HRW International Justice Director Richard Dicker is looking at Sri Lanka from the wrong side of his binoculars.
Posted on October 28th, 2012
By Charles.S.Perera
(Is there a Universal Periodic Review for USA and the International CommunityƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ?)
International Justice Director at New York based Human Rights WatchƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Richard Dicker had said, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-While war raged in Sri Lanka, Russia and ChinaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s strong support of the government in Colombo thwarted almost all efforts to even discuss the known horrors committed during the war by both sides,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚
This Richard Dicker unfortunately speaks with blinkers on.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ He looks from his comfortable room in a stately building in New York through the wrong side of the binoculars only at Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ He does not see clearly what had happened in Sri Lanka three years ago nor what is happening in Sri Lanka now.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ He only knows that America wanted to see the end of Russia after its dissolution in December 1991, and end of ChinaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ after Tiananmen Square protests in 1989.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ To his surprise both Russia and China has risen above America in Global influence.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ What he sees in theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ blurredƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ image of Sri Lanka is his own stupid imagination playing pranks with his vision.
Richard Dicker you are an outmoded man looking at far away countries through the wrong side of binocularsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and digging into their past, without looking with your naked eyes what is going on around you in America.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Daily Mail reported on the 5th October, that the American anti war Code Pink Campaign ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ manifested against killing of civilians in Pakistan in the bombardment by American drones. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Medea Benjamin, one of the groupƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s founders said yesterday: ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”We are here to say, on behalf of those Americans with a conscience, that we apologize to the people of Pakistan for the killing and suffering (caused by the drones).ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢
America and its Agents like Human Rights Watch, International Crisis Group, Amnesty International, only see the negative side of developing countries, and depend not onƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ facts but on what those anti government persons, Agents and Organisations say aboutƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ these countries. HRW depends to a great extent onƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the representatives of the ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Anti Sri Lanka pro terrorist organisations in America and other Western Countries.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Hence Richard DickersƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ views about Sri Lanka are lopsided.
China and Russia should present to the UNHR Council in Geneva a Universal ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Periodic Review on America and the International Community on theirƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ mass murders in Libya, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
It is fortunate that the world has China and Russia to counter the reactionary forces of America with its AgentsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ like, Richard Dicker, Louise Arbour, Navi Pillai and the rest.
There are ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ quite a number of ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ foreign government representatives who begin to see that Sri Lanka is not a monster that it is made out to be by people like Richard Dicker, but a forward looking Nation trying its best to reconcile its Communities to march forward towards the goal of peace and progress.
What happened in Sri Lanka at the last phase of its military operations against a ruthless terrorist group is what happens at the last phase of any ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-warƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ butƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ even then that end in Sri Lanka cannot be compared to what happened in wars conducted by theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ western world.
But Dicker trying to come to conclusions from what he had heard and read in reports ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ written by people who were unaware of ground realities of ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ what took place in Sri LankaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ sees only a distortedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ picture of the events. Dicker speaks from his inane prejudice against China and Russia as Governments that help only counties like Sri Lanka carrying on ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- inhuman warsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.
He does not see that China and Russia could be just and realistic and help developing countries rise above their suffering caused by terrorism, andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ intervention of foreign enemy countries to help disgruntled citizens to start armed rebellions against the lawful regimes. China has also helped America to raise its head from the financial morassƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ into which it was sinking.
Inhuman wars are committed elsewhere Dicker, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ not in Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In order to see ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ where inhuman wars are being committed Dicker should turn his binoculars looking through it from the correct side, at Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Then he will see that the Human Rights Watch isƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and had been accusing the wrong country for war crimes.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Sri Lanka Armed Forces carried out military operations against its own ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-home madeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ terrorists.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sri Lanka did not go outside to other countries to kill terrorists and say that the deaths of civilians were collateral damage.
The Government of Sri Lanka Air Forces practiced precision bombing targeting specific objectsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and avoided killing civilians.
America in their wars against terrorism has gone to foreign countries and they are killing not so many terrorists but CiviliansƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ who are not Americans but poorƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Afghans, Iraqis, Libyans, and in the past the Vietnamiens.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Are those killings not crimes in your evaluation wise Mr. Richard Dicker ?
Now speaking frankly Richard Dicker who should be taken to a tribunal for war crimes, is it America or Sri Lanka ?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
While there is no eye witness or any other ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ evidence of war crimes committed againstƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the TamilƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Civilians in the last phase of the Sri Lanka military operations against the terrorists, the crimes committed by America, its alliesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ along with NATO forces are well documented and there is no difficulty in finding proof, and ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ even eye witnesses of their crimes.
It is America and its Allies with NATO Armed Forces that kill andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ maimƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ civilians using drones.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ If Richard Dicker wants to refresh his mind, he should read the following excerpt from aƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ recentƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ report byƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Ben Emmerson, the UN special rapporteur on counter-terror operations.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- He has ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ told an audience at Harvard law school this week that a sub-section of the international organization will begin focusing next year on the Obama administrationƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s extrajudicial killings of suspected insurgents and the innocent civilians all too often executed in the process.
Speaking before a room of students Thursday afternoon in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Emmerson told the crowd that he will be launching an investigation unit within the special procedures of the [UN] Human Rights Council to inquire into individual drone attacks.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ (http://rt.com/usa/news/us-drone-emmerson-un-256/ )
In the mean time The Washington Post has revealed that the US government has compiled a database called the ‘disposition matrix’ to “augment” the existing “kill lists”, which will focus on suspects beyond the reach of American drones.
Well Richard Dickers , you are far behind ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-newsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, and accusing wrong people on unfounded ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-crimesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, allowing real ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-criminalsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ to go unchecked.
We do not want any UN Monitoring Mission in Sri Lanka, you should ask such MissionsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ opened in Mali, Somalia, Afghanistan, and Iraq, Libya (a little too late though), and Syria to control the human rights violations and war crimes being committed by the American ArmyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Armies of its allies.
Is ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Richard Dicker ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ aware of thousandsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ of Christians burnt alive by the Muslims in Nigeria ? Why do not you propose a UN Mission in Nigeria and open invzestigations for war crimesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ?
These are matters that have to be attended to if you represent a really honest organisation looking after the human rights of the people. In Sri Lanka there is no more war against terrorism. It is three years ago that terrorism has been eliminated in Sri Lanka and now the country is developing and the people are living inƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ peace and their social and economic progress is being taken care of by the Government.
If there is a problem in Sri Lanka it is with the interfering of the Tamil National Alliance, a local political party seeking to divide Sri Lanka, the so called pro terrorist Tamil diaspora abroad-Global Tamil Forum, the Human Rights Watch, International Crisis Group, Amnesty International, and few Western Governments who interfere in to Sri Lanka craving to have the votes of the pro terrorist Tamil expatriates settled down in their countries.
If there had been death of civilians in the last phase of the military offensive against the terrorists, it had not been deliberateƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and no court of law with intelligent independent judgesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ wouldƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ hold Sri Lanka Armed Forces guilty of war crimes, for that.
The terrorists, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Richard Dicker for thirty long years committed innumerable violations of human rights andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ war crime. They were no ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- choir boysƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ to respect life, they killed every thing that moved in the last pitched live or dieƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ battle to save their lives. There was no Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International or the Crisis Group to intervene with the terrorists to stop their brutalities.
It is only ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-brainlessƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ fools who will accuse the Armed Forces of Sri Lanka , for brutality against the innocent Tamil civilians , if they take time to understandƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ what it is to evacuatedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 300000 Tamil CiviliansƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ kept as human shields by theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ terrorists, in the din of screaming people running in terror , crying children,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ shootingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ from heavy machine guns by the terrorists and small arms by the armed forces.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Sri Lanka Armed Forces used small arms to avoid killing Civilians running away from the terrorists.
It isƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ imperative that Richard Dicker who is forƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ justiceƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ against human rights, should understand that it is not ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ China or Russia which will put developing countries into financial difficulty like America had done to Cuba with a trade embargo for more than 15 years orƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ issue sanctions against sale of oil to Iran, which cause financial, difficulties to developing countries like Sri Lanka.
Dicker should also know thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ no one can ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ dictate to Sri Lanka where it should deploy its armed Forces within Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sri Lanka has the right to open military bases any where in Sri Lanka to protect its people.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It knows better because it is the people of Sri Lanka that went through 30 years of suffering from brutal ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ terrorism thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ began in the North and East.
But by what right USAƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ has 179 US Military bases out side USA. (http://askville.amazon.com/military-bases/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=60159)
These ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ are the matters that should concern the Human Rights Watch if they are a genuine Group of people really concerned with the human rights of the people.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ They have no right to single out Sri Lanka for violation of human rights when violation of human rights in the worst form are committed ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ by America, and the International Community with its NATO Armed Forces.
Mr. Richard Dicker you have jumped on to theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ wrong side of the fence to accuse Sri Lanka for war crimes, when you should really occupy America and the State Department of United States of America to see what it had been doing in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Pakistan, Vietnam and now in Syria.
October 28th, 2012 at 6:14 pm
As usual, an excellent documentation of what US humanitaian agencies in conjunction with British humanitarian agencies are doing. The issue is where are the laws for Espionage. If Gota catches a mole inside his secretariat, how is he going to procecute? Many writers but no one wants to file a case against 13A. Only Jayantha Liyanage did it. This is called “KATHAWA NUM DOLAWEN GAMANAPYE”. When will the Sinhala know how to challenge the Tamil Nadu Tamils attempting capture the real estate that they lost in 2009 by using people like RICHARD DICKER. Don’t forgot Richard Dicker is only one of them. Navi Pilliai is not dead yet. She will wake up at the right time.
October 28th, 2012 at 6:37 pm
America started with anti colonial crusade and now gone to imperial ambitions.. Sad factor is Americans know very well about colonial plunder and its control on other nations and now they have joined with the same colonial groups to plunder and control of other people… This is a sad fact about american foreign policy today.
Without Russian or Chinese help whole world would be a another colony for these murderous colonials with imperial ambitions. Unfortunately stupid indians join with the same imperial group and what happen to Gandian principals?
Worst part is no one in the govt. is capable of countering these down right self interest foreign allegations and all they care is to run to Swiss capitals to talk rubbish…. They should go for the jugular of these paid agitators and should go for a counter attack.
Unfortunately most ministers are paid lackey’s to foreign govts. We have a complete moron as foreign minister and he has no clue to open a debate on public or foreign policy and defence dept. is quite active with countering most of these with proper data that we correlate but it is the foreign office that should be active.
How the hell people call present foreign minster as a academic? Is he a academic of incompetence? He remind me the professor in Tintin comics..
We dearly miss the late Lakshman Kadirgamar and hope some one fill his big shoes so that we are not in this pathetic state of defending the rubbish.
October 29th, 2012 at 3:58 am
Dear Kith,
Jayantha Liyanage has filed an action against TNA.
It is not the same as to file a case demanding the removal of the 13A
13A is a part of the Constitution. It is the Parliament that passes laws. The Supreme Court and other Courts of Law are there to interpret the law, and execute the law. The courts cannot remove statutory law. Therefore the Courts of law cannot order the removal of 13A which is an Amendment to the Constitution voted and accepted by the Parliament. However the Courts could advice the Parliament to amend a law to make it executable.
It is the Parliament that can pass a Law, and therefore it is the Parliament that may remove a law, or pass an amendment to a Law. Therefore in my opinion a Fundamental Rights Case cannot be filed against the 13 A. A court of Law will not accept such an application.
Therefore the alternative we have for the 13A is to get the Parliament to remove the 13A by a two third majority vote, or make amendments to 13A to nullify objectionable issues arising from its implementation. They may also pass another Act laying down a new system of Provincial Administration scrapping the present system. Such a law may be a means to abrogate the 13A to the Constitution.
The other means to remove the 13A would be to hold a referendum of the people not of North and East, but the voting population of the whole Island.
That is only my opinion. There may be others who see it differently.
Charles
October 29th, 2012 at 4:30 am
Charles
There may be others who see it differently.- one more way is fully implement 13A !
unit our diversity forever !!!
October 29th, 2012 at 4:56 am
Lingam Andy,
You are a separatist and a TNA supporter. 13A will not be implemented as you or TNA would want it.
Your Comments are not conciliatory and that of a typical Tamil reactionary
October 29th, 2012 at 6:40 am
Charles,
What they are trying to do is appointing a Senate in addition to Provincial Councils to make our country bankrupt. All the Pandamas will be appointed to supidest senate ever.
October 29th, 2012 at 7:22 am
Charles
You are a separatist and a TNA supporter? NO wrong assumtion ! realy specking I am right opposite !
unit in diversity ! that what I stand for -no short cut !
October 29th, 2012 at 7:43 am
His surname explains who he is!
October 29th, 2012 at 8:28 am
Charles, Thank you for your words. You refer to an action by Mr Jayantha Liyanage against the TNA. If there was a Court hearing on that what was the outcome please? – S de Silva – London
October 29th, 2012 at 9:34 am
S de Silva
I have forwarded the details of the case through Editor Lankaweb.
If you want any detail please let me know, or you can write directly to Jayantha his email address is on the e-mail I sent.
October 29th, 2012 at 9:48 am
Dham
A Senate will not work.
It appears that, the Government does not want to remove 13A nor do they want the TNA to go. I think the government is waiting for the TNA to change their attitude and nominate representatives to PSC. If TNA joins the PSC then they can come to an acceptable political arrangement without having to remove 13A.
But TNA is like Prabhakarana who did not want peace negotiations but the Eelam. TNA will also stand by their Eelam demand.
What is the alternative ?
How long is Government going to sit on the fence…. Gotabhaya too seems to be fed up and hence the ROAR of disapproval.
October 29th, 2012 at 8:36 pm
Not sure how the voting would look like if there is a referendum on 13A abolision.
Wimal Wisewansa doing some good work. hamuduruwos have joined in too.
With all these support, assuming Maharaja keeps the mouth shut, letting Gota speak voting may go like this.
UNpiers ( cannot change these buggers) 25% gone.
Tamils 7% gone
Muslims 8% gone
Therefore it would be 60% against 40% .
I would prefer 80% to 20% to show the world what Sri lankans want.
Therefore need a lot more convincing to reduce the UNpiers vote down to 15% at least so that 70% 30% can be achieved.
With a referendum approval, vultures club lead by India cannot say much.
October 29th, 2012 at 8:47 pm
Charles,
In my view, if 13A is killed by a referendum and a Seneate is created (using leading honest business people, acedamics , professional except lwayers) this Senate can be empowered properly to negate the thuggery parliament. But there is always a danger of bastards getting into the Senate and wholething become disfunctional. Executive presidency is thereofre important. President should able to dissolve the Senate anytime.
Senate should be elected by people form a pool of pre-qualified people. Prequalification should be done by a commitee appointed by Gota.
Why the stupid president appointed Pal Horu to LLRC , I don’t know.
October 29th, 2012 at 11:45 pm
Charles it looks I have missed Mr Jayantha Liyanage case against the TNA Court hearing. Please inform your outcome forwarded through Editor Lankaweb.
October 30th, 2012 at 1:09 am
Dear Dhane
I have sent an email to you through Lankaweb, giving all the details the Case was heard in the Supreme court in September, and has been postponed to the 5th December. I did not want to give details of the case without asking Jayantha and that is why I sent it in email form to S.de Silva and now to you.
October 30th, 2012 at 2:59 am
Thanks Charles for your prompt respond
November 1st, 2012 at 5:06 am
Excellent Article.