Sri Lanka should not give in to demand for an international inquiry on war crimes!
Posted on January 31st, 2013
Asada M Erpini
Since 19 May 2009, the day on which the Sri Lanka-based military arm of the terrorist LTTE was vanquished by Sri Lanka governmentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s valiant men and women in uniform, there have been incessant calls and demands for war crimes investigations. Rather strangely, the only war crimes investigation that all these do-gooders wanted was with respect to the actions of the Sri Lanka armed forces. The LTTE, the perpetrators of the worst crimes that Sri Lanka had ever witnessed, or their financial backers in Canada ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” the country from which Tamils of Sri Lankan origin sent nearly US $ 300 million annually (data from JaneƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Defense Weekly) ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” are not under the radar. In spite of the open support that Canadian parliamentarians, a few senators in the United States, the Prime Minister of Canada and some political mercenaries in Canada showered on the LTTE supporters based in Canada, the US and the UK are out to pillory the Sri Lanka government and the very people who delivered peace to the country after a terrorist curse that bled the island nation for nearly three decades.
It is reported in the local media on 30 January that two United States Senators called for an independent investigation into the potential war crimes committed by the Sri Lankan government. Coupled with that, there is another report dated 31 January in IndiaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Hindu that ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-the United States is sure that India will support a country-specific resolution sponsored by it in the coming session of the United Nations Human Rights CouncilƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. The country in question is the poor Sri Lanka that rescued nearly 300,000 Tamil civilians who had been corralled by the LTTE leader for use as a human shield during Eelam War IV, which culminated in May 2009.
ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-All security forces personnel opting for military training programmes in the US are expected to undergo ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”human rights vettingƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ by the US defense authorities,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ goes a report that appeared in Island Online on 31 January. Human rights violations of the most horrendous kind have been committed by the US forces ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”delivering peace and democracyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ to Iraq and other countries in the Middle East, and now the US considers that it is qualified to check the human rights record of the military personnel from Sri Lanka who had to perform their duty and usher in peace.
When the former Navy Commander Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe was posted as Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to Australia, there were vociferous protests by the LTTE backers alleging human rights violations. Allegations had been levelled against Major General Shavendra Silva, the former Commander of Sri Lanka Army’s 58th Brigade when he assumed duties in his role as Sri Lanka’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
For all peace-loving Sri Lankans, individuals such as Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe and Major General Shavendra Silva are of the calibre of King Dutugemnu of yore who rid parts of the country of South Indian Dravidian invasion and occupation.
Based on baseless accusations, all the Sri Lankan war heroes and the political leaders who gave the essential direction and backing have already been convicted of war crimes by the US, Canada, Australia and some other affluent countries. The allegations, however, are always the result of the manipulations by the disgruntled LTTE backers, who had invested heavily in their pursuit of an Eelam and now find that the dream has been shattered, or an outcome of politicians in Canada or the UK who are ready to sell their grandmother to ensure that they get the bloc vote of the Tamils who live in their little Jaffnas in their new found havens.
The adage that is often professed, especially by the human rights propagandists and the governments in the West is, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-One is not guilty until proven guiltyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. Yet, in the case of Sri Lanka, mere accusations by those who lost in the war are enough to send the key generals in the winning side to the gallows. Agreeing to and having an international inquiry will only strengthen the hand of the anti-Sri Lankan countries and groups: they could then say that there was an international inquiry and Sri Lanka was found guilty of war crimes!
January 31st, 2013 at 6:07 pm
“One is not guilty until proven guilty”.
There is another concept. If you are charged and punished for a murder you didn’t do and then you actually do the same crime, you are free.
So if any SL is charged for war crimes, he has nothing to lose by actually doing it after such charge was made.
January 31st, 2013 at 7:56 pm
It is all about money (economy), with poor rural families making most sacrifices in the war and the same people (seamstresses, farmers, laborers, housemaids etc) shouldering the economy with educated and middle class free loading on their productivity in addition to borrowing from abroad for their expensive life styles, Sri Lanka has very little wiggle space in the face of outside demands. It is a pity that the educated have done very little despite eighty years in existence of higher education.
February 1st, 2013 at 1:36 am
Before any country is investigated for crimes against humanity, it is the US that should be investigated for their never ending indiscriminate killings around the world with their drones and the arrest of anyone considered a suspect and incarcerating them indefinitely without a charge. USA is raising issues against other nations, merely to deflect attention from their own crimes. Unfortunately, they have been quite successful in this game of deceit.
February 1st, 2013 at 5:07 am
The response by some disappointed Western countries over Sri Lanka vanquishing the LTTE terrorists sponsored by these very Western countries is to harass Sri Lanka using spurious HR charges in a vengeful manner. It is the turn of the GoSL to retaliate in the most robust manner. That includes a protest and a demand to the UN for the removal of Navi Pillay for blatant utter bias against Sri Lanka – S de Silva – London
February 1st, 2013 at 5:08 am
Vikram Singh a US citizen and a second secratry or something of the US State dept was in the island last week. First he is a Person of Indian Origin for Indian government purposes like Navi Pillai of South Africa.
So I am sure our contributors and commentators realise who is behind these attacks on the island nation.
It is India.
February 1st, 2013 at 6:08 am
Why did Sri Lanka become high on crime and criminal activity especially during Cold War times and continued ?
Was it because outside sources saw Sri Lanka as a SOFT SPOT in the Indian Ocean region for take overs, Tamil Caste wars, etc ?
India will protect herself at the costs to anyone else in the region. India too has had invasions (mainly Muslim) and Colonisation (mainly British). How can we expect otherwise of India ? Let’s be realistic and protect ourselves in Sri Lanka too.
Yet to see in Sri Lanka proper Laws re Separatism as in India. Yet to see here an Oath of Allegiance to Sri Lanka. Yet to see a better educated Parliament. Lots to do here to Secure the Country from Within.
There would be no War Crimes charges if successive past GoSLs had properly protected Sri Lanka.
February 1st, 2013 at 7:48 am
Thank you Mr ini PreMadasA for this article.
February 1st, 2013 at 9:55 am
UNHRC resolutions cannot force anything on member countries unless the member countries voluntarily agree to them.
Any investigation has to be and will be done by Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka alone, unless Sri Lanka agrees otherwise or they manage to show that Sri Lanka does not have the capacity to do so. Even then forcing Sri Lanka to do something it does agree to can come only through a security-council resolution.
As AME said “Sri Lanka should not give in to demand for an international inquiry on war crimes!”
If they manage to pass a resolution against Sri Lanka, which is not yet a foregone conclusion, Sri Lanka must reject it just like the last time and put in motion an internal mechanism to address the concerns referred to in the resolution.
US, the sponsor of the resolution and the European countries Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Moldova, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain and Switzerland will be against Sri Lanka as before, but those that abstained and even a few others that were against Sri Lanka last time might be amenable to persuasion to change their stance by vigorous lobbying with facts. India too will vote against Sri Lanka to pacify the Tamil Nadu pressure and for their other objectives.
They failed in their grand plan of creating a humanitarian catastrophe with the human shield in wanniya, to intervene in the guise of discharging “a responsibility protect” and are still smarting from it. India having achieved her objective of getting rid of the LTTE military machine wants to use the current situation for other objectives.
I am not in favour of boycotting of the session and running away from it, because that would imply that we cannot counter the allegations. What Sri Lanka has are the facts in contrast to the concoctions that are levelled against her.
Fran Diaz said “Yet to see in Sri Lanka proper Laws re Separatism as in India. Yet to see here an Oath of Allegiance to Sri Lanka. Yet to see a better educated Parliament. Lots to do here to Secure the Country from Within.”
These are things we can do and must do, though they will take sometime to bear fruits.
If the 6th Amendment to the Sri Lankan constitution is worded as in the 16th amendment to the Indian constitution the conspirators could be dealt with properly.
February 1st, 2013 at 11:49 am
We should not have war crimes investigation, but we can definitely have an internal investigation with U.S, U.K, China experts who can be observers.
This war crimes will not go away until it is investigated with a few foreign boots on ground. U.S atrocities in the past have been investigated and “punished” and pardoned by U.S president. see mai lei massacre – the colonel got off after 2 yrs in jail. You got to play this game they try against us their way! if not you get their ire and it messes up lots of other issues that are important for our country development.
February 1st, 2013 at 11:50 am
I see too many tribal thinking here, that puts our country in jeopardy.
February 1st, 2013 at 11:56 am
As matters stand, Sri Lanka has been the ‘Fall Guy’ to Tamil Nadu Caste based problems. This has to stop. Or else Sri Lanka will be de-stabilized on a forever basis. High time the Sri Lankans, as in other Democracies, demanded of their Parliament to save Lanka through proper Constitutional Amendments. The VOTERS of Sri Lanka must use their powers with Parliament to bring in Amendments to suit the times. In the end, in a Democracy, it is the VOTER who must be held responsible for the fate & fortunes of the country. They have the power to shift thinking in Parliament to properly safeguard the Country & the People.
Hultsdorf has become a joke ! It is a place for conspirators, not Nationalists or Patriots.
February 1st, 2013 at 3:03 pm
The best form of defence is to attack.
This time around we must put aside all diplomatic niceties and point fingers at each accusing nation with respect to their own human right violations while denying any will-full violation of human rights by our valiant armed forces. First and foremost our foreign office must prepare a dossier on atrocities committed, wilful acts of genocide and other horrific human rights violations and for each of those countries who accuse us of gross violations of human rights and take up the fact those countries have never had to face a situation like what Sri Lanka is facing today.
Americans bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki both civilian cities – an act of genocide. They over two million in Vietnam and later said famously – IT WAS A MISTAKE. – Robert McNamara. They have already killed millions in Iraq and still continue to kill either directly or indirectly through American boot licking NATO nations. Since Drone Obama came into power he has increasingly used drone attacks involving much collateral murder of innocent civilians. Americans war on Terror is only a camouflage to plunder the Middle East oil and other natural resources.
The British carpet bombed Dresden and Hamburg in revenge attacks killing hundreds of thousands of Germans even when they knew the war was over, thanks mainly to the victorious Red Army.
The French is one of most bastardised, blood thirsty and dishonourable nations on earth. Their colonial past in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Africa and around world speak for volumes of atrocities, acts of genocide and other horrific acts of human rights violations.
Similarly are the Dutch, the Belgians and the Germans of holocaust fame.
It is sickening to note that we take in silently all that is said against us and only concentrate on defending as if we are at fault. The truth is we took all measures that are necessary and possible within a military theatre of operations to keep the casualties to a minimum – starting with the battle cry – Zero Civilian Casualties. The efforts and sacrifice of our valiant armed forces are being belittled by those at the Foreign Office.
Our Foreign Office must consolidate help from our all weather friends and take an assertive approach when dealing with the belligerent Shylocks asking for a pound of flesh.
February 1st, 2013 at 4:03 pm
Lorenzo,
Good thinking. What are you suggesting this time ? Kill the next enemy once the charges are registered in the kangaroo court ? Loot the Saudis ? Sure, they will be offer citizenship in their motherland.
February 2nd, 2013 at 12:41 pm
So called Western world leaders are unable to fathom how Sri Lanka was able to defeat the most ruthless, blood thirsty and corrupt terrorist organisation this planet has ever seen. It is due to incredible sacrifices of Sri Lankan people, Armored forces and the foresight of the political leadership. If Sri Lanka was broken up, Eelam would be the weapon to destabilize whole of south Asia for next hundred years. Just look at Israel. Then breaking up India would be much easier. Stupid Indians are still clueless why West supported LTTE all these years.
February 2nd, 2013 at 3:51 pm
Nanda,
No. Local enemies.