures to promote truth, justice and reparations for victims, which is so crucial to ensuring that gross human rights violations are not repeated”.
It is just so unfortunate that this same chief himself repeatedly undermined that same fundamental need he now espouses, the need for “inclusive and genuine consultations with victims and affected groups, especially women, girls and those who are far too often excluded and marginalized” during almost all of his tenure! That need was crystal clear to almost all genuine human rights activists, and should have been an implicitly, even if not explicitly, mandated fundamental objective of the UN from the get-go – not half a decade after the fact.
It is a just a shame, and a grotesque one at that, that the one-time UN chief took so long to discover that.
I suppose better late than never.
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Kumar R. / March 25, 2016
While it is certainly a relief and a welcome hind-sight that at least now, well after-the fact, that the past UN Chief wakes up to the wisdom “States to adopt measures to promote truth, justice and reparations for victims, which is so crucial to ensuring that gross human rights violations are not repeated”.
It is just so unfortunate that this same chief himself repeatedly undermined that same fundamental need he now espouses, the need for “inclusive and genuine consultations with victims and affected groups, especially women, girls and those who are far too often excluded and marginalized” during almost all of his tenure! That need was crystal clear to almost all genuine human rights activists, and should have been an implicitly, even if not explicitly, mandated fundamental objective of the UN from get-go – not half a decade after the fact.
It is a just a shame, and a grotesque one at that, that the one-time UN chief took so long to discover that.
I suppose better late than never!
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lal / March 26, 2016
Well said. The UN is no more than an instrument to be used against the developing world by the US and its western allies. If the UN gegeral secretary wants to have an inquiry into war crimes in Sri Lanka let him start with Tamil Terrorist barbarism against the Sinhalese and Muslims first, and compensate the victims of Tamil barbarism. Then, if they prove to the Sri Lankan community that they are impartial Sri Lanka may allow them to investigate other matters. The fact that the UN cannot confront US, UK for the crimes against humanity in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Germany (world war two), Vietnam shows that they are not a credibile, impartial body to conduct a credible,impartial invsetigation in Sri Laka or elsewhere. Let the Banki Moon fellow bark at the moon like the mad dogs do in the interim. For the moment, lets be free to heap praise on our war heros who made sacrifices to save Sri Lanka by defeating Tamil racism, terrorism and barbarism.
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Antany Peter / March 25, 2016
BanKi-moon will be dancing hard according to the US. Because he is a South Korean, he needs help from the US to protect his country from North Korea.
“Throughout the world, from Colombia to Tunisia, from Mali to Sri Lanka, from Nepal to South Sudan, the United Nations has advocated for inclusive and genuine consultations with victims and affected groups, especially women, girls and those who are far too often excluded and marginalized.” Ban Ki-moon
He is joking, he is not serious about inclusiveness. How many South American, African and Middle Eastern countries have permanent seat on the UN security council? None. Asians are almost half of the world population, but China only has a permanent seat on the UN security council. The UN is a white man club, it has to change.
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jansee / March 25, 2016
Hello Antany Peter,
How do you reconcile your argument with the fact that Sri Lanka is still a member of the UN/UNHRC? When a resolution in favour of SL was passed in the UNHRC in 2009, you jokers were praising and dancing. Now that the lies have bubbled out you start grumbling. Why then still being a member of those bodies? The 2015 resolution was CO-SPONSORED by Sri Lanka. Still a dumb.
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lal / March 26, 2016
Ban ki Moon is just a tool of US, UK just as the UN has become an instrument to bully and keep developing world open to their exploitation. He and UN are no more than instruments to advance that neo colonial agenda. Let the fellow bark like a mad dog and wear himself out. Its no longer a credible entity. Its biased and easily manupulated by big powers. Soon the UN will fade into oblivion and US, UK and Banki will be the architects that.
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sr / March 25, 2016
Ban Ki-Moon …with victims of Sri Lanka
The UN identifies only Tamil minority as victims. This is not true.
The biggest victimization has been felt by majority sinhalese.
Sympathize the minority for their suffering in the war but safeguard majority rights and aspirations too.
Don’t support division the country on racial basis. Sri Lanka is a small country so no geographic need as well to divide.
Let Sri Lankans decide on alleged war crimes; build pressure but don’t involve directly
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Native Vedda / March 26, 2016
sr
“The biggest victimization has been felt by majority sinhalese.”
I hate to agree with you.
The Sinhalese should appeal to the UN for they have been the victim of war crime in 1971, between 1987/1990 and during MR’s rule.
In fact Sinhalese have been the victims since 1948 of various political scams.
Its high time the UN investigated the political establishment of this island.
If you start a campaign I guarantee you that I will be right behind you.
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anotherbuddist / March 26, 2016
Native Vedda
You have conveniently left out the crimes by LTTE and your hero Prabakaran!! (Are you really a native of any kind? other than Tamil?)
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Native Vedda / March 27, 2016
another Sinhala/Buddhist
“You have conveniently left out the crimes by LTTE and your hero Prabakaran!!”
Have I?
Did LTTE commit any crime? Sorry I am not aware of what LTTE did.
Please let me know all those crimes you believe LTTE had committed.
“(Are you really a native of any kind? other than Tamil?)”
What do you think?
Tamils/Sinhalese speak English, does it make them Englishman?
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sr / March 27, 2016
native vadda
Why should we go to the UN. It’s a form of betrayal as we can make genuine efforts to solve our problems. The problem we have today is that there’s a loyal gang of partial & unscrupulous UN; looking for ways to destabilize and handover our sovereignty to outside forces.
It’s time for us to restudy political establishments and correct ourselves.
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Native Vedda / March 27, 2016
sr
“The problem we have today is that there’s a loyal gang of partial & unscrupulous UN; looking for ways to destabilize and handover our sovereignty to outside forces.”
There is no such thing as sovereignty. This is an outdated idea that has been used by the crooks, racists, bigots, murderers, thieves, … to hide behind and continue their criminal activities. The country cannot hand over anything that it does not possess.
Destabilisation of state comes from within not from outside.
If you don’t treat your family well strangers and neighbours every ready to grope your wife, daughters, mother, mother in law, sisters, sister in laws, grandmas, aunts, …… Stop blaming outsiders and start blaming yourself.
“It’s time for us to restudy political establishments and correct ourselves.”
This state has committed war crimes since 1971. Have you ever tried to correct yourself.
Please stop kidding yourself.
By the way first the state and armed forces need to acknowledge the fact that they have indeed committed war crimes and crime against humanity. The smart ass patriots have several problems among which they do not see the need to unearth truth. Every murder, rape, plunder, …. have been buried under .. patriotism and sovereignty
Rear Admiral (Dr.) Sarath Weerasekera cannot and would not accept even token gesture of singing National Anthem in Tamil. He was defending his bigotry by selectively citing what is written in constitution.
You should advise these bigots to wise up if you want to run a stable secular state.
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sr / March 27, 2016
Native vadda – “there’s nothing called sovereignty. …..”
Unfortunately we have something called sovereignty; as far as there’re different countries it’s natural for countries to have it.
Do you think Americans don’t have it? Englishmen don’t have it?
They do have it and they don’t want others like us to have it.
You tried to be very smart by telling that it’s an outdated concept but it’s there and it’ll be there until humans have achieved perfect global village.
Please let me tell you that we have to be sure that we aren’t driven by hatred.
What has happened or more precisely what has been done to us cannot be undone; in other words we cannot give life to dead people.
that doesn’t mean that we have to forget everything.
We have to be patient and try to get the culprits to the books and give what they deserve.
Have trust upon democracy and our strength. Some times we won’t be able to punish all on the grounds that all these had happened in a war situation ( in case of wanton killings)
just have a look at what’s happening in Syria, all the dying people are ISIS rebels, Can we believe it?
Likewise all the dying people in the final stage of war were rebels; that’s the argument and we have to bear up it. We should not give way to our or British or French anger.
You correctly mentioned that crooks, racists.. etc utter this word to hide their crimes.
So do the very people you are going complain about our sufferings.
Strongest is the winner; even in the UN there’s no equal treatment.
“Destabilization of state comes from within.”
I accept it and want to add that it may be intensified by external forces.
“This state has committed war crimes…… have you ever tried to..”
First of all let’s not call them wars, just call them conflicts.
My personal feeling is that In 1971 there wasn’t strong voice against the government no reason to revolt; so suppression was accepted. people just took pity on the sufferers.
And
Between 87-90 both parties were wrong. Government fought with JVP. Unexpected destruction to life and property but again the voice of the sufferers; though heard not taken seriously.
Generally Sinhalese are very good in pacifying hatred through compassion whether they are buddhists or faithfuls of other religions.
“Acknowledge that they have committed war crimes…”
The problem is that how can a government or a military force acknowledge that they committed war crimes when actually they haven’t committed them.
I accept the fact that no military force is perfect and when taken individually soldiers commit crimes like raping, looting etc. But how can we say that they were according to the orders given by the top.
If we have evidence we can produce them in courts and give punishments.
At this juncture Sinhalese know that the majority of charges being made against the then government and forces are not genuine because the Tamil diaspora are acting on hatred. They want to revange Sri Lanka after their failure in war.
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lal / March 26, 2016
I doubt if this UNSG secretary would suggest that US and UK have Genuine and Inclusive Consultations with Victims of Afghanistan, Libya and Iraq for the War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity they commited. I think not, he needs guts to do that. What a gutless bully!
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Native Vedda / March 26, 2016
lal loo
Please help me with your what you consider as war crimes and crime against humanity.
Are you saying absence of any UN investigation on what USA and its allies did elsewhere absolve all those crimes perpetrated on this land?
Are you saying that the state and its armed forces never committed any war crimes or crimes against humanity in this country?
If UN is unacceptable whom should we entrust the independent investigation with?
Would you like Sarath N Silva to head the commission comprising MR, GR, Fonseka, Svendra Silva, Dayan, Wimal, Jegath Dias, …. and other smart patriots, … as members of the panel?
Be a man, be serious and give us some ideas.
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