Human Rights Law Centre, Australia –you should change the panellists to be more objective in you search for the truth.
Posted on March 5th, 2013
Charles.S.Perera, Sri Lanka
The Convenors
Human Rights Law Center,
Australia,
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Dear Organizers,
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ I have learnt that The Human Rights Law Center has invited participants to a discussion about accountability for war crimes and the current human rights situation in Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
On the face of it , it appears to be a very praiseworthy initiative of theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ legal body to find the truth of how the Sri Lanka war against terrorism ended, about which many contradictory stories without any acceptable account has been put forward.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ But the bona fides of the Conveners efforts become questionable when reading ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the names of the panellists invited for the discussion.
If the Human Rights Law Centre is different from the Human Rights Watch, I thought it would be more objective, open and independent in its search for the truth of accountability for war crimes and the current human rights situation in Sri Lanka.
In that sense of objectivity the Human Rights Law Center should have been more careful in the choice of the panellists, unless of course the search of ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-truthƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ is only an attempt to promote ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ a pre-established ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-truthƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ You could have for instance invited some one from thoseƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ who had visited Sri Lanka to see for themselves what had taken place, such as the Australian Opposition Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Julie Bishop, opposition Immigration spokesman Scott Morrison, or opposition Justice, Customs and Border Protection spokesman Michael Keenan. Then your organised discussion would have been more credible and useful.
But, As it is it smacks of a ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ publicity campaign for ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the sale of the books by Gordon Weiss and Frances Harrison written on the Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s terrorist war.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Those books are ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ fictions rather than true accounts, as what actually took place in that closed area, where only the terrorists, and the Sri Lanka Armed forces were present with a large number of civilian Tamils held by the terrorists as a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-human shieldƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, Gordon Weiss and Frances Harrison would not have known, and it isƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ not possible they could even have found credible eye witnesses.
But the Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the International Crisis Group and other human rights activistsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ allƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ make a great effort to seek the truth of what happened at the last phase of the terrorist war in Sri Lanka .ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
They have chosen the worst period of the conflict to find the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-truthƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ as no body couldƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ tell exactly what happened in that particular area during that particular period of time.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Sri Lanka Armed Forces were not fighting a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-last stand warƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ like the terrorists who were in fact fighting for their ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-dear livesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ in an unwinnable war.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
Therefore the Armed Forces had to go slow, firstly to save their own lives as they were carrying only small arms , secondly to eliminate the terrorists , and thirdly to rescue an unexpected number of ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ about ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 300,000 Tamil civilians, men, women and children running away to save theirƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ dear lives.
The terrorists were fighting unto their last using the heavy arms they had placed amoung the civilian crowd now running away from them. They were angry that their last hope of living to fight as long as possible was fading withƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ their ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-human shieldsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ taking to their heels.
In that situation, who could haveƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ stopped to count the numbers dead and dying, the escapee Tamil civilians ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ were ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ a stampede of cattle let loose ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ from a cattle ranch.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Armed forces had to take cover from aimless shooting by the terrorists, rescue the Tamil civilian ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-human shieldsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ running away from the terrorists , while shooting at the terrorists to protect themselves and the Tamil civilians they were rescuing.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Therefore, they could not have stopped a moment to count the dead.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ And the terrorists did not care who died and how many died as they were fighting to keep alive and could notƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and did not count the dead and the dying.
Then who counted this 40,000, 8000 or 7000 dead bodies as they claim at different times,lying in the war zone ?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ If it was done by aerial photographs, how could they have distinguished the dead civilians from the dead terrorists ?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ If there were 300ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 000 civilian Tamils in that war zone during the last phase of the war against terrorists, and if 295ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 000 had been rescued and counted.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The missing number is 5ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 000. ArnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢tƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ all these different numbers at different timesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ a fabrication to discredit Sri Lanka Armed Forces and bringƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the Armed Forces before a war tribunal ?
It would have been more convenient and intelligent ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to have left out the last phase of the terrorist war to call for accountability, and concentrated on the 27 years before that. The ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-war crimesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ during that period may have been documented and the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-criminalsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ more easily found.
But this has been avoided perhaps to exonerate the real perpetrators ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-war crimesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…”the terrorists.
Now the whole burden ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ accountability for war crimes has been put on the Sri Lanka Government and its Armed Forces.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ And all the stories, tales of eye witnesses coming forward to tell that 40000 or less numbers died is all made up. No one in his or her right sense could accept these eye witnesses. Most of those who escaped fromƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the war zone while escaping ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ were concerned only about their own near and dear ones. Those ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ who were wounded when rescued by the Armed Forces were in terrible state of fear, and psychological shock.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
They were starved, unwashed, unclean, sick. The old men and women hardly able to walk were carried ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ by the Sri Lanka Soldiers in their arms, they carried ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the wounded on ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ stretches despite the shooting of the terrorists and exploding bullets. But yet these soldiers of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces get no Credit for their dedication to save human lives, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ from those who are more keen to accuse the Armed Forces for war crimes.
Therefore, this good effort of the Human Rights Law Centre, should have objectivity and openness to find the truth, and for that it should not have a panel composed ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ biased persons, who have already concluded that the Sri Lanka Armed Forces are guilty of War Crimes.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
Persons for various reasons have an axe to grind against Sri Lanka governmentƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and therefore all-out to put the blame of war crimes on the Sri Lanka Government Armed Forces.
Any one can come forward and say I saw the Sri Lanka Armed Forces were shooting at the civilians to kill them, but another more objective ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ could ask, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ if the GovernmentƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Armed Forces opened fire atƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the Tamil Civilians purposely to kill them how come that the same Armed Forces rescued nearly 300,000 Tamil civilians.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
If the Government Armed Forces were as ruthless as the Tamil Terrorists, was it notƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ an ideal occasion forƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the Government Armed Forces to have killed all the 300000 Tamil civilians without leaving a single witness ?
Is that not a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-goodƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ question to ask the panellists ?
It is time nearly four years after the elimination of terrorists to forgetƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ demanding accountability for what happened at the last phase of the military operations against the terrorists and begin to ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ look after the living.
Even to the International Community, asking for accountability for war crimes and the current human rights situation in Sri Lanka, it is becoming a burden which it would like to leave aside.
The truth that the Sri Lanka Armed Forces cannot be held accountable for war crimes will have to come out.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Already there are those in the USAID, the Secretary General of UNO, and even Germany who seem to be taking a more balanced view of the situation.
If your discussion is to have credibility it is best that the fourƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ panellists Frances Harrison, Dr. Sam Pari, Gordon Weiss and Bruce Haigh. are left out and take others more objective from both sides- the side accusing theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sri Lanka Armed ForcesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ for war crimes and those who are against such accusations.
I hope that good sense will prevail.
Yours Sincerely,
Charles S.Perera
March 5th, 2013 at 6:04 pm
I am waiting for this Human Rights campaigners to discuss killing of nearly million people in Iraq during the oil robbery. Will the world forget incredible crimes in Iraq if attention is diverted non existing human rights issues elsewhere? Who is accountable for Iraq? No WMDs! Million dead! I wonder what these great humanitarians got say about that?
Will UN hold Bush, Cheney and gang responsible to war crimes? Is war crimes tag only for Africans and Asians?
Sri Lanka fought against the deadliest Terrorist organisation in this planet and won. LTTE was supported and tolerated in North America and Europe because it promised to break up Sri Lanka and India. All that hope ended in a lagoon. Billion people in Indian sub Continent are thankful to President Rajapaksa. This is something Western powers finding hard to digest.
March 6th, 2013 at 4:54 am
Those who are familiar with the writings of these Human Rights pretenders, might think this is the real rogues gallery.
March 6th, 2013 at 7:27 am
USA and the West Follow Double Standards.
Sri Lanka has also learned from the West. Follow Double Standard.
Until there is a single standard, there is no point.
See there is no law and order in Sri Lanka.
There is discrimination and ethno-religious issues. Read the news.,
March 6th, 2013 at 1:14 pm
Amarasiri, there are double standards because of economic disparities between countries. SL is a small island in a strategic location among giants. Our politicians post 1956 made key blunders. Following Nehruvian or Soviet-style policies have left the country powerless and exposed to “big sharks”. Small impoverished countries with low savings rate either stand up united and rigorously engage the global economy with trade, work ethic, good governance, diplomacy and productive investment OR are on their knees, lazy/envious (expect something for nothing JVP style), disunited, prey to foreign interests and foreign aid. Yet amazingly, the autarchical lunatics continue to criticise every single infrastructure and major productive investment thereby wittingly or unwittingly threatening national security. Id rather stand on my feet confidently and rigorously engaging and profiting from the global economy. I havent lost my culture. I listen to good counsel, not crackpots. Ive preserved myself and my culture from outside attack.
March 6th, 2013 at 2:22 pm
Dear Charles: Please allow me to say something additional to paragraph seven starting with “But the Human Right , Amnesty International……………..last phase of terrosist war in Sri Lanka”
This was a very craftly drafted “slogan” these so called Human Right grous introduced very “surreptiously” to the World Bodies including UN, its Agencies and other so called Power Blocks. So today we find everyone is calling for “Investigation and Inquiry into the Last Phase of War in Sri Lanka”. Towards this end all the LTTE Diaspora organizations are spending millions in organizing, “seminars”, “speaker forums”, “screening of films”, “radio and televsision prgrammes” etc. gathering support and pushing for that “Investigation” into the “LAST PHASE OF WAR”. Even recently we see a “prominent” ( made prominent by the LTTE Diaspora) figure in this campaign Dr. Brian Seneviratne writing, in his personal capacity, directly to Ms. Navi Pillay “recommending” to appoint these Human Rights Groups to that investigative process.
All these World Bodies and the Big Powers have been influenced to the level of completely forgetting the “Thirty Years of Attrocities” committed against the humanity, by this ruthless outfit called the LTTE and its affiliated Diaspora and confine it to the “Last Phase of War”. The question therefore is : Are we going to allow it happen? The answer must be a “FIRM NO”. Infact we should be very emphatic in pointing out our “sufferings” for thirty years, in the hands of this terrorist outfit and state that “there is not going to be any sort of invesigation or inquiry.”
March 7th, 2013 at 3:49 am
My Indian Myna in Australia says it was a fizzer. One of the panelists were not there and the others were screwed up.. The audience were Tamils and their paid up suckers.
March 7th, 2013 at 3:50 am
My Indian Myna in Australia says it was a fizzer. One of the panelists were not there and the others were screwed up.. The audience were Tamils and their paid up suckers.
March 7th, 2013 at 3:50 am
My Indian Myna in Australia says it was a fizzer. One of the panelists were not there and the others were screwed up.. The audience were Tamils and their paid up suckers.