Sri Lanka: Prof. Philip Alston’s comments on Australian radio
Posted on September 22nd, 2009

Asoka Weerasinghe. Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario . K1J 6G1. Canada

September 21, 2009

Prof. Philip Alston
UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions
c/o OHCHR-UNOG 1211
Geneva Switzerland.

Dear Professor Alston:ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

I have been following your contentious involvement on the Channel 4 video clip with immense interest, which alleges Sri Lankan soldiers shooting Tamils.

There have been so many opinions on this story and I am particularly trying to understand why this good Professor is trying to profess to the Sri Lankans that he is indeed God and no Humbug when it comes to dealing with this issue as he represents the UNƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s view and refuses to accept that of the Sri Lanka Government.

I was taken aback when you had told Radio Australia, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-the bottom line is that you have very serious allegations and youƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ve got a handful of experts who are extremely close to the government to provide no sense of an impartial investigation of the type required.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

Professor, you just lost it by making such an insidious statement, when the first thing that I would do when there is an allegation against me is to seek my own trusted experts of the highest calibre to make a forensic study on the issue and tell them that I want the absolute truth and nothing but the truth. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ When it comes to trust, I have the penchant to believe one of my own colour than that of another colour, say ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-whiteƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ If my trusted experts say that the video is a fake, there is no earthly reason why I should hire an outsider to look into it and undermine my trusted friends. That is simple logic.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  And you know, and if you are indeed an intelligent Professor as I am told that you are, then what you told the Australian Radio was insane and a load of ballocks.

What has foxed me completely is that your lack of an attempt to do your own investigation from Channel 4 and from the Journalists for Democracy who had handed this video clip to Channel 4 as to the circumstances in which this video was made, when and where it was made.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  And perhaps get your own technical ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-impartialƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ experts to provide you with a forensic study report.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Was the lack of it because you really thought that you had now got a piece of evidence to pin the Sri Lanka government to the wall, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ as a revenge act for having you and your peers completely and soundly rebuked by the UN Human Rights Council for trying to charge Sri Lanka of war crimes? I know it burnt holes in your credibility, and also clipped some feathers of your Human Rights ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ righteous God-wings and now find it difficult to soar up into the sky showing the world your squeaky clean plumage policing the worldƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s human rights abusers, telling ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-look at us, we are the honest, the best and the greatestƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  This notion is going down the drain pretty fast, isnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t it?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  And the shenanigan on Sri Lanka doesnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t help you all one wee bit.

I keep telling myself, after ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ reading some where that, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Professor Alston had seemed an honourable manƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, then he must be. But unfortunately, your shenanigans on this video clip makes me disappointed as you seem to be a hired hit-man to keep launching the UNHRC barrage of missiles on Sri Lanka that destroyed the Tamil Tigers single handed with no favours from the consortium of nations who keep saying that they are making a collective effort to get rid of terrorism and along the way keepƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  bombing and killing innocent civilians, with no questions asked by the outside world.

I assumed that Mr. Siri Hewawitharana volunteered his expertise originally and came up with a forensic report of the video which called it bluff and said it had been doctored.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ And you have rejected his findings saying that it is ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-partialƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, and most likely because he happened to be a brown skinned Sri Lankan expert.

And you have the gall and temerity to slap this Mr. Siri Hewawitharana on his face when you said in your interview with the Australians, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-And finally, they have used the analysis of another gentleman who is apparently based in Australia, but of Sri Lankan origin, who claims to have and appears to have a significant technical credentials in this area.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.

Well, God Alston, you have put your silver shoed-foot in your mouth when you have publicly shown your doubts about Mr. Hewawitharana when you said, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦who claims to have and appears to have a significant technical credentials in this area.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  But what you were disingenuous although it implied most tenuously was that, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-he may be an expert alright, but unfortunately he is a brown skinned Sri Lankan, and that doesnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t count in my white oriented world!ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

What?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  You must be joking God Alston.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Are you stupid, or what?

And as I presented my caseƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in an earlierƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ letter to you, if he had presented his report as a white Britisher with a Milton shoe-white painted face and calling himself Sir.Hugh Withan, you would have accepted the report without blinking your eyelids even once.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Would you not?

Well good Professor, with such a comment, as expected you have invited yourself a challenge from Mr. Siri Hewawitharana, as you put his reputation in jeopardy.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  You who call yourself a professional, andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ “ProfessorƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, that wasnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t nice.

As you are aware, which I am sure has been brought to your attention; Mr. Siri Hewawitharana is no slouch in his area of expertise, and is one of the worldƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s leading digital video systems experts. According to what I understand, he was former Head of CiscoƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s global broadcast and digital video practice.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  He was Head of systems engineering for Star TV Hong Kong, Head of Visual Communications for OTC and Director of Engineering for WIM TV.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  And as Chief architect of OptusƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ Network Systems Design Broadcast and Satellite TV operation, he was responsible for creating and operating OptusƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ $47 million Pay TV Video Operations Centre and presently Executive Director at IPTV Systems.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  He has now challenged you, my good Professor Alston to disprove his findings that this video that he claims isƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ “a fake done by an idiot or idiots that does not understand faking”, is not.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Ha! The burden is yours now good Professor.

So letƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s get on with it.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The ball is in your court. God Alston. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ You asked for it.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Prove that Mr. Siri Hewavitharana is wrong.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

You know what Professor, I normally am not a gambler, but knowing that Mr. Siri Hewawitharana is a winner, I will stake a $1,000ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  bet that he will clip your God-wings.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Are you prepared to accept my challenge as well?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Let me sweeten the stake a little more.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  I was going to tell you that I am prepared to shave my beard ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ too if you can prove that he is wrong with your ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-impartial expertƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. My beard is special which has not seen a sharpen edge of a stainless steel razor blade for over aƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ half a century.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ But since you do not have a beard and I see that you have a lock of hair on top of your skull like me, I will shave my head in addition to that $1000.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ No, on second thoughts, I will let you shave my head, if you will prove that Mr. Siri HewavitharanaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s forensic report is wrong.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  And I will shave your head, or perhaps invite Ms. Navi PillayƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  if willing, to do the honours, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ if you cannot prove him wrong. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ And I request you to donate your $1000 to a welfare trust for the Sri Lankan soldiers who so valiantly wiped out the Tamil Tiger terrorists.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Are you game God Alston?

LetƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s do it.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Accept my wager and donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t chicken out since you thought you were a smart Professor after completing similar assignments in Philippines and Kenya. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Now that you have challenged the forensic report by Mr. Siri Hewawitharana the onus is yours to prove that it is a lie.

Oh, by the way, my good Professor, perhaps you may want to memorize this statement by Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s President Mahinda Rajapaksa, which may help you to be aware of what you will be facing with when you try to undermine his sovereign nation.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-I will never allow any force, foreign or local to betray the freedom of our country.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  And do you know what?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  He means what he says.

Sincerely,

Asoka Weerasinghe.

One Response to “Sri Lanka: Prof. Philip Alston’s comments on Australian radio”

  1. Nihal Fernando Says:

    Dear Sir – Mr. Asoka Weerasinghe, I always very eagerly read your articles. I believe that you will kindly agree with me that there was a film about an absent minded professor. It was a major motion picture those days, produced in Hollywood. I suppose. After reading your articles and the sub titles that you have included by Prof. Alston I have my doubt that he is also suchlike that was in the film. He has contradicted his own statment, “who claims to have and appears to have a significant technical credentials in this area. But……”

    It is dangerous to be absent minded or to have an imapaired vision on something against your own will and conscience. Professor or no professor who is already prejudiced can’t make a correct decision but his every heart beat will sing to him, “Alston you are wrong”. Then, what will happen that he will one day blow himself out and place the candle in the bed to go to sleep.

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