By Garvin KarunaratneƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Ph.D.(Michigan State University)Formerly of the Sri lanka Administrative Service.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Introduction

Battle lines are drawn between Sri Lanka,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the only country thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  has defeated terrorism within its island and the Superpowers, led by the USA who find something inadequate in the process of defeating terrorism and the subsequent reconciliation in progress which Sri Lanka has deligently pursued The Sri Lankan Armed Forces never burnt villages, never dropped cluster bombs, never sprayed Agent Orange; the war was essentially fought on humanitarian lines where we even provided food free of cost to the enemy. When as much as 295,000 people, taken away at gun point by the LTTE for use as cannon fodder/human shield were liberated, they were taken care of, housed, their land de-mined and resettled but the Superpowers are never satisfied. .It rings in me that they want a Regime Change to make Sri Lanka a colony again.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Mind you, it was terrorism within the island, where a terrorist out fit, described as the worldƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s most ruthless terrorist the world had ever known, the only terrorist power that had an armada of ships and an air force, alsoƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  equipped with hundreds of suicideƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  bombers was trying to wrest a sovereign country.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  TheyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  held sway over the East and the North of the island for close upon three decades, ruling it undemocratically with a fascist iron fist. It was couched as a liberation war for the Tamils of Sri Lanka that amounted to only 17% of the population, while the majority of the Tamils lived peacefully in other areas,. In those three decades, in the entire island the non Tamil citizenry of eighteenƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  million were scared to death, not knowing when they will be attacked. The parents of a family never traveled together because if they were unfortunate to be bombed their siblings would be destitute. The LTTE killed innocent civilians in the hundreds, killed all the Tamil leaders including the Mayor of Jaffna. They assasinatedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  President Premadasa of Sri Lanka and even Rajiv Gandhi the former Prime Minister of India.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  However,now the Superpowers now demand the blood of our leaders who liberated us.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ President Rajapaksa defeated the LTTE to fulfill a pledge he had given to the electorate at the polls.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Was that not democracy which the USA purports to uphold? The leaders of the country were not engaged in battling an enemy 5,000 miles away. It was a domestic matter, though now to the eyes of the USA and their kin it has beenƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  classified as non domestic to bring it under international scrutiny.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is interesting to note that at the last stages of the battle all the Superpowers- the USA, France, Britain included, were dictating toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  President Rajapaksa to stop the war and to talk peace to which he did not listen, a decision for which he is being hounded today by most of the Superpowers. Their attempt to stop the final defeat of the LTTE,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  casts grave doubt on their professed aim of defeating terrorism. ThisƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  as well as the continuous harassment that Sri Lanka is being subjected to at the UNHCR at Geneva today tells in no uncertain terms that their aim ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  wiping out terrorismƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  is aƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  mere facade to destabilize countriesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  and to establish a colonial empire once again to command more resources of oil and other minerals.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Yugoslav Tribunal is oft quoted. Its ruling which specifies that ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-International humanitarian law applies from the initiation of such armed conflicts and extends beyond the cessation of hostilities until a general conclusion of peace is reached or in the case of internal conflicts a peaceful settlement is reached.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ is inapplicable in the case of the LTTE war because the war was waged to a finish, with the total destruction of the enemy. The essential differenceƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  is that the war was not with the Tamil people of Sri Lanka but with a Tamil terrorist out fit that was eliminated. At all stages of the conflict the majority of the Tamil population lived in harmony, with dignity away from the LTTE territory and were spared the fascist rule. Thus talks for a peaceful settlement does not apply in this instance because there is no one to talk peace with other than some upstart NGOs and some Tamils who have now taken on the role of the LTTE all of whom are outsiders.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ If the Superpowers are sincere in bringing an end to the scourge of terrorism that scourges certain parts of the world,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  they should instead accolade the victory thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the Sri Lankan armed forces had over the fascist LTTE and call off the present resolution they are moving at the UNHCR castigating Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Let us go into a few details to substantiate my above statements.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Ironically, the hunters- the International Community of SuperpowersƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  who are now parading as saints,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  as paragons of virtue, have forgotten their own sins. They tend to think that they do not have blood on their hands.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ On World War II,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ were held by the District Court of Tokyo asƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  causing, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- severe and indiscriminate suffering, that they did violate the most basic legal principles governing the conduct of warƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The District Court of Tokyo determined that , ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-the act of dropping an atomic bomb on cities was then governed byƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  international law found in the Hague Regulations on Land Warfare of 1907 and the Hague Draft RulesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  of Air Warfare 1922-1923 and was therefore illegal.(Richard A. Falk, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”The Claimants of HiroshimaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ in The Strategy of World Order, Vol.I, NY World Law Fund pp307-313).ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The use of atom bombs was ordered by the US PresidentƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Harry Truman.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Winston Churchill the Prime Minister of Britain and US President Harry Truman were never hounded for the atrocities committed. Instead they were acclaimed as heroes.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Many were the massacres in Vietnam.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  To quote just one instance-

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-the My Lai Massacre was the mass murder of 347 to 504 unarmed civilians in South Vietnam almost entirely civilians, most of them women and children conducted by US Armed Forces on 16/3/1968. Some were raped, beaten, tortured or maimed and some mutilatedƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ Of the 26 soldiers charged only one was convicted- served three and a half years in house arrest.( The Peers Report)

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In Vietnam Agent Orange was used extensively. This was a violation of laws re the use of chemical weapons in the 1907 Hague Convention, the 1927 & 1949 Geneva Conventions. As much as 20,000,000 gallons ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  chemicals including Agent Orange was used in Vietnam and Cambodia.. In South VietnamƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  10 million hectares of agricultural land was ultimately destroyed. Agent Orange causes cancer.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It is estimated that 400,000 people were killed or maimed and 500,000 were born with birth defects due to Agent Orange .((Wikipedia.org/wki/Agent_Orange.)

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Robert McNamara was the Secretary of State during the Vietnam War and he was never hounded for war crimes. Instead he was promoted to be the President of the World Bank where he played a very sinister role in making Developing Countries indebted so that they can thereafter be controlled as colonies.(Garvin Karunaratne, How the IMF Ruined Sri Lan ka,,,, Godages, 2006)

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The USA has forgotten that in establishing their sea base at Chagos Islands, some 2000 Chagossians were deprived of their hearth and home and are destitute and homeless even today .

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The USA forgets that they did reduce Iraq, a sovereign country to rubble, on the pretext that it had Weapons of Mass Destruction and never was a single such weapon ever found.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ One can write volumes of covert actions done by the CIA and even go backƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  to the American Indians who are now confined to unproductive areas who languish in poverty in a land of plenty.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The UK today parades as if it was the font of human rights and has forgotten its many forays that can even without any investigation be classified as war crimes.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Britain has been playing a nefarious role with very little regard for human rights.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ I need not mention the British colonial order to cut off the fingers of the handloomers in Bengal in order to destroy the then thriving saree and textile production, aimed at building up the Textile industry in Lancashire.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The UK forcibly movedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  2000 Chagossians between 1967 to 1973, to hand over a free land for the USA to build a sea base.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Justice Ousley of the High Court denied the right of the islandersƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  to return to the Chagos islands. The Chagossiana appealed and on May 11, 2006 won the right to return. However the British Government appealed to the House of Lords andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the Court of Appeal on October 22, 2008 ruled that the islanders had no right to return. Today two generations of Chagossians can be found living as strays in the UK, Mauritius and other European Countries, It is totally established that this was a premeditated eviction all to establish the Diego de Garcia base.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The international Human Rights Rolex does stop in mid air!

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Let us get back to history. Let me quote a few instances:

When Britain sent its crack force, the SAS to Malaysia there was no question of fairplay or humanism. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- BritainƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  conducted 4,500 air strikes, in the first five yearsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦. Robert Jackson writes, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- During 1956, some 545,000 pounds of bombs had been droppedƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦. At Batang Kali in December 1948, the British Army slaughtered 24 ChineseƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  before burning the village. The British Government initially claimedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  that the villagers were guerillas, that they were trying to escape neither of which was true. A Scotland Yard inquiry into the massacreƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  was called off by the Heath Government in 1970ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚(From Web of Deceit: BritainƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Real Role in the World: Mark Curtis, The War in Malaysia)

Those SAS soldiers were hailed as heroes.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The SAS was outsourced to New Zealand for clandesteinƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  and covert operations. The SAS even operated in sovereign countries without their knowledge. It is important to note that some of the countries concerned were Myanmar and India. The conflicts that do not seemed to end in the tribal areas of Myanmar, and in East Bengal and Kashmir in India has had a covert input from the SAS of Britain! The activities actually amount to destablize sovereign countries.

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-By the 1960s New Zealand SAS was active throughout South East Asia, organizingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  tribal revolts against the Burmese Government and stirring similar movements in North East IndiaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-In 1984 Sikh separatists assassinated Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi following a several year bloody insurgency in Punjab. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ The Sikh terrorist groups active in Punjab, such as Babbar Khalsa were trained abroad by SAS veterans in British Columbia, Canada and Britain.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ (The SAS: Prince PhilipƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Mamager of Terrorism ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ by Joseph Brewda in Executive Intelligence Review, Oct 13, 1995)

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In Kenya the local people were mercilessly massacred during the Mau Mau rebellion. Let me quote:

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-The controversy over the treatment of Mau Mau suspects continues to this day. More than 159,000 detainees were torturedƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦brutal, including castration and severe sexual abuse, sanctioned at the highest levels of Government in London.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- The official figure for Mau Mau killed in action is 11,513, with a further 1090 hanged, plus 100 civilian victims- a total of some 17,000. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”excessƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ deaths. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦. when women (7000) and children (26,000) are included a total of 50,000 emergesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦

The scale and depravity of the actions by the security forces was truly barbaric, including the burning alive of detainees, beatings- 11 detainees beaten to death at Hola Camp in 1959), sexual abuse, sleep deprivation and tortureƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ laws were enacted to legalize atrocious acts such as beatings to the point of unconscious. A mereƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  eight district officersƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  were cited as culpable for extreme brutality but none prosecutedƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ (Submission by Colonel David Bennet OBE, British Atrocities in Counter Insurgency, in Encyclopedia of Military Ethics)

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The UK thinks that its hands are clean. Not so when one knows about what happened to Dr David Kelley, their own Arms Inspector, nominated to work with the United Nations. eleven years agoƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Dr David Kelley wasƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  running to Iraq and back to UK in search of the weapons of mass destruction.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  He found none. He could not be bought over. He contested claims made by President George W. Bush, Prime Minister and Tony Blair that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  That was not what the UK Prime Minister Blair wanted to hear, when he plunged the British Army to war in Iraq.. One evening David Kelley was found dead in his evening walk.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  This was officially classified as a suicide when KelleyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s closest kith and kin stated that he was not of the type to commit suicide. The inquest was hushed up, held not by the normal coroner but by an outsider, Lord Hutton, brought in from outside.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Further, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-evidence concerning theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  assassinationƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  of David Kelley had been covertly classified as Top Secret andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  will not be released for at leasy 70 yearsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚(The Insider, March22,2010). ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In the words of the Daily Mail, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-David Kelley post mortem to be kept secret for 70 years as doctors accuse Lord Hutton of concealing vital information.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚(Jan25,2010). Though after much agitation the records were recently released, the damage to the evidence had been done.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It is clear that David Kelley had to pay with his life for standing up for the truth. In the meantime the culprit Prime Minister Tony Blair that took Britain to the war, parades as a font of justice winning accolades. The United Nations Human Rights Rolex stops in its tracks!

The UK and the USA are said to haveƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  killed around 1.5 million people. There are as much as 2.2 million displaced and the UNHRC is silent

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ France too has blood in its hands..

The Rainbow Warrior, the flagship of Greenpeace, a humanitarian organization, which was on a mission to stopƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  French nuclear testing in the Pacific was blown up in the Auckland Harbour of a sovereign country, New Zealand. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- It was an attack carried out by French DGSE Agents, Captain Dominique Prieur and Commander Alain MarfatƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ The attack resulted in sinking the ship and the death of photographer Fernando PereiraƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦. it was a first ever attack on New Zealand sovereignty, France initially denied involvement but later on UN mediationƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  made an apology and a NZ $ 13 million payment from France to New Zealand.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ (Wikipedia). This was a premeditated murder, a War Crime.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Democracy

The USA calls upon Sri Lanka to uphold democratic norms, forgetting that Sri Lanka ever since independenceƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  hasƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  remained a healthy democracy. ThisƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  is aƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  record that the USA, of all powersƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  cannot ever contest, because in recent times President George W, Bush in 2000 came to the Presidency through the back door- through the Supreme Court stopping the counting of ballots that was in progress, which is well documented in my book: The Administrative Bungling that Hijacked the 2000 US Presidential Election, (The University Press of America). ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Again in the following Presidential Election it was the citizens that voted, but the electronic voting machines that counted erroneously for George W. Bush to be the winner, again well documented in my book:ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The Electronic Stealing of the 2004 US Presidential Election(Amazon.com).

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is true that the current President Obama is a true democrat but hisƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  officials and institutions have not yet been reoriented from the Bush legacy. That is why President Obama though he promised at the hustings to call an end to Guantanamo Bay has yet failed to stop that American foray in human rights. The US arsenal now also includes inhuman unmanned drones that hasƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  killed many innocent Pakistanis on the border with Pakistan. The UNHRC cannot flex its muscles because the of the might of the USA that controls it.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The SuperpowersƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  hold thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-principles of fairness and respect of the independence of the judiciary has been compromisedƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ because the Chief Judge of Sri Lanka was impeached. The Constitution specifically lays down the procedure in case of any misdeedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  and misconduct by a leading officialƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  and that has been followed to the very letter.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The ex Chief Justice has now been called up by the Bribery Commission to investigate how she amassed millions. Perhaps she may be able to explain. In the Fifties the first casualty at my hands was an Assistant Manager of the Marketing Department, who had pilfered a mere forty rupees, documented in my new book: Papers on the Economic Development of Sri Lanka, (Godages, 2012)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It is not the practice in Sri Lanka to exhonerate any fraud.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Investigations are thorough, very unlike the Murdoch Investigation in theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  House of Commons. In my words:

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-It was a hilarious experience to watch the House of Commons Parliamentary Select Committee investigating the Murdoch Phone HackingƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦.It was a very serious charge held at people at the helm of the world media. The questioning could have unearthed all the nefarious phone hacking that was done with corruption at very high levels. My mind goes back to August 8, 2006 when Glen Mulcaire of the News of the World and Clive Goodman Royal family editorƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 6 and 4 months imprisonment respectively all for phone hacking on the Royal family, Charges if proved could land both Murdocks and others in prisonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦. It took a strange turn of events. Alas the Parliamentary Select Committee took all of them at once and questioned them together when James Murdoch could hear what was asked of his father Rupert Murdoch and what his father replied and at times even added to what the father saidƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦. Nothing could ever be gleaned out purely because of the immature manner in which all the alleged miscreants were questioned together.. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ So ended the phone hackingƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦. Perhaps the miscreant was Sean Hoare, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”the former News of the World journalist who was the first reporter to tell of endemic phone hackingƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢. He was found dead on July 18, 2011, suddenly treated as ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”unexplained, but not suspiciousƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢. It was very strange to hear that right at the crucial stage Hoare became silent or was perhaps made silentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ (The Murdoch Phone Hacking Scandle: Lessons on How to investigate CrimesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  in Lanka Web, August 31, 2011)

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The attitude of the Superpowers re the Democracy they are talking about reminds me of the words of Professor Chalmers Johnson, the author of Blowback: The Sorrows of Empire: ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-We(USA) talk about the spread of democracy at the point of an assault rifle. That is a contradiction in terms. It does not work.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Any self respecting person being democratized in this manner starts thinking of retaliation. Nemesis.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sri Lanka is held responsible for inadequate action in reconciliation.

What the country had to face in terrorism was enormous and many a country had no leader who could stand up.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Earlier we had leaders who bowed down to the might of India and even altered our constitution . The 13 th Amendment is an Indian intrusion and has no legitimacy because it is well known that the then President Jayawardena forced the members of parliament to vote for it under threat of activating their resignations if they desisted. Thus anyone either theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  International Community of Superpowers or India cannot call upon Sri lanka to implement the 13 th Amendment.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Dr Palita Kohona Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s representative at the United Nations has called for recognition of the fact that Sri Lanka rehabilitated not only hard core LTTE cadres but even their suicide bombers.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Even leaders of the LTTE have been reformed and they are playingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  a role today in the development of the country as Ministers.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ To the USA and other Superpowers, you are not going to find such a record of reconciliation and assimilation

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ When the LTTE was defeated a mass of over 295,000 civilians who had been taken by Prabhakaran as a human shield at the point of the gun were saved by the Sri lankan Army, found settlementsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  within two years and their lands that had been mined were demined. In the annals of war history this accomplishment isƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  a record that has not been equaled anywhere. Why do the eyes of the Superpowers not look at the people in Gaza where PalestiniansƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  have lived in temporary shelters for decades.!. The UNHCR Rolex had stopped working! These were the real owners of Palestine including the land on which Israel is built.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ As I pen this Paper Israeli bull dozers are at work building new settlements on land where the owners who hold deeds are languishing as homeless in Gaza and other areas of Palestine.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Why is there inaction by the UNHRC?

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The LLRC. It is held that Sri Lanka has not implemented all the recommendations of the LLRC. The LLRC recommendations include human rights and governance. It is to the credit of the Government of Sri Lanka that the vast bulk of the recommendations have been implemented.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  .

There are recommendations that impinge on the security and sovereignty of Sri lanka which was beyond the mandate of the Commission. The Superpowers want the recommendation re Devolution of Power be implemented. To start with the LLRC memb ersƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  some of them being lawyers should have known that devoluion of powers is a matter beyond their remit. Devolution of Power lies within the powers of the Houses of parliament and a Referendum.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  No one else has the right to call foer devolution.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The LLRC was a commission nominated by the President of the country to make recommendations. The Commissioners were not elected by the people and therefore it is wrong for anyone to insist that its recommendations should be implemented.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Far reaching matters though recommended have to be approved by the Houses ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Parliament, otherwise it would not be democratic.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The Government has built up a National Action Plan comprising some recommendations of the LLRC. which is being implemented in stagesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  as practicable. .ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It is due to the magnanimity of President Rajapaksa that the LRRCƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  report was released for every one to know because our President has nothing to hide.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ There is thus no deterioration of democracy in the country.r

Media Freedom To those Superpowers who think that there is no media freedom I would request them to read the newspapers which carry many articles critical ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the Government.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  There was once a time under the UNP days of President Premadasa, when no one could utter anything- when playright Premakeerti de Alwis was murdered for writing a play, and the Gomes lassie was murdered for announcing news. That was also the time when a friend of mine found her lands acquired arbitrarily and in the entire realm of Sri Lanka she could not find a single lawyer at whatever price to file a injunction in the Supreme Court to stop the acquisition and give her a hearing. They were all dead scared.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Disappearances & Killings

The US Secretary of State Robert Blake ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ at the US Congressional Hearing where Congressman Eni F.H.Faleomavega was present. stated thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  40,000 died at the final stages.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Gordon Weiss who once worked for the United Nations in Sri Lanka has said thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  7000 died. HoweverƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Weiss changed the number to 40,,000 at the launch of his book: The Cage but when confronted hadƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  changed the figure to 10,000. When questioned he was forced to admit that he had no basis for ascertaining the exact number. The United Nations Panel of Experts puts the possible number at 40,000 but this was without any substantiation.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

The Unicef sponsored Family Tracing and Verification UnitƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  compilation in 2011 quoted the number of untraceable persons as 2,564.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science identified three graveyards of the LTTEƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  and reported the figure of 1346.

The United NationsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ Country Team stated that 7,721 persons died, which corresponds to the figureƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  quoted by the Government of Sri Lanka.

The Enumeration of Vital Events 2011 done in 2011, by Tamil Officers, mostly teachers in the North stated the number of dead and untraceable as 7,896 persons..

The UN Panel of ExpertsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  quotes the UN Country Team figure of 7,721 but adds that it is too,low. The fact remains that the Panel never held a proper investigation and as such their statement cannot be acceptedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  with any credibility. It is important to note that the LTTE ran a fascist state with threatening people with murder unless their siblings were handed over as soldiers. Anyone that protested at any ruling of the LTTE was summarily executed and on this basis it can be guessestimated that the number of deaths at the hands of the LTTE could be far higher thanƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  7,000.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  InƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the final stages of the war as much as 7,000 soldiers laid down their lives.

If anyone wants to find the person responsible for the deaths in this conflict the finger moves to Prabhakaran who thought it fit to carve out a separate state out of Sri lanka and to Indira Gandhi, the Prime Minister of India who trained and equipped them.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The real fact is that it was a total war situation beginning from the commencement of the attack at Mavil Aru when the LTTE stopped the supply of water to farmers in the Trincomalle District. Till then the Government was holding discussions with the LTTE coaxing them to discuss and come to a peaceful settlement.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  After hostilities commenced the Sri Lankan Army went all out defeating the LTTE in the Trincomalle District in the first instance. Later the war spread to Batticaloa in the South and to Mullativu in the North. It was a grim situation of war and there was no account of the dead. It was not that this aspect was ignored but in a situation of real war against an enemy that is equipped with massive fire power there is no time to be spent n fact finding of deaths becauseƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  of the incessant attacks from all sides. There is no time for photography and all photographs and films are entirely fabrications.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It is like finding who shot at my official car in the 1971 JVP Rebellion. I was the administrator in charge of the District and my Assistant was using my car.. The Police Station was defunct, barricaded by them for safety reasons, A few Army Jeeps patrolled the streets. My Driver was smart to turn into a gate that was luckily open, leading to a house and take shelter. There was no occasion for investigation as we would be the targets. It is established that in the 1971 JVP uprising over 10,000 youths were killed and in the 1987/88 JVP Rebellion as much as 80,000 were killed. There was no time to investigate and record. The battle with the LTTE at Nandikal was of a far greater magnitude and there was no accountingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  possible.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is wrong for arm critics and diplomats whose experience of warfare is limited to the reading of a war novel or watching a film to stand inƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  judgement of what happened in real battle

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Role of the United Nations and the UNHCR

The United Nations was silent when in Sri Lanka hundreds of civilians succumber to the bullets of the LTTE. Their attack on the Central Bank killed ninety people and woulded 1400, some of whom were blinded.

The Secretary General of the United nations appointed three persons as a Panel of Experts. They were Marzuki Darrusman of Indonesia, Yasmin Sooka, a South African Judge and Steven Ratner of the USA.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The UN rules authorize the Secretary GeneralƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  to select from UN officials any panel to advise him on nay matter. However the Secretary General appointed three outsiders, which he was not entitled to. Further his selection tells his dubious intentions. DarrusmanƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  had a bone to pick with Sri Lanka in an earlier investigation. There he had acted high handedly in trying to influemnce the judiciary and had left the investigation abruptly before the investigation was complete.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Steven R. ratnerƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  was charged by the Securities and Exchange Commission of the USA and had to buy his way out of the charge by payingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  $ 6.2 million. This reflects on his character.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  . . This Panel never held a proper investigation, but concludedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  that there was credible evidence ethat war crimes and crimes against humanityƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  were commited by the Armed Forces. There was no proof whatsoever to draw such a conclusion.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Though this was a Panel of Experts to advise the Secretary general, the Secretary Geneal thought it fit to release their Report and todayƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  at the UNHCR it is being accepted as evidence against Sri lanka, It is clearly seen that the Secretary General of the UN has taken sides against a sovereign country Sri Lanka when in actuality he should be impartial.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Navi Pillai, the President of the UNHRC calls forƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  an independent and credible investigation into alleged violations of international human rights and humanitarian law and a mechanism that could monitor any accountability process.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  In this Navi Pillai has gone beyond her mandate in interfering in the domestic matters of a sovereign country without any tangible right..

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is interesting to note the comments made by US Congressman Eni F.H.Faleomavaega at the CongressU.S.House Foreign Affairs Sub Committee on Asia and the Pacific. where heƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  questioned the double standards of the USA in censuring Sri Lanka when the USA itself has committed atrocities. His words sound prudent advise that is fully worth consideration by all the UNHRC countries.

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-So I call upon my GovernmentƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the USAƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  tro find a better way forward rather than using UN resolutions to destabilize developing nations like Sri Lanka while ignoring human rights abuses in nations like Indonesia where our geological strategic and military interests supersede our Human Rights agenda,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ The US resolution should be withdrawn for focusing only on the last few months of the warƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ Where is the consistency in our standards as far as Human Rights standards are concerned. We are pointing the finger at this little country Sri Lanka and the thing that perhaps may be we need to clean up ourƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  own backyard as suggested may be we be a little more consistent if we are going to do it against Sri Lanka let us make sure we are clean ourselves.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The member States that are for the US Resolution should realize the after effects that can rebound upon them. They themselves can be victims of the US and UNHRC at a future date.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ US Congressman Faleomavaega in his address to the Committee of the US Congress has accused the USA of attempting to destablize Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The resolution submitted by the USA amounts to bifurcating Sri Lanka, dividing it into two- what the LTTE did want to do in its three decades of war. Such a scenario will lead to the Muslims wanting their state. The Sinhala people who amount to 75% will also rise and what happened to Soimalia will happen.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Somalia was a sovereign state which in its final stages lived on Aid. At first Somalia depended on Russian Aid and then moved to the USA who offered more lucrative terms. When Russia fell the USA abandoned Somalia. For the past two decades Somalia has disintegrated into pieces with sea piracy becoming the main employment.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Let it not have to be said someday that the Superpowers the USA, France and the UK in the lead did destabilize Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Let me have to remind the representatives of the countries that sit in judgement at the UNHRC at Geneva today that it is a poor powerless country, the only country that defeated terrorism within its island that is now the target of censure in an unfair manner without an iota of tangible evidence. It may be prudent for those representatives to reflect how their decision today can rebound on their own countries some day, when they will also be accused of wrong doing when they may have to suppress revolts. Let me also remind the chief Superpowers that by passing censure on Sri Lanka, a country that had defeated terrorism they are not only giving an impetus to terrorist deeds and terrorism but may also amount to writing the epitaph of their own countries.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Harking back to my studies in Latin at St PeterƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s College Colombo I can remember the epitaph at the entrance to the ancient Cemetery in Rome. It reads:

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Hodie Me, Cras TibiƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ . Translated it reads, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Today is mine: Tomorrow YoursƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ The Roman Empire was a mighty Empire that ruled Europe for some six centuries. However Italy is now reduced to dire straits, beseeching Aid from the IMF.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ All the above facts disclosed with authority tells us one important message that all powers have to practice fairness and it will behove of them to accept the fact that Sri lanka did achieve the eradication of terrorism, a task which it was entitled to do. Sri Lanka is taking action as far as possible to reconcile and deserves accolades instead of censure.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The current censure at the UNHRC is unfair, biassed and partisan and talks volumes re the Double Standards of the Superpowers and deserves to be totally withdrawn.

 

Garvin Karunaratne Ph.D.(Michigan State University)

Formerly of the Sri lanka Administrative Service.

18 th March 2013