By Charles.S.Perera

Navi Pillay the UN High Commissioner for Human RightsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  backs calls for an inquiry into possible war crimes in Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Her collaborator Rupert ColvilleƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  dramatises the situationƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  in Sri Lanka by the very choice of words, once it was the blood bath in theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  no fire zone and now it isƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  killing field in the closed off conflict zone.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Their whole problem is not being able toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  have a peep into the no-fire zone. UNHCHR is also interest in figures, such as the numbers killed, numbers wounded. They of course have access to terrorist website and quote the figures there, believing that the figures provided by the terrorists are more reliable than those given by the Sri Lanka Government . And they are representing the United Nations !

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ For Rupert Colville the Government Military operations against the terrorists is a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-warƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  He wants an independent commission of inquiry to count the number of ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ dead bodies in the no fire zone.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  He does not want the Government to go scot free after the killings in the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-warƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Both sides that is the terrorists and the Government are responsible for the killings, and both sides are bound by the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-rules of warƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ They often call the military operations against the terrorists in Sri Lanka a war without witnesses. As if there are witnesses of the war against talibans ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in Afghanistan and against ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Al Qaida in Iraq.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In the war without witnesses going on in Afghanistan, a recent report gives 140 civilian deaths caused by the American aerial attacks in Afghanistan. Both Navi Pillay and Colville are pre-occupied in Sri LankaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  killing fields to pay attention to what is happening in Afghanistan.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  That war can go on withoutƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the application of the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-rules of warƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The only problem for Navi Pillay is the Sri Lanka ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-warƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ for which they want a UNMission in place to find out where exactly the bombs fall, and the artillery fire hits.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The war against the talibans is small fry for UNHCHR, the real stuffƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  is in Sri Lanka the firing into the conflict zoneƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  on which it is preparing a report to accuse Sri Lanka for possible war crimes.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In Afghanistan ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the situation cannot be investigated as the Talibans are more ferocious, than theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  West friendly LTTE ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-rebelsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, and a UNMission is not so safe in Afghanistan, for preparing field reports to accuse America for war crimes.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Further more Reuters report that , ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦the European Union and various aid agencies are also calling for international scrutiny of the conflict between the army and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) that has pushed the Indian Ocean island into a humanitarian crisisƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ A few hundred deaths in Afghanistan, is perhaps ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ normal as it is AmericaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s war.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Navy PillayƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s collaborator has said that the UNHCHR had soughtƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  deployment ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  human rights monitors in Sri Lanka for years, but the Government had not allowed.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Today the Sri Lanka has won its ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-warƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ against the terroristsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  because the Sri Lanka Government kept away the Western intruders including the UN interferers out of the conflict zone.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  That was a wise move on the part of the Government. Had they been there the government would have lost against the terrorists.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sri Lanka should pursue this inƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  future, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ stopping the Western humanitarian activists, the INGOs, and Aid workers from ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ free entry into IDP camps.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is strange UNHCHR or the EU has not bothered toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  deploy Human Rights monitors in Afghanistan.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  That is a serious lapse on the part of both Pillay and Colville.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  After all Afghanistan is also a member state of UN and the civiliansƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  dying theirƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  are also ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ human beings.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is important as Colville says , to allow, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  independent monitors, media, aid workers or other international observers to see for themselves what is actually going on has made it very difficult to cut through the mass of propaganda. It also heightens the impression that those blocking the access have something to hide.”

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ What does it matter to UNHCHR it is our war and the people involved are our people .ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  We have a responsibility to them more than the ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ UN and the Western Humanitarians.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is Sri Lanka that had suffered thirty yearsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  of ruthless terrorism , not the UN and not the EU and not the International Community.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It is imperative for the government of Sri Lanka to finish off its military operations against the terrorists at its own pace.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  That cannot await the pleasures of the UN and the Western Humanitarians.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The UN, the EU and the Human Rights Watch, Amnesty InternationalƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  hadƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  given false hope for the terrorists of a possible intervention for a reprieve.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Hence they did not surrender orƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  hold backƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  fire with their heavy weaponsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  keeping the Tamil civilians as a human shield.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Therefore the UN, UE and the rest of the human rights activists are responsible for every deathƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  in the no fire zone, whether the shots were fired by the terrorists or the Government Armed Forces.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is only the Government and its security forcesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  who know when to stop military operations.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Therefore it is the duty of these ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-do goodersƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  to make way for the government to carry on its duty by its people according to the mandateƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  it has given to the people.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Until then the UN Security Council and Barrack Obama have toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  abide.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ What UNHCHR, EU, IC, and ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Barrack Obama do not know, or care to know, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ is that the Sri LankaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Government Forces had carried out a remarkable rescue operation bringing into safety two hundred thousands Tamil Civilians who had been held as a human shield by the terrorists, who were continually given hopeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  by these UN, EU,IC and latterly Barrack Obama, the well wishers of a possibleƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  cease fire to escape into safety.

The Member States of the UN are fed up with the arrogance of theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  UNHCHR, the EU , Human Rights Activists and the Amnesty International.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  They should adopt a different method of speaking to the Member States- the developing countries.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The fact that the member states are only developing countries does not give a licenceƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  for the officials of the UNHCHR or the EU to adopt an attitude of haughtiness, arrogance and meanness in dealing with them.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The developing countries fighting terrorists have no rules to follow , because the terrorists do not follow rules laid by the Geneva convention.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It is these UN and EU Officials that should be taken to the International Courts for interfering into the successful military offensives againstƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ruthless terrorists banned in not less that 33 countries who are bent on massacring its opponents without respect for rules or without any sense of morality.

The EU statement, that the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-EU foreign ministers are due to call for an independent inquiry into alleged war crimes committed not just by the Tamil Tigers, who have long been on the EU’s list of banned terrorist groups, but also by the government.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ is beyond comprehension.

It puts in par with the terrorist,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  a Government which is carrying out its duty of defending its people and territory against itsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  enemy, and more so against a group of terrorists.

Which would be the CourtƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  that would acceptƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  allegations of war crimes against a country with a democratically elected government, which having failed all its attempts for a negotiated peace settlement resorted to the only availableƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  military solution,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  to wipe out a group of ruthless terrorists, who terrorised the country and its people for thirty long years ?