Dr.P.A.Samaraweera, Australia

The three member UN Panel have been refused visas by Sri Lanka as the government had already appointed a panel, ‘Lessons to be learnt commission’, to look into the post-ethnic reconciliation. In the same manner, Israel as well has appointed their own commission to look into the ‘Flotilla Crisis’ for which the UN and US had no objections. For Israel, US commentƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ was, “We will go with any commission provided Israel agrees with it”. But with regard toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sri Lanka,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ US says, “Sri Lanka should take advantage of the initiative by the UN”. The question is why dual standards for Sri Lanka and Israel?
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With regard to the ruling out of visas to the UN panel the leader of the team Mr. Marzuki Darusman told the BBC, “…It will make it harder for the truth to be unearthed…” So this means the Panel was visiting Sri Lanka to “unearth truths about alleged war crimes” and therefore obviouslyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the appointment of the ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ panel is a precursor to a war crimes tribunal.
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In this connection, the Ministry of Foreign affairs of Russia has questioned the validity of the UN panel. The Ministry in its communique has said, “…In doing so, the UN Secretary General as Chief Administrative Officer of the UN should apparently have asked the opinion of the Security Council or the General Assembly on this matter. But this has not happened… this decision was taken without regard to the position of a sovereign state and a member of the UN – Sri Lanka. We believe that the primary responsibility for investigating the events that occurred in the past in Sri Lanka lies with its government…” Thus Russia as wellƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ had hit out at UN Secretary General’s autocracy.
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Past experiences have shown that theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ so called UN international tribunals have not been neutral. They have been political toolsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  of the appointees and then imposed dual standards even in the International Criminal Justice System.
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In a recent tribunal appointed by the UN Security Council to justify western influence in the Balkans, NATO was not charged for its bombing the Serbs. Then we have the famous 1945 Nuremberg trials where the Chief Proseceutor, Robert Jackson, accused the allies themselves for having done some of the very things they were proseceuting the Germans for.
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The US invasion of Vietnam killed nearly 3 million civilians. The estimates in Iraq is about 1 million civilians killed with about 3 million refugees. ApproximatelyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ similar numbers in Afghanistan.
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With regard to war crimes, President Obama’s comments before he took over was, ” No one is above the law”. But after he became President, he has refused to allow an investigation into a clear and knowing war crimes by his predecessor. Therefore without, “pot calling kettle black” the UN should appoint panels into alleged war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan to begin with.