19 March, 2024

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UNHCR Resolution: Tamil Civil Society Forum Wants International Community To Be Wary Of Sri Lankan Government

The Tamil Civil Society Forum today warned the international community that the ‘unwarranted praise and promotion’ of the Sri Lankan Government from certain powerful sections of the International Community, can result in the Government withdrawing from its obligations under the UNHCR resolution.

TCSF Convener - Bishop of Mannar, Dr. Rayappu Joseph

TCSF Convener – Bishop of Mannar, Dr. Rayappu Joseph

In a statement issued today, the Tamil Civil Society also claimed that the Sri Lankan Government believes that if it successfully handles and appeases the interests of different sections of the International Community, it can escape from the obligations laid out in the UNHRC resolution.

“We hope that the High Commissioner will unequivocally identify the fundamental transgressions in the approach of the Government to the resolution thus far and further appropriately advice member-states of actions that may be required to ensure that the recommendations of the OISL report are given effect to,” the statement said.

We publish below the statement in full;

Statement on the Government of Sri Lanka’s adherence to its obligations under the Geneva Resolution

In September 2015 the UN Human Rights Council passed a resolution on Sri Lanka, laying out the foundations for a process for accountability and justice in Sri Lanka, with the intention of giving effect to the recommendations of the OISL Report. The resolution mandated the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to continue to assess progress on the implementation of its recommendations and other relevant processes related to reconciliation, accountability and human rights and present an oral report at the 32nd session of the council. The report is scheduled to be presented on the 29th of June 2016. We wish to bring the following to the attention to the High Commissioner in this regard:

1. The Government of Sri Lanka ever since the resolution was passed, has put forward a narrative that the resolution was not imposed upon them by external actors but rather was voluntarily accepted and self-given. The paragraph of most significance in the resolution is operative paragraph 6 which emphasised the importance of participation in a judicial mechanism, including the special counsel’s office, of Commonwealth and other foreign judges, defence lawyers and authorized prosecutors and investigators. In a statement released jointly by more than 40 Tamil organisations at that time, we emphasised that the Tamil people’s unequivocal stance was that only an international judicial investigation would provide a fair chance for truth and justice but that we were willing to give a hybrid court a chance if such a court’s design and control was not left entirely to the hands of the Sri Lankan Government. We emphasised that we were willing to explore the possibility of supporting a court made up of a majority of UN appointed judges and prosecutors.

Despite describing the obligations under the resolution as voluntarily given, from the very beginning, the President of Sri Lanka chose to take the stance that the requirements of paragraph 6 will not be adhered to. The President has been categorical that foreign judges would not be included in the proposed judicial mechanism. When the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights visited the island, the High Commissioner’s press release at the end of his visit noted that both had assured their firm conviction with regard to the commitments that they had made. But even after the visit the President continued to claim that foreign judges will not feature in a judicial mechanism. More recently the Prime Minister has also publicly taken the position that there will be no foreign judges. We construe this stance of the Government as amounting to a fundamental breach of an important obligation in the UNHRC resolution. The breach is so fundamental that it throws into doubt the sincerity of the Government as to its commitment to implementing the obligations under the resolution as a whole.

2. The UNHRC resolution emphasises in paragraph 3 of the need to consult the victim communities in the design of the transitional justice mechanisms. A Consultation Taskforce was set up earlier this year but the consultation process is still in the process of being designed. It is in this context that a draft legislation has been tabled in parliament on the 22nd of June by the Government on the setting up of an Office for Missing Persons. No proper consultations have been held on this important piece of legislation with the families of the disappeared. The families were circulated a two page leaflet that was short on detail with regard to many important issues, and a meeting was hurriedly put together by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on short notice. Many organisations including TCSF have raised substantial concerns with regard to the proposals but the Government nevertheless has decided to present the bill to Parliament, indicating that the timing was purely designed to attract the attention of the High Commissioner in the lead up to his oral report. The attitude of the Government is indicative of the callous disregard for the need for a genuine consultative process. Given that the Prime Minister had declared earlier this year in Jaffna, that all those reported to have been disappeared must be dead, the whole initiative lacks bona fides.

3. There is no satisfactory progress on issues relating to re-creating normal conditions in the North and East of Sri Lanka either. While there has been some release of land in certain areas on the other hand the Government is continuing with the acquisition of land elsewhere in the North and East for the security forces. There is indicative of the lack of a coherent policy with regard to land release on the part of the Government. Illegal occupation of state land by the armed forces in particular continues without change. Even where land has been released there has been no de-militarisation. This is true of both Valikamam North in Jaffna and Sampur in Trincomalee. The release of political prisoners has been put on the back burner. Many prisoners continue to linger in prison without charge. The commitment to repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act still remains only in word and reports suggest that the legislation being drafted to replace the PTA may be similar or worse to the PTA in substance. The PTA continues to be actively used and arrests are particularly targeted at ex-LTTE cadres. The use of the PTA to terrorise ex-LTTE cadres continues to hamper their reintegration with society. White van abductions continue as documented by credible organisations.

4. The Government continues to deny that systemic crimes took place and is suggesting that only certain individual crimes took place during the war. This can only mean the Government’s rejection of the most important findings of the OISL report. The Government also continues to articulate that the purpose of the investigations would be to clear the name of the Sri Lankan security forces. This colours the motives of the Government’s intentions with the Transitional Justice process and does not inspire confidence as to its objectivity.

The Government of Sri Lanka believes that if it successfully handles and appeases the interests of different sections of the International Community of States that it can escape from the obligations laid out in the UNHRC resolution. The unwarranted praise and promotion that the Sri Lankan Government continues to receive from certain powerful sections of the International Community, which also ironically co-sponsored the resolution, will only encourage the Government to further withdraw from its obligations under the Geneva resolution and is unlikely to inspire them into honouring their commitments. The hope of the victims is that such narrow political considerations that drive member states in their assessment of Sri Lanka’s adherence to its self-owned obligations under the resolution will not cloud the assessment of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights when he presents his report on the 29th of June. We hope that the High Commissioner will unequivocally identify the fundamental transgressions in the approach of the Government to the resolution thus far and further appropriately advice member-states of actions that may be required to ensure that the recommendations of the OISL report are given effect to.

Kumaravadivel Guruparan and Elil Rajan
TCSF Co-Spokespersons

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Latest comments

  • 3
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    catholic Church never have it enough??????
    Too many tamil forums.

    • 3
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      TCSF Convener – Bishop of Mannar, Dr. Rayappu Joseph

      RE:UNHCR Resolution: Tamil Civil Society Forum Wants International Community To Be Wary Of Sri Lankan Government

      Yes, you cannot trust the Sri Lankan Govt. AND the Tamils. Both are Paras.

      What do you think about the Tamil IQ distribution, this is supposed to be bi-modal?

      Now getting a better understanding of the bimodal IQ distribution of the Tamils, as published in CT.

      The Story Of Two Graphs drawn by A Tamil Man: By Mahesan Niranjan

      Onion Prices and Tamil IQ Distributions

      https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/the-story-of-two-graphs-drawn-by-a-tamil-man/onioniqdistributions/

      https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/the-story-of-two-graphs-drawn-by-a-tamil-man/

      • 0
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        Guruparan is [Edited out]

    • 9
      2

      Leave the Catholic Church alone.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
      If you need to make comments do so to particular individuals, but repeat but, not to the Catholic Church.
      Don’t start a religious war or religious hatred for if you do you will be the first one to get your head knocked off.
      Yes ! the church is not perfect but the church does not need wankers like to say what is enough or not enough.
      The Church is not concerned about how many tamil forums there are but how to control the forums.
      Unfortunately for the Catholic Church it lacks good dedicated members of the clergy and most Sri lankan catholic priests are not properly trained or well read. Its not their fault but the fault of the higher ups.

      Jesus Christ is the prince of peace and not war and will be the eternal
      undefeated king of peace.

      Make your comments but leave the church out of it.

      • 4
        6

        Glory to God & peace to all his people

        “Leave the Catholic Church alone.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

        Yes, Leave the Catholic Church alone.They are too busy hunting heretics, witches and astronomers and protecting Child Molesters.

        Why load up the LTTE ATROCITIES IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AS WELL?

        • 5
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          To: our man siri ( amarasiri )

          You don’t seem to have not got enough.
          No! the Catholic Church is not hunting heretics, witches, astronomers or child molesters.
          The Roman Catholic church is doing its job, a difficult and challenging job with many adversaries in front of it.
          The greatest adversary of the Catholic church is satan ( aka the devil ) and to explain this to you is like trying to teach a china man spanish.

          Anyway leave the church alone and try to get your buddhist clergy into line considering all the nefarious activities of most of the clergy conveniently covered up by your law makers and politicians.
          Yes ! the catholic church too has its fair share of dirty linen that needs washing up but the catholics leave that to God’s judgement and justice.
          You buddhists leave that washing up conveniently to your lawmakers and politicians to do. We in our land make sure that our lawmakers and politicians do not soil their hands with religious problems or misadventures. Our politicians have better things to do.

          Its a pity that left handed wankers like you exist in a lovely land called sri lanka. A land of great heritage and culture that is gradually being destroyed by your politicians, clergy, corrupt public servants and warped minded, ugly thinking, moronic, left handed wankers like you. We suggest that you first take a bath, then groom yourself, look at your reflection in a good mirror and try to remove those ugly thoughts from your single sided malfunctioning brain. Then ask yourself ” how can i bring some sort of peace, harmony, and prosperity to my blessed land.”
          If you can contribute a fraction of good work to turning your lovely but corrupt country into a land of honesty and integrity, then you have achieved an entire life of honest good work.
          Even if you have to sacrifice your life to bang the heads of your corrupt politicians and clergy for the sake of your future generation so that they will live their lives in honesty and thruthfulness then in the name of God go out and do it.
          Stop hiding yourself behind a computer keyboard and be a man with a backbone unlike your politicians and clergy who are backboneless wimps and pimps.
          Yes ! thank God there are good sri lankans who must be hanging their heads in shame when they read your moronic comments and we suggest that you avoid them for they would not hesitate to bang you up to make your beautiful land a better place to live in.
          Physically and mentally you must be a very ugly person with a devilish sense of judgement and humour.
          Finally try to make that land ( the pearl of the indian ocean ) that you live in a better place. A place where all can live in harmony and peace, a land of great coexistence, a land of religious tolerance, a land of honesty and integrity, and a land of love.
          If you Amarasiri can do that then you have done a magnificent piece of a good , honest, brave, job.
          Stop conjuring ugly, bad, and nefarious thoughts in the back of your pea sized brain because that will not get you anywhere other than to the nearest mental hospital and you might end up there all your life.

          ” Amarasiri flew over the cuckoo’s nest.”

          —————————————————————–

          • 4
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            Very well said. !!!
            Amarasiri or whoever he is, is very similar to the clergy and politicians of his country, talking through his rear and defecating from his mouth. Wonder if the bugger is aware of the difference.

            Nope !!! he can’t be, as he has a pea sized brain as mentioned.

          • 0
            1

            come fight with us

            “The greatest adversary of the Catholic church is satan ( aka the devil )”

            According to the Protestants, the Pope is Satan.

            According to Buddhists, the Satan is Mara, and its modern re-incarnation in Lanka, the Land of Native Veddah Aethho, MaRa MaRa Chatu MaRa.

            According to non-Wahhabi Muslims, the Satan is Wahhabis and Their Clones.

            Yes, Satan is everywhere. Information for your edification is given below.

            More references:

            Hitchens DEMOLISHES the Catholic Church

            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAxgnd8mYr0

            Published on Oct 27, 2014
            The great Christopher Hitchens destroys the Catholic Church in this amazing opening statement of the “Is the Catholic Church a force for good in the world?” debate.

            The Catholic Church Sex Abuse Cover Up Is Only Getting Worse – with Will Carless

            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48Dn8n4TVaQ

            Vatican Indicted by UN for Child Abuse Cover Up

            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkt_vBMWHKE

            Buddhism The Great Evil — Part 1

            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNOfTGSADdY

            Buddhism The Great Evil — Part 2

            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clcs2PSze0I

            al-azhar cleric about wahabis/salafis and ISIS

            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAvWmZfGjTU

            • 0
              0

              Another stupid sri lankan amongst the many good.

      • 1
        5

        TCSF Convener – Bishop of Mannar, Dr. Rayappu Joseph

        Glory to God & peace to all his people.

        C.I.A. Arms for Syrian Rebels Supplied Black Market, Officials Say

        “In God we Trust”

        http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/27/world/middleeast/cia-arms-for-syrian-rebels-supplied-black-market-officials-say.html?_r=0

        AMMAN, Jordan — Weapons shipped into Jordan by the Central Intelligence Agency and Saudi Arabia intended for Syrian rebels have been systematically stolen by Jordanian intelligence operatives and sold to arms merchants on the black market, according to American and Jordanian officials.

    • 1
      5

      TCSF Convener – Bishop of Mannar, Dr. Rayappu Joseph

      RE: UNHCR Resolution: Tamil Civil Society Forum Wants International Community To Be Wary Of Sri Lankan Government

      “The Tamil Civil Society Forum today warned the international community that the ‘unwarranted praise and promotion’ of the Sri Lankan Government from certain powerful sections of the International Community, can result in the Government withdrawing from its obligations under the UNHCR resolution.”

      United Nations and United States have blood on their hands.

      Of course there is blood in the hands of Sri Lanka State and LTTE.

      CrossTalk: Eternal War against ISIS? Courtesy of Illegal US Invasion of Iraq in 2003.

      Published on Oct 22, 2014
      Taking on the Islamic State or an excuse to fight whoever you want? Each member of Washington’s coalition of the reluctant has its own agenda – and rarely directed against this terrorist group. It is not surprising that we are told destroying the Islamic State will take a very long time.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dmaz78Xho3I

      CrossTalking with Oubai Shahbandar, Brian Becker and Revd Nadim Nassar.

    • 3
      0

      Finally it’s the UNHCR and the International Community who have become Wary of such bogus groups such as Tamil Civil Society Forum and the rest of their bogus stance on human rights issues. What supporting a notorious Terrorist group on one hand side and talking about human rights on the other. Still better late than never.

  • 0
    0

    [Edited out]

  • 0
    1

    The resolution was a consensus one. Sri Lanka has failed to fulfil its obligations under the resolution it co-sponsored.

    The resolution should be treated as terminated for non-performance and it is time to bring a fresh resolution for an Independent international Investigation.

  • 1
    5

    Glory to God & Peace

    I wish to mention a quote from Rt.Rev.Bishop Rayappu Joseph for you to learn and understand what it really means:
    “Being the chosen shepherd of Jesus Christ, I am accountable for the lost sheep”.
    Thank you.

  • 0
    0

    This organization is the same organization that rejected the US resolution adopted at the 30th sessions of the UNHRC. Therefore, it has no moral standing to criticise the government. Bishop Rayappu Joseph’s name is being used by Guruparan to garner some respect to the TCSF. TCSF is largely a letterhead organization without active members on the ground. Guruparan himself is not in Ceylon for the last 2 years. During the elections held in August, 2015 to the parliament Guruparan supported the TNPF/ACTC which lost deposit in all the 5 districts it contested. We have a problem with President Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe over the appointment of foreign judges. Both should act like statesmen and not as cheap politicians with an eye on the next elections. If both had any reservation about US moved resolution then they should not have agreed to co-sponsor the resolution. Having co-sponsored the resolution, they must honour the resolution in both word and spirit. Reneging on a key provision of the resolution is a black mark for good governance.

  • 0
    0

    What I cannot understand about all the Tamil nationalist organizations is why they are unable to mobilize the pubic and discuss issues a grassroots level.

    They are as ever unwilling to address real issues of the people for fear of antagonizing foreign potential patrons.
    They have even sabotaged protest campaigns by affected communities. The TNPF has been as bad as the TNA in this matter.

    Knowing well the intentions of the “International Community”, they seek to keep the Tamils eternally bonded to it.
    They could have, independently of the UNHCR and US, challenged the government to name a commission of inquiry into war crimes and HR violations comprising politically untainted people and including members of all ethnic communities with terms of reference that ensure a fair inquiry. People could withdraw support to he inquiry if the commission was unacceptable or the terms were breached.
    Is such imagination beyond the reach of the minds of Tamil leaders?
    Tamil nationalist posturing that they do trust the Sinhalese (and its Sinhala nationalist equivalent) will do no good to any community, except those who want to fetch votes in ill informed electorates.

  • 5
    0

    I totally object to this piece for using our good Bishop Rayappu Joseph’s photo because

    1) He is too ill and forgetful to have authored this article
    2) He is no longer the Bishop of Mannar. He has retired and the See is administered by the Bishop of Trinco as Commissary while a new bishop is being chosen.

    The article is by a bogus group misusing the Bishop’s name. To call it a Tamil forum is utterly disgraceful after members of this group contested the last elections and lost their deposits as a result of being rejected by the Tamil people, indeed in an election where Bishop Rayappu Joseph asked the public to vote for the TNA and not for the group backed by Kumaravadivel Guruparan and Elil Rajan.

    • 0
      0

      Catholic

      “I totally object to this piece for using our good Bishop Rayappu Joseph’s photo becaus”

      Did the Bishop support the Ethnic clensing of Sinhala and Tamil speaking Muslims from the Northern Province?

      Was he just indifferent?

      Just curious!

  • 0
    2

    Catholic
    Irrespective of the credentials of the parties referred to where does the article claim that the item was authored by Bishop Rayappu Joseph.
    If an explanation is needed, it is CT that should explain. But I think that the inclusion of the image was unintentional.

    What is in a name these days? All sorts of names are used by all sorts of people: like MEP since 1960 by Philip G, TULF by Anandasangaree since 2002 or so), UTHR(J) by a group that was mostly out of the university system and Jaffna, NLF by Vikramabahu Karunaratne for a few years after wrecking it in 2001.
    (The list is long, and will cover Labour Party by neo-Thatcherite Blair, and Communist Party by the ruling elite of China.)

    Brand names matter– at least for a while.
    But as the proverb says, eentually, it is the wine and not the ‘bush’ that matters.

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