The Resolution Against Sri Lanka at the Human Rights Council: Did the U.S. Go Too Far?

April 25, 2012 at 4:08 pm

Don seems to believe concern by the US is genuinely for protection of human rights. I wonder. If the US believes passing resolutions against Sri Lanka at the UNHRC is the way to redress its HR violations, why had it worked in the opposite direction when it comes to Israel? That shows the US concern is not ‘Human Rights’ but something else. The US has shown contrasting views when it comes to rid ace terrorists as well. The US got its SEALs to trespass boarders and kill Bin Laden unarmed but they wanted Sri Lanka to let a worse terrorist, LTTE leader, Pirapakaran surrender to a third party.

I have highlighting the above for one reason. That is; Sri Lankans must identify hypocrisy of Americans and its lapdogs and stooges, and its larger aim of dividing Sri Lanka to establish military bases.
Leela

sen

April 26, 2012 at 11:24 am

Hi Leela, re “hypocrisy of Americans and its lapdogs and stooges,” ask Gota, Sarath, current senior ministers etc, who got their US green cards to surrender their status. and Don Wijewardana needs to get his facts correct
- Crana
  
  April 26, 2012 at 11:35 am
  
  Who cares whether some ministers have got Green cards. A green card is just an economic tool. It means nothing when it comes to one’s political beliefs.
RajasH

April 26, 2012 at 12:18 pm

….Prabakaran a worse terrorist than Bin Laden?…
with that statement you have rubbished your entire posting

denk

April 25, 2012 at 4:54 pm

no reply from mrs pillay…..
http://www.countercurrents.org/adriaensens100212.pdf
why ?

Pillay

April 25, 2012 at 6:23 pm

So according to the author,Human right organizations from all over the world,NGOs,Government Intelligence and UN which point to solid evidence which Srilanka has not proven as false

Manjula

April 26, 2012 at 2:22 am

…. and none of those allegations against Sri lanka were proved as true either.

Therefore unless proven you have to assume Sri Lanka as innocent, contrary the LTTE way which is unless proven you are guilty.

Rajah

April 25, 2012 at 6:40 pm

The article states:

“Much of the Channel 4 material had been drawn from the LTTE mouthpiece TamilNet that routinely published exaggerations to drum up western help and sustain Diaspora support. One of its outrageous claims was when it produced a photo of its leader Prabhakaran reading a copy of the newspaper which carried the news of his demise, two days after his death, claiming he was alive and well.”

TamilNet published no such photo. The fact that the author of this article cannot even get such basic facts straight speaks volumes about the accuracy and adherence to truth of this article.

TamilNet did however state that over 250,000 civilians were trapped with the LTTE when the Sri-Lankan Government claimed only 70,000 were during the closing stages of the war. Then, when the war was over, the same Sri-Lankan Government publicly asked the world for aid to feed and camp 300,000 people that it had “rescued” – thus proving TamilNet right.

If the author wants the true facts to come out and believes that the Darusman report contains false numbers and that the Tamil lobby is distorting facts, he should ask the Sri-Lankan government to agree to an international investigation to prove that he and the Sri-Lankan government are right. What is he and the Sri-Lankan Government afraid of? The Truth?

The article further states:

“Tamils in the northern province who had been herded around as hostages by the LTTE have at last settled back in their own homes. Economic growth of the northern region last year was a massive 22 percent. It is clear that Sri Lanka, and the Tamils in particular, are working to leave the past behind and move on. In that background it is not surprising that they saw the UNHRC resolution as a hindrance, not a help.”

If the Tamils are so happy, why did they vote for the LTTE-proxy TNA in landslides that humiliated Rajapaksa, the man that defeated the LTTE? If the Tamils are so happy, why did the TNA, the elected representatives of the same people, fully support the UNHRC resolution?

Don, nice try, but after 3 years, the world has figured out about you Sri-Lankan liars. You can’t fool the world anymore. Nice try though.

Christopher

April 25, 2012 at 6:53 pm

There is nothing that Sri Lanka has to prove or disprove about defending the nation. Criminal negligence of the USA in the business of war mongering and violation of human rights and crimes against humanity is a question the peace loving nations around the world are seeking to hear from the so called United Nations that is becoming such a useless outfit working to satisfy the whims and fancies of the Yankees. Whatever said and done, at the end of the day Sri Lanka shall prevail. On the other hand India that is manipulated by the USA will massively fail in the sub regional geo politics. For example, the very latest Indian delegation’s (lead by some woman called Shusma) failure to attain any meaningful results but her false claims on so called 13th amendment etc.

Christopher

April 25, 2012 at 7:04 pm

There is nothing that Sri Lanka has to prove or disprove about defending the nation. Criminal negligence of the USA in the business of war mongering and violation of human rights and crimes against humanity is a question the peace loving nations around the world are seeking to hear from the so called United Nations that is becoming such a useless outfit working to satisfy the whims and fancies of the Yankees. Whatever said and done, at the end of the day Sri Lanka shall prevail. On the other hand India that is manipulated by the USA will massively fail in the sub regional geo politics. For example, the very latest Indian parliamentary delegation’s (lead by some woman called Shusma) failure to attain any meaningful results, but false claims to her boss Manmohan Singh reporting on so called 13th amendment etc., are typical examples if there is anything to go by on India’s handling on foreign policy matters.

Chan

April 25, 2012 at 9:28 pm

Well said! Christopher.

raj

April 25, 2012 at 9:58 pm

Only we Tamil know the pain and how we suffer by the Srilankan Shinhala government. Don Wijayawardane know nothing. If any one come to save tamil, they see them as god even it USA or U.K. Yes USA and western countries did something in bringing the fact about what happened to Tamil in Srilanka. There is lots of evidence for genocide against tamils. Only some people trying to save Srilanka by blocking any investigation. What is the wrong investigate this matter. Then only any one know it is true or false. Real Buddhist people write the truth against anyone who made wrong even if it is shinhalease. But Don is doing opposite way.

Manjula

April 26, 2012 at 2:27 am

Oy Raj,
No one should investigate an innocent person just because a lunatic complains. It is against humanity, civilisation, and civil liberty.

Do you like police coming to your house to investigate you everyday just because a neigbour who doesn’t like you make false claims? He can also argue that if you have nothing to hide why not allow investigations. Do you get it or the brain is too small to get it?
- Christian
  
  April 26, 2012 at 12:48 pm
  
  Ado Manjula,
  
  and who says those who complain against Sri Lankan forces are Lunatics? Do YOU get to decide that? The world thinks these are CREDIBLE ALLEGATIONS (to use the words of UN panel), not allegations from lunatics. If there are any lunatics around, then it is racist apologists like you. and stop talking about other people’s brains. If you had any, you wouldn’t have mortgaged the entire country to china.
Christopher

April 26, 2012 at 3:25 am

Raj! Singhalese people do realise how much Tamils suffer due to what Prabhakaran did to your people. You are a victim of the atrocities committed by your own people. LTTE has killed majority of Sri Lankan Tamil intellectuals that were moderate and could have done good for Tamil people as a whole. What the West (white man) does not want to believe is that majority of Tamils live peacefully in the south parts amongst Sinhala people. How about if Sinhala people are to evict Tamils that live in the South, especially in Colombo and other major cities? I don’t think you will like that. Those Tamils that live in the Diasporas – UK, Canada, countries of the European Union will never return to SL, instead make millions upon millions of dollars through crime activity and various other fronts and pocket that for themselves living lavishly, in the name of Tamils that supposedly “suffer” in SL. Even if Diaspora Tamils want to go back to Sri Lanka, Singhala people will never let them return to live in SL. What the West do not want to understand is that govt. of Sri Lanka has saved its country from terrorism. The West never imagined that the LTTE could have been defeated by Sri Lankan forces with the help of Chinese. Now the West wants that China to stop expanding in the Asian sub region. As a result, all those countries that are close to China are victimised by the West. It is quite clear that the West is fighting a silent war here with countries like Sri Lanka, a reason why there has been a USA driven resolution against Sri Lanka tabled by UNHCR based on hear-say allegations on human rights violations that had supposedly taken place towards the end of Elam 4 war. No matter what, at the end of the day Sri Lanka shall prevail and flourish. Tamils cannot be left behind in this process. If the Tamils are smart, then they should join forces to mutually benefit.
Crana

April 26, 2012 at 11:39 am

Come on, Raj – Genocide? Really? The majority of Tamils live in Colombo and the rest of the southern areas, among the so called ‘genocidal Sinhalese’. Please, stop lying.

Kumar David

April 26, 2012 at 1:31 am

Most Sinhalese are letting their tribal affiliations to get in the way of truth, and this writer is no exception. The fact is that there is historical animosity between Sinhalese and Tamils for the last 2500, as recorded by both Sinhala and Tamil chronicles (Note however that even Sinhala chronicles themselves respect some Tamil kings like Ellalan / Elara, and the Sinhala King who fought with him accorded him great respect, a virtue the present day Sinhalese who dug up graves seem to be missing). So beyond who is right and who is wrong in a historical feud, where indeed great injustices would have been committed by both sides at some point, it is glaringly obvious that the two races cannot live together.

The solution Tamils propose is A) Divide the country, so that each race can govern their own affairs. The solution Sinhalese propose is B) Give all the land to us, and we don’t like Tamils here. If they live in Lanka they can only live as our slaves, and we can silently finish them off or drive them away.

ANY right thinking person can see which solution is fair. if the Sinhalese think that the areas Tamils ask are too much, that can be negotiated. Yet, most Sinhalse are not prepared to give Tamils even 1% of the land. This is why they have outlawed separatism and try to argue that anybody who asks for separate state for Tamils are, just by asking, terrorists.

the world must see that the AVARICE of the sinhalese in wanting all Lanka for themselves and denying the right of Tamils, who are historic people of Lanka as their own chronicles record, wholesale is the ROOT CAUSE of all problems in Lanka. Sinhalese are like the greedy and bullish elder child in the family who wants to have all the toys. Until this mentality changesm or all the tamils in Lanka are killed, the Sri Lankan problem will not be solved. Therefore, the world must decide if it wants as a solution A) a decent two state formula B) Genocide. There is no other solution. it seems some powers are already supporting B), in order to satisfy majority in Lanka. Over to the free thinking people.

Manjula

April 26, 2012 at 2:31 am

Kumr, what are the tamil rights that are denied to tamils by the constitution? However you must make comparisons to another country like India or US for that matter to compare the true facts.

Uttering cheap and popular words to sensetionalise tamils can only prove that you have no facts to prove, but just a hollow noise and a smell.
Christopher

April 26, 2012 at 3:46 am

Kumar David, Tamils with the support of Tamil Nardu and all those Western countries may want to break up Sri Lanka to carve a dreamland called Elam. This is all some dream. Sri Lanka is for all Sri Lankans and cannot be divided as the Tamils and Tamil Nardu wants it to be. Current Tamil population in Sri Lanka has reduced to the numbers that once were in the 1950s. – Some less than 8 per cent or so, a figure what Tamil Nardu should seriously think of providing them with an Elam in some place in Tamil Nardu
Rajarajan

April 26, 2012 at 4:17 pm

Some of theses people who claim tamils have no problems have race induced dementia and blindness. My father who was a lawyer joined Sri lankan government services was sacked for not being able to read sinhalese. He was english educated and obtained a first class degree in University. – No use.
No sinhalese lost their jobs because they did not learn tamil.

My Sinhalese father- in-law and sinhalese budhist wife are still feel ashamed and annoyed every time someone blabber that tamil have no problems.

Candidly

April 26, 2012 at 1:32 am

Although it is true that there are a few factual errors in this article, the overall argument, that there are much bigger international power issues affecting the west’s attitude and behaviour towards Sri Lanka, is surely correct.

Sri Lanka, at this time in world history, is strategically placed on the major maritime trade route linking oil producing west Asia (aka the Middle East) and fast developing East Asia. Strategic locations such as Gibraltar, the Cape of Good Hope, Suez Canal, Hong Kong, Singapore, etc had similar strategic importance in the 19th & 20th centuries.

This means that for the foreseeable future Sri Lanka is going to be fought over by the world powers because of its strategic location. The resolution at Geneva has to be seen is this light, in my opinion, where the United States and European states used the issue as a sort of trial of strength in the diplomatic arena between themselves and rest of the world.

They might come to regret using ‘human rights’ in such a politically manipulative way. One reason is that the Sri Lankan government used the issue to strengthen its own position back home where it faces some pressure on domestic issues such as cost of living. The other is that if historic accountability for alleged past human rights violations is to become part of the UN Human Rights Council’s remit, it is the western powers that have the most to lose. After all, why only go back 3 years in accountability for alleged human right violations? Why not 30 years, or even 300 years? Asian, African and South American nations would make mince-meat of the former colonial powers if that was to happen.

Abdul Hassan

April 26, 2012 at 1:49 am

Hello Leela, it is true that the US is motivated more by geopolitical interests, any child can see that. How about the Hypocritical stand of Sri Lanka, which ran around the world asking to ban the LTTE and help them defeat LTTE, yet seems to scream ‘intervention in internal affairs’ only when the west asks for their payment? It is only YOUR GOVERNMENTS (this one and previous) which got the world involved in basically an ethnic fight between Sinhalese and Tamils. The west, having helped you, now wants payment, and you don’t want to give it! Make no mistake though, they west WILL exact their payment, and then you Sinhalese will see that you have sold the whole country in order to win your war.

Isn’t it also hypocrisy when your president, leader of the Palestine friendship group and who cries about double standards fort Israel, got help and arms from the same Israel to fight Tamils? Isn’t also hypocrisy that Sri Lanka supports a two-state solution in Palestine yet against such a solution in Lanka? Finally, isn’t this your own hypocrisy that you support a racist government yet talk about others faults? It is easy to be a Sinhalese living in the west and cheering your own ‘team’, like a cricket match. God punishes every unjust person, whether they are powerful westerners or majoritarian Lankans. Live and let live!

shahadat

April 26, 2012 at 1:56 am

Leela, your sinhale government also support palestine and get help from Isrel. That also hypocacy. Can you delclare whose side you are on in Palestene?

Leela

April 26, 2012 at 2:16 am

shahadat,
It’s a known fact that Mahinda Rajapakse has been a backer of Palestine for a long long time. Now that he is the President of Sri Lanka he hadn’t moved an inch away from his standing answers your question very clearly.
- Shahadat
  
  April 26, 2012 at 3:46 am
  
  backing Palestine in word no help. Can you declare you support independent palestine? Can you tell that to isrel. I live in Kurunagala. Same time you say you support Palestiene your government destroy mosque in Dambulla. Do not fool us

Chris Old

April 26, 2012 at 2:02 am

Kumar David, presumably a Tamil, also seems to be affected by the tribal affiliation he accuses others of. Yet, he seems to have some valid points. My gradfather served in then Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and I know that the british always treated the Tamils and Sinhalese there as separate entities. We might have screwed up in letting them stay together. As a divorcee, I agree that if you dont get along well, best is to separate, rather than arguing who is right and who is wrong. I also think that though the LTTE are no saints, it is unfair to collectively punish all Tamils for their actions.

Leela

April 26, 2012 at 2:26 am

Chris Old,
There are few setbacks for proposition. For one Sinhalese do not accept north and east is Tamil home land. For another roots of so-called Sri Lanka Tamils are in India.

I shall give you just one example. the economic Times of India mentioned of an anecdote of a 77-year-old woman named Janaki Amma who lives in a lower middle class residence about 20 km from Kollam, Kerala. Reminiscing her childhood she is said to have said to Economic Times reporter that her maternal uncle Velupillai is the father of LTTE leader Pirapakaran. And it was Pirapakaran’s grandfather who went to Ceylon during the last century to earn a living.

If that is the case of your ace liberator do we need to talk bout others. So, we cannot let bunch of pirates to grab our land.
Leela
- RajasH
  
  April 26, 2012 at 12:21 pm
  
  for gods sake Leela make some intelligent comment…..

Sundaram

April 26, 2012 at 2:36 am

It is a well known fact, accepted in Mahawamsa also, that Tamils have lived in Sri Lanka from time immemmorial. Just because Praba has some relatives in India does not mean that all Tamils came from India in the recent past. It is also known that a Tamil Kingdom existed in Jaffna when the Portugese came. Are you going to deny these facts?

As for ‘bunch of pirates’, this clearly shows your racial mindset. According to your own Mahawamsa, Vijeya and his friends, who started the colony in Lanka, were deported from their own country for thievery and rape. You are his descendants. Who are bunch of pirates now? And according to Mahawamsa again, after raping native Lankan women, they brought ’700 princes’ from Madurai to be their wives. Where do you think Madurai is? This itself proves that Sinhalse are half-Tamils. Yet you want to claim Sri Lanka is ‘our’ land. No, it is not yours alone. You can learn to share, or give all of it to China, as you are doing now. Your greed to claim all Lank as yours will result in all Lanka being ruled by your ‘friends’.

Kumar David

April 26, 2012 at 2:45 am

The racial mindset of the sinhalese in this forum can be clearly seen by insulting Tamils and others whenever they express an opinion that the Sinhalese do not like. Thus some people comment here accusing me of being devoid of fats, yet by reading their posts and mine anyone can see which post is full of facts and logic, and which posts are full of racial hatred and personal insults. Well, truth cannot be hidden by racists who have a PC and a keyboard. I do not care about such racist comments and will not reply to them. You are just showing the world how cheap and barbaric you are. Please continue!

Anton

April 26, 2012 at 2:57 am

I suspect most Sinhalese who comment here are living overseas. The Sinhalese who live in Lanka face today two real problems, and none of them are Tamils or separatism. 1) A government which will terrorise, not just Tamils, but anybody who opposes it, including Sinhalse, and gradually grab all rights of the Sinhalese in favour of one ruling family 2) Foreign powers, esp. China, which will colonize Lanka and take resources away, in ‘payment’ for helping defeat Tamils. Other powers will fight over Lanka, and kick it like a football, in order to share the spoils. This is what happened in Geneva. Between these two monsters, the Sinhalse will become and enslaved race. This will be your payment for winning a racial war which ended in genocide. Many educated Sinhalese can already see this, but not most racist apologists like Leela.

Gemunu Perera

April 26, 2012 at 3:25 am

Let the facts speak.Majority of the tamils in srilanka (Jaffna and Indian) live out side so called home land.So no sane sinhalese will think that when Tamils achieve their goal of “Eealam” it will be confined to the north and east of SriLanka. So sinhalese will fill fight for their survival at any cost.

Mujahitha

April 26, 2012 at 3:40 am

At the same time when Sinhalese are saying US has gone too far, the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka has ordered demolition and relocation of a Mosque. Most Muslims in Lanka are hurt by this. Most Muslim countries supported Sri lanka at UNHRC, and this is how ungrateful Sinhalese pay back. If the Tamils who lived in Sri Lanka for a long time are denied their rights, it is clear that Muslims, as relative new comers, and have less in common with Bhuddists religiously, cannot expect to fare better.

All Islamic countries must question Sri Lanka about mosque demolition, and stop aid until Sri Lanka Bhuddists respects muslims, christians and Hindus.

eureka14

April 26, 2012 at 9:54 am

”with the end of the war, Sri Lanka has achieved comprehensive peace” ????

What are these Sinhalese talking about:
”When the war ended in May 2009, it was the worst that was over, but the ethnic conflict that spans more than five decades is not yet over”, Jehan Perera, 14 November 2011

”But that truth cannot excuse human rights violations that currently afflict the nation as a whole; or for that matter obscure the looming threat of the cultural and political colonisation of the north by the Sinhala Buddhist majority” – Biased and Prejudiced Collection on Sri Lanka, *Gananath Obeyesekere, Economic & Political Weekly, VOL 47 No. 04, 28 January-03 February (*a Sinhalese Emeritus Professor of Anthropology, Princeton University)

eureka14

April 26, 2012 at 10:04 am

Submission by Harim Peiris to LLRC, 7 October 2010:
‘’If General and Presidential Elections can be held in the North and the East it is impossible to argue that the Northern Provincial Council’s elections need to be delayed any further.’’

The Defence Secretary has let the cat out of the bag when NO announcement about the elections are made but sinhalisation is at full throttle to change the demography to reduce the representation of the Tamils in the Northern Province IF and WHEN elections are held:

http://www.dailynews.lk/2012/04/05/news02.asp
Non-communal voters of North must be given leadership – Defence Secy, 5 April 2012
‘’…. The Defence Secretary said that when appointing National List MPs for the North, decision and policy makers should consider appointing persons from the province, representing those new voters who want to join mainstream, non – communal national politics.
“Only then the new voters of the North who dislike communal politics and who wish to join mainstream national politics, will receive a non – communal national level leadership,” he said.’’

”This paper will show that the concept of Sinhalization extends well beyond the subjects of strategic state-planned settlements, land, military intrusion, boundary changes and the renaming of villages. Sinhalization has made its way into Tamil cultural events, religious life, economic activity, public sector recruitment and even the Sri Lankan education system” – ‘Salt on Old Wounds: The Systematic Sinhalization of Sri Lanka’s North, East and Hill Country’, 20 March 2012, http://www.internationalpolicydigest.org/2012/03/20/salt-on-old-wounds-post-war-sri-lanka/?fb_ref=.T2ihTCH4Ew4.like&fb_source=home_multiline