A senior United States diplomat said on Saturday that Sri Lanka’s government has made little progress on justice, reconciliation and accountability more than four years after the end of the civil war, as the U.S. prepares to press that government at the U.N.’s top human rights body.
Assistant Secretary of State Nisha Biswal said lack of progress has frustrated her government and the international community.
Read more in the Washington Post
R. Varathan / February 2, 2014
Clearly, there is good and bad news for the Rajapakses here – verily though not in that order. The good news is, to use soccer parlance,
this (Geneva in March/April) will not be the Finals for the regime but rather the Semi-Finals. Apparently, the visit to Israel has helped and also the professional services of Subramaniam Swamy, who has good connections in Israel. There is little doubt the Rajapakses will learn from this paadama and come out of what they consider as their assured comfort zone.
The bad news is, if you read between the lines – the visiting US dignitary bitterly castigates the Army “tail” set against the visiting Channel-4 team during CHOGM and later on the visiting Canadian MP Rathika S as “intimidation” The canine theatrics of Kudu Mervin, now duly rehabilitated as widely speculated, on which Mrs. Navi Pillay apparently gave Nimal Siripala de S a mouthful. The Rajapakses will learn dealing with the USA, India and the international community and playing the fool with the helpless people of Rathupaswala in Biyagama, where the army went beserk, are different sports.
The regime’s nightmare will not be over until they restore to the Tamils what is their long-denied dues and a more civilised form of governance in the country where the Dogs of War roaming the streets in yellow robes under various bogus names need to be leashed. There is no place in the tranquil doctrines of Buddhism for Mad Monks. Equally, no useful purpose will be served by placing all the Rajapakse ills on Vigneswaren’s NPC or the ITAK’s recent Resolutions. It is time the regime called upon the few men capable of reading history within their coterie to read of what happened to the Nazis using demagoguery to grab power.
R. Varathan
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Ball Prabakaran / February 2, 2014
Pandit Varathan
Only about SL government. What about your own Sampanthan and LTTE cores. Like mine – only one side of the brain working. Preba
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Maveeran / February 3, 2014
TNA didn’t commit war crimes or the ltte did they Mr ball less Sinha-lame guy. Its the Sinhala Government who committed war crimes even shot the Sinhalese people who asked for clean water in Walleria.
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Chuti / February 3, 2014
You Idiot Blood thirsty Tamil… Mine your language…
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Maveeran / February 3, 2014
Ooo lala. A sinha-lame in pain? Well the TNA or the LTE did not commit war crimes but the Sinha-lame government did that chuti.
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Tamil from the north / February 3, 2014
@Ball P; remember one is an elected government and the other is a terrorist outfit. You got to be a bloody fool to compare them both. Every time someone brings up the government, don’t jump and stick the Ltte in there to hoodwink the entire world. We expect better from a government. Merely because your brain appears to be detached from your computer keyboard, does not mean you have to spew rubbish.
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Ball Prabakaran / February 6, 2014
Tamil Form Peelum (Pooland)
What about your beloved Mannar Bis-Hope [Edited out]? That man in the rob needs a special hell for preaching lies. How could that idiot be a priest?
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Maveeran / February 7, 2014
[Edited out] Sinha-lame [Edited out], take a shower you stink.
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Kutti Machan / February 2, 2014
R. Varathan
Yeah! Yeah! We are very scared. Mrs. Navi Pillay gave a mouthful to Nimal Siripala de S. She is very powerful No? We heard that she also gave s**t to Prince Charles for coming to CHOGM. We are also informed that she yelled at the British & Australian Prime Ministers for coming. She even gives a mouthful time to time to Obama. Siripala is a small fry compared to them. Now this great American Nona is also yelling at us. We in Sri Lanka are shivering Aney! You are right Sir, we should have given a red carpet welcome to that Canadian Lady Radhika. We understand she is a renowned scholar on Canadian demography. Aiyo! We have made several silly mistakes, NO? Sir, can you please do something to rescue us from this Jaramara we have got into? We know from your writing that you are very powerful. Pleeeeeeeeeeeease Helllllllllllllllp!
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Maveeran / February 3, 2014
Kutti[Edited out] Stop screaming like a monkey and listen to your white masters. So you can beg from uSA but you don’t want to listen to them? Don’t you lot have any shame?
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kumaraya / February 5, 2014
I keep asking this question over and over, but no response! What is the long-denied dues of the Tamils that you so glibly speak of? Every Sri Lankan has been denied their dignity during the 30-year uprising and you say, that Tamils are still denied??!!
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Native Vedda / February 5, 2014
kumaraya
My Elders tell me that physicists had already calculated the number of parallel Universes within a giant multiverse. Some physicists believe that there could be as many as 10^10^10^7 universes.
Which one is your home parallel universe?
Could you let me have your address in parallel universe so that I can send you the answers at a later date to all your questions.
Please note in this part of our universe, it has been the Sinhala/Buddhist who have been in control of almost everything since 1948. Really you should ask them.
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Sowden Edward Asange / February 7, 2014
simple.. Their right place in society and consider them as EQUAL CITIZENS…
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bo / February 2, 2014
Well, US should show by example how it addresses hundreds of blatant HR violations by its troops and treating local populations like scum in Iraq and Afghanistan. Then Sri Lanka might adopt their methods. Set an example US; don’t use other countries problems to hide your own misdeeds.
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Liberal One / February 2, 2014
More like US is frustrated that terrorism did not revive in Sri Lanka and separatists are contained to an extent. How dare a 3rd world country achieve something they are failing miserably in Iraq!
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Rajan / February 2, 2014
Hear hear! We can only imagine the response if there was still terrorism in the country. This condescension towards third world countries is what it all comes down to and these former LTTE/’human rights activists’ are no fools and they know it! Biswal shouldn’t have to look far for war criminals. After all one’s probably shooting ducks on a Texas ranch and the other is ‘enhance interrogating’ the ducks that escape.
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Native Vedda / February 2, 2014
R. Varathan
Nisha Biswal has given a long rope to MR clan either to wriggle out of the difficult situation or to hang themselves.
However, do USA and India and USA seriously want to hang the clan lock stock and barrel? In the eyes of International Community MR has brought semblance of stability, of course with their support.
It is unwise for people to believe IC is seriously considering its options to punish the clan. The options were present when the brutal war was nearing its end, yet the IC never attempted to stop it until it was concluded to the satisfaction India, USA and Sri Lanka.
One should be always skeptical about dignitaries, strategists, politicians, … when they champion democracy, rule of law, human rights, accountability, transparency, home grown solution with southern consensus, independent impartial variable investigation, …….
The time to consider these “noble ideas” is just before the conflict gain momentum of its own.
Please remember between 1987 and 1990 USA and UK virtually managed the counter insurgency programme in the South, and the tools with which they ran the programme were later rewarded with US green card or sought refuge in India.
Sri Lankan state is in perpetual war against its own people.
It is time stupid Sinhalese and stupid Tamils learned from their past.
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Nithy / February 2, 2014
It is sad that it seems many Singalese friends do not still understand real situation of SL, they just believe all the crabs SL Govt says. F
“IC and many Tamils are happy that Ltte was destroyed. In real US/UK/India provided training & arms to SL to destroyed Ltte.”
But SL forces killed not only Ltte, but also killed 40,000 innocent Owned Tamil people. why? and IC also look into HR issues in N-E for last 5 years.
In real, now IC is trying to do good for all SL people, not only for Tamils, but SL Govt always tells untrue stories to people for their own benefits
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Paul / February 2, 2014
Most Tamils haven’t a clue that they are being manipulated by the diaspora. Here is a good article by the Indian N Sathiya Moorthy explaining what is going on. In the end it is the innocent Tamils who live in Sri Lanka who will suffer, but what do the diaspora care?
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Native Vedda / February 2, 2014
Paul
Hindian N Sathiya Moorthy desperately wants to be part of Hindian establishment.
Whatever he says is in the interest of Hindians and cooperate Hindia. He does not give two hoots about ordinary people of either India or this island.
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Paul / February 2, 2014
I cannot agree NV. If you Google his name you will find that he is already very well established.
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Native Vedda / February 2, 2014
Paul
“If you Google his name you will find that he is already very well established.”
How well he is established is the question you should ask yourself? Does he want to throw away all those cosy relationships he has already established by writing the right thing?
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D.E.M.O Krazy / February 2, 2014
Ladies and Gentleman,
You all seem to be biased with your comments here.
Two wrongs do not make a right!
USA and the UK and other Western countries have committed HR violations, but at least the common citizen can stand up and say someting about it. As a Sri Lankan we do not have the right to say things about the Govt, hence the reason myself and most other contributors to Colombo Telegraph and other online publications use Pseudonyms.
We have to understand that there have been many HR violation committed in the past and sadly still is in Sri Lanka! There is a Moral duty by the citizens of a country to hold their governments responsible for their actions.
Democracy was got not by standing aside and letting leaders do as they please, it was fought for and won by people at a very high cost!
If we want our children and their children to live in a democratic society where there is the freedom of speech and a govt elected by the people for the people, then change is necessary!
So stop blaming the International community and lets start cleaning up our own House.
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Rajini Kulatunga / February 2, 2014
Krazy, you said it absolutly right ! and that goes out the international community too isnt it? They too should clean up their own houses before pointing the finger to Sri Lanka. If you have the time, just google and see how dirty the houses of the international community – Watchout – you may faint !
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Spring Koha / February 4, 2014
This is bit like the speeding motorist who got stopped and then pleaded (vainly) with the cop that the ‘others were speeding too’.
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Ball Prabakaran / February 6, 2014
Spring (Pana) Koka
It is like me running Peelum muck in 100 miles an hour. At the end no gain and costed my life too. Sari Appa!!!!!!!!!!!
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Rajan / February 2, 2014
So it’s better for a citizen in the US or the UK to ‘stand up and say something about it’ knowing that bugger all will be done about it? So the false hope is better than no hope at all? Everyone knows the crimes committed by these two countries for the past 5 decades at least ranging from colonial era HR violations to war crimes committed in Vietnam, up until recently in Iraq and their use of waterboarding. Who has been prosecuted for these crimes? Holding prisoners in G’namo Bay without charge (to this day), can someone tell me who has been held responsible for these actions? Or what about mass surveillance on citizens? We can only imagine the uproar if Sri Lanka was spying on its citizens through mass surveillance like the NSA do. But hey that’s the US and they get away with everything.
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D.E.M.O Krazy / February 4, 2014
Rajini,
I am sorry that you have misunderstood what I said..
“Two wrongs do not make a right!”
Which means that just because they have wronged doesn’t mean that we should do the same!
The International community has blood on their hands, does that mean the we can justify blooding our hands too?
Yes,I do keep up with international news.
Rajan,
Obviously you have not stood up and said something, and I don’t blame you, thats why bugger all is happening!
Its the collective voice, Freedom of speech, that I am referring to, which is not possible to do in Sri Lanka!.
We need to wake up and smell the roses before it disappears…playing the blame game is not going to help the future of the country… there has to be accountability, checks and balances..
A quote to ponder..
“A body of men holding themselves accountable to nobody ought not to be trusted by anybody.”
― Thomas Paine
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Sowden Edward Asange / February 7, 2014
WHAT IS THE point IN STANDING UP AND SAYING SOMETHING? Is it OK to KILL INNOCENT PEOPLE WITHOUT WEAPONS ….and call them COLLATERAL DAMAGE?
WHAT HAPPENS IN AFGHANISTAN, IRAQ, PAKISTAN AND GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA IS NOT ACCOUNTABLE? Daisy Cutters, White Prosperous are NOT WMD’s?
ya double standards…. always prevails… coz not many can stand up to USA, UK and the 1st world countries…
As such, Those who Perished on 9/11 in the Twin Towers, Pentagon and the field in Pennsylvania are NOT heroes but “Collateral Damage” wrong people at the wrong place…just like what the US and NATO forces seem to be saying….
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Paul / February 2, 2014
Sorry, forgot the link
http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2014/02/02/genocide-and-equivalent/
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Rajini Kulatunga / February 2, 2014
If Nisha Biswal says that her US Govt. and International Community is frustrated over the LLRC progress of the Sri Lankan Government, then what about the frustration the whole world still has about the Chilcot report which is still kept under lock & key without making it public ?
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Thondamanaru / February 2, 2014
Let see how Motherrrrrrrrrr India behave ????????????
First the frustrated America strip searched that beauty of an Indian Diplomat………….
Now have down graded Air India and the Jet airline making it difficult to fly into the USA.
Looks like India still wants more of the same from the frustrated USA.
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Ball Prabakaran / February 6, 2014
Spineless India always sucks up westerners in big time.
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Fathima Fukushima / February 3, 2014
Srilanka frustrated with no reconciliation in USA.
Minority blacks, Hispanics, Indians, Arabs are discriminated in USA. Hawaii is not given independence.
USA, reconcile with Muslims now or face a UNHRC resolution next year.
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Sri Lankan Muslim / February 3, 2014
Where is JIM SOFTLY ?
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Spring Koha / February 4, 2014
He’s gone hard, if you must know!
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Ball Prabakaran / February 6, 2014
Thamby
Jimbo must have gone with Ms. Nisha Biswal. Remember she is still single.
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Sowden Edward Asange / February 7, 2014
MOST if not ALL diplomats in US were/are single.., Madeleine Albright the secretary of state in Cinton era, Condy Rice, Ms Biswal, Susan Rice just to name a few…
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