{"id":167703,"date":"2016-09-15T14:00:45","date_gmt":"2016-09-15T08:30:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=167703"},"modified":"2016-09-23T09:55:21","modified_gmt":"2016-09-23T04:25:21","slug":"a-discussion-on-un-involvement-human-rights-violations-terrorism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/a-discussion-on-un-involvement-human-rights-violations-terrorism\/","title":{"rendered":"A Discussion On UN Involvement, Human Rights Violations &#038; Terrorism"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>By <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?s=Laksiri+Fernando+&amp;x=13&amp;y=5\">Laksiri Fernando<\/a><\/span> &#8211;<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_92325\" style=\"width: 160px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Laksiri-Fernando.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-92325\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-92325\" src=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Laksiri-Fernando-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"Dr. Laksiri Fernando\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Laksiri-Fernando-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Laksiri-Fernando-50x50.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-92325\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dr. Laksiri Fernando<\/p><\/div>\n<p>When Sanja De Silva Jayatilleka wrote about \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/this-september-in-geneva-sri-lanka-at-the-unhrc\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">This September in Geneva: Sri Lanka at the UNHRC<\/span><\/a>,\u201d I expressed my agreement on two main points, having realised that the government inaction or \u2018meek submission\u2019 (like the other extreme of the previous government\u2019s \u2018aggressive denial\u2019) not only might harm the national interest, but also would derail the reconciliation process that the present government is keen in promoting in the country. My proposal was \u2018constructive and active engagement\u2019 with the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and not outright rejection or denial of the UN concerns. The two points I highlighted were the following in respect of the Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances on its mission to Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Two Points<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>(1) Sri Lanka should have and should even now record (strong) reservations on the inclusion of an unsubstantiated sentence from a HR High Commissioner\u2019s speech which would prejudice the Council. Otherwise it would create future repercussions. (2) Sri Lanka should have and should at least now request clarification or modification of the wording in Para 6 which claims \u2018deliberate massive and systematic\u2019 war crimes for many decades. An undiplomatic question here is what the hell the UNHRC or the Working Group was doing all these decades? The sentence on which the suggested reservation to be placed was the following.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cIn its report on its investigation on Sri Lanka, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights stated that \u201cthere are reasonable grounds to believe that a number of military cadres, who had laid down arms and were thus hors de combat, were unlawfully killed after having surrendered unarmed to the security forces\u201d and that \u201ca number of LTTE cadres, such as those belonging to the political wing, and other individuals not or no longer taking direct part in hostilities, including children, were also extra judicially executed.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The reasons are clear. (1) UNHR Commissioner\u2019s statement has no direct relevance to the Working Group\u2019s Mission to Sri Lanka. (2) The Commissioner\u2019s statement says \u201cthere are reasonable grounds to believe\u201d without any evidence. (3) It is a pre-judgement which could again prejudice the Council. This is already done once. (4) It has the appearance of building up of a case for \u2018genocide\u2019 perhaps with political motives. (5) What was suggested is placing of a \u2018reservation\u2019 and not a rejection of the whole report.<\/p>\n<p>Second, I suggested a request of \u2018clarification on or modification\u2019 of Paragraph 6 which Jayatilleka also has highlighted. The paragraph reads as follows.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEnforced disappearances have been used in a massive and systematic way in Sri Lanka for many decades to suppress political dissent, counter-terrorist activities or in the internal armed conflict. Given the context in which they occurred, many enforced disappearances could be considered as war crimes or crimes against humanity if addressed in a court of law.\u201d<br \/>\nThe reasons are again clear. (1) The claim is farfetched saying \u2018used in a massive and systematic way\u2019 for an unspecified \u2018many decades.\u2019 (2) The claim or rather rhetoric can be build up for a \u2018genocide\u2019 claim already in circulation. (3) Although \u2018counter-terrorism\u2019 is mentioned, there is no mentioning of the LTTE Terrorism that the country and all communities were inflicted with. (4) There is a clear accusation of the government only.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Constructive Engagement<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If a government does not at least place \u2018reservations\u2019 and ask for \u2018clarifications and modifications\u2019 on what is placed before the UNHRC, that is not constructive engagement but meek submission. The past regime\u2019s \u2018zero-casualty\u2019 claim or denial should not be an inhibition, if the present government is straight forward and genuine in its efforts to find the truth and move for reconciliation. It has to be underlined that the incidents referred to in the quoted statement in the report pertains to the period in which the present President was the Acting Commander in Chief. Therefore, inaction would be suicidal.<\/p>\n<p>The present government and the Ministry of External Affairs should take an active and a positive role in the UNHR Council proceedings particularly because there is a clear imbalance in its present approach where \u2018genocide\u2019 or \u2018near genocide\u2019 is highlighted in dubious ways while \u2018terrorism\u2019 is not at all recognized or discussed as an \u2018international crime,\u2019 \u2018war crime\u2019 or at least as a threat and a \u2018catalyst for massive human rights violations.\u2019 It is not clear whether this lacunae or neglect merely stems from (1) the non-recognition of terrorism as an international crime in the Rome Statutes or (2) whether this is part of a political scheme where Sri Lanka could be kept submissive or under continuous suspense. In the case of the Working Group, it is possible that the first is the reason, but in the case of the UN Secretary General or even the UNHR Commissioner, the second also might be possible. The SG\u2019s \u2018off the cuff\u2019 rhetoric in his recent visit to Sri Lanka is one example.<\/p>\n<p>Even if terrorism is not directly recognized as an international crime in the Rome Statutes, there are so much of customary as well as codified law where it should be considered as an international crime. There were codified law under the League of Nations. Therefore the UNHRC should be persuaded to recognize the problem and its role in the war and events in Sri Lanka. In my opinion, that is also the reality, however un-excusable some of the actions and behaviour of the military during the war and the last stages of the war. Those should be investigated impartially including the alleged incidents of the killing of the surrendered political wing leaders and some LTTE cadres. Even overseas judges could have been involved if not for the present appalling imbalance in the UN approach to the human rights violations and possible war crimes in Sri Lanka not recognizing \u2018terrorism\u2019 as a crime. The danger of this imbalance or the soft corner for \u2018terrorism\u2019 is the possibility of its resurrection in the country in the same or in a different form.<\/p>\n<p><strong>A Discussion<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When <a href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/this-september-in-geneva-sri-lanka-at-the-unhrc\/comment-page-1\/#comment-2012082\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">I made my brief comments<\/span><\/a> in the Colombo Telegraph, as quoted previously, a person named Ajith, who used to previously engage in many conversations, raised the following questions, which might linger among many people in the country. He was particularly referring to my reservations on the UNHR Commissioner\u2019s statement.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cIf you [don\u2019t] agree with the statement, can you deny with substantial evidence that it is not deliberate, it is not massive and it is not systematic war crimes for many decades. You can start with colonization to change demography, Sinhala only Act, language based standardization, and 1958, 1962, 1977, 1981, 1983 and 1983-2015. How do you want to rephrase the sentence?\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>I didn\u2019t rephrase the sentence, as it is not up to me, but gave the following answer (now slightly edited) which might be useful for any frank and open discussion on the subject.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI suggested to place a reservation because (1) it is not a finding of the mission which came to Sri Lanka and (2) the Commissioner made the statement based on the Darusman Report of which many of the sweeping accusations were not substantiated. In addition, I must say that if the UN produces reports of the Darusman type, whether on Sri Lanka or elsewhere, then the credibility of the UN and the accusations would be highly suspect. I have been the chief representative of the World University Service (Geneva) to the Human Rights Commission during 1985-1991, and I have never seen that type of an unprofessional report.<\/p>\n<p>Now you have given some events of discrimination and violence against the Tamils from colonization to 2015. I can agree that when taken together, the discriminations, violations and violence are massive. But I doubt whether all those were systematic. If it is systematic then who was behind? Of course, one can accuse the State or the Sinhalese. First, I don\u2019t think a \u2018collective guilt\u2019 could be placed on a whole community, whether the Sinhalese or the Tamils for any violation. Second, when we refer to the State, it was governed by the elected representatives. Whether colonization, Sinhala only or standardization, those were policies however discriminatory. The correction of those have to be done through the democratic process, while I agree that majoritarianism is an obstacle.<\/p>\n<p>But the most important question is whether they are war crimes? Let us forget about layman\u2019s understanding of the International Criminal Law. But how can the UN appointed professionals indulge in such interpretations? In respect of 1958, 1977, 1981 or 1983, I agree that there were organized elements behind the violations and all perpetrators should have been punished. But what the hell the UN was doing all these days? What about 1971 and 1987-91? We have to agree that Sri Lanka has been and still a violent society. Many of the human rights violations in Sri Lanka or other countries occur because of conflicts. In these conflicts there are of course perpetrators and victims, but not in a black and white manner.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What about Terrorism?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It is my concerned view that those who accuse Sri Lanka of \u2018massive and systematic war crimes\u2019 particularly genocide have to confront two challenges, if they are sincere and genuine. First is the democratic character of the state system, however lopsided and defective. Second is the non-recognition of \u2018Terrorism\u2019 as a war crime in the present international criminal law. I really don\u2019t know your view on \u2018terrorism.\u2019 Can you kindly explain?<\/p>\n<p>Of course there are all indications that there were human rights violations which would tantamount to war crimes particularly between 1983 and 2009 on both sides. (You cannot consider the previous events war crimes, because there was no War! (I think people like you should refrain from mere rhetoric.) The events between 1983 and 2009 should be investigated. I have written about some of the clear cases. I think because of the accusers\u2019 political rhetoric, some of the perpetrators can easily escape in the political melee. On my part, I consider terrorism as a war crime. It was considered when the Rome Statutes were drafted, but dropped for convenience because of the lack of an agreement. That is how the UN works! Don\u2019t trust too much.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p> [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":92325,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,46,8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-167703","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-colombotelegraph","category-constitutional-reforms","category-editorial"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>A Discussion On UN Involvement, Human Rights Violations &amp; Terrorism - Colombo Telegraph<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/a-discussion-on-un-involvement-human-rights-violations-terrorism\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Discussion On UN Involvement, Human Rights Violations &amp; 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