Sri Lankans must invite and felicitate Zamir Akram, head of Pakistan delegation to UNHRC
Posted on April 8th, 2014
Shenali D Waduge
When a country not just votes for Sri Lanka against the tides but goes the extra mile to eloquently deliver a speech giving reasons why they are voting against the US sponsored Resolution, that country and in particular the head of that delegation needs to be thanked and felicitated far before thanking nations that abstained for their own self-serving compulsions. Sri Lankans listened with admiration while Mr. Zamir Akram showed how Pakistan had done its homework to highlight reasons that the Resolution depicted duplicity, bias and double standards and Pakistan gave the punch that should have come from Sri Lanka’s delegation in reminding the Sponsors of the Resolution their own track record of human rights violations that remain without acknowledgement or accountability running over centuries. It is therefore, suggested that Sri Lankan organizations invite Mr. Zamir Akram to deliver a speech in Sri Lanka and to felicitate him for the magnanimous manner Pakistan showed solidarity with Sri Lanka. In our eyes, Pakistan has been a true friend.
Text of Speech delivered by Mr. Zamir Akram, head of the Pakistan delegation to the UN Human Rights at the 25th session and before voting on Sri Lanka
Pakistan is opposed to country specific resolutions in principle. This is because such resolutions are ineffective and counter-productive. Consent of the country concerned is imperative for tangible results to promote and protect human rights. Pakistan played a key role in the 2009 Resolution against Sri Lanka with the consent and cooperation of that country. This resolution achieved positive results. Sri Lanka fully cooperated with the human rights machinery. It also demonstrated continued and tangible progress on the ground in addressing issues related to the reconciliation process including accountability within the framework of Sri Lanka’s domestic reconciliation process – the LLRC.
Sri Lanka has a long and powerful history of democracy. It has suffered for 30 years due to brutal terrorism by the LTTE an internationally recognized terrorist organization. Eventually it has succeeded in overcoming this menace of terrorism and separatism.
The international community including the HRC should help and support Sri Lanka to heal its wounds and achieve reconciliation and lasting peace. It should not add fuel to the fire. Interference in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka is unacceptable. No self-respecting country would agree to the intrusive measures advocated in this resolution in particular operative paragraph 10 of the Resolution is inconsistent with the principles and purposes of the UN Charter which calls or respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all States.
We strongly believe that reference to international investigation as a monitoring and investigative role of the OCHCR in operative paragraph 10 and signaling out the northern provincial for preferential treatment in operative paragraph 6 are clear violations of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka. Such a preferential focus is inconsistent with paragraph 9 of the current drat which reaffirms that all Sri Lankans are entitled to full enjoyment of their rights regardless of religion, belief or ethnicity. This highlights the inherent contradictions contained in this draft resolution.
Operative Paragraph 10 vests the OCHR with an investigative mandate in violation of HRC Resolution 60/251.
The OCHR does not have the capacity or the resources to do so as we have just heard from the Secretariat. The budgetary implications for the proposed mechanisms are also not clear. Due to the lack of clarity and the controls of the mandated activity in operational paragraph 10. Mandated activities need to be carried out through the regular budget. Specivity of mandated activity are a pre-requisite with regard to the budget. Again something we have just heard from the Secretariat and my delegation would like to know from where these funds will come because if these funds are to come from countries that have sponsored this Resolution it will obviously be seen as a process that will be tainted.
Mr. President operational paragraph 10 also introduces a time frame into the investigation of alleged violations through reference to the period covered by the LLRC which may be taken from 2002 to 2009. This timeframe however does not take into account the entire duration of the conflict which spanned 30 years and thereby excludes the atrocities and violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights laws committed by the LTTE terrorists prior to 2002. No inquiry can be justifiable and balanced without taking into account the entire duration of the conflict.
The allegation of the absence of a credible domestic process to address issues of accountability is not substantiated by evidence given the range of processes and their implementation within the framework of the reconciliation process including the LLRC of which the Council has been briefed in detail by the Sri Lanka delegation.
Mr. President, this Resolution is about politics not about human rights.
This Resolution is also a crass example of hypocrisy and double standards
It selectively targets the Government of Sri Lanka but fails to hold to account the LTTE terrorists who indulged in mass murder of innocent people for 30 years.
Moreover, the main sponsors of this Resolution are hardly in a position to hold Sri Lanka to account given their own track record of human rights violations. For more than a decade they have and continue to indulge in a consistent pattern of gross human rights violations including illegal renditions, incommunicado detentions, torture and extra judicial killings all behind the smokescreen of fighting terrorism.
While maintaining a conspiracy of silence over their own misdeeds these countries arrogate to themselves the right to sit in judgement over others.
This Council must therefore reject such duplicity.
For these Reasons, Mr. President and as the first step Pakistan calls for the deletion of operative paragraph 10 of this Resolution.
I thank you Mr. President.
Mr. Zamir Akram, head of Pakistan delegation to UNHRC
(Pakistan requested a vote on paragraph 10)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vv8tBNzo7M
We recall how the Sri Lankan cricket team toured Pakistan as a gesture of goodwill when the Indian cricket team pulled out of the Pakistan tour. The Sri Lankan Cricket team came under terror attack when the bus the cricketers were travelling were shot upon but the bus driver – Mehar Mohammad Khalil who became Sri Lanka’s hero, sped the bus with the cricketers to safety. M. Khalil and family were invited to Sri Lanka on a holiday and felicitated for his heroic gesture.
http://www.islandcricket.lk/blogs/hilal/mehar-mohammad-khalil-sri-lankan-hero
Sri Lankans must now pay similar gratitude towards another Pakistani who stood up for Sri Lanka in the international arena.
April 8th, 2014 at 12:18 pm
The author, Shenali as usual takes the “scatter gun-knee jerk” approach with very poor research and factual information.
Would it be an opportune time to facilitate Zamir Akram in Sri Lanka when the skin heads thugs at BBS are inciting as recently as this week, hatred towards the Muslim community?
The Sri Lankan cricket team toured Pakistan as a gesture of goodwill in 2009, against the advice of the ICC on security issues not because India pulled out of the Pakistan tour. (Shenali- when did you think India toured Pakistan?).
It was a quid pro quo.
I should know this because i was involved in securing the sponsorship to England and the Corporate Body i was involved with sponsored the Tour to England and co sponsor one of the IPL franchises.
Zimbabwe tour to England was cancelled. England invited Sri Lanka to replace Zimbabwe at short notice. The Tour dates to England clashed with IPL fixtures that was lucrative to the players. The players were hesitant to tour Pakistan (March 2009)following the report from the ICC on security issues. The SLC effectively gave an ultimatum and a carrot to the players- Tour Pakistan (against the wishes of the ICC) as a good will gesture, play the IPL and turn up late for the England Tour.
Think we all know the outcome of the ill fated Tour.
Shenali- yet another occasion when your facts and lack of research shows….
April 8th, 2014 at 12:41 pm
Thank you for writing this Shenali!
Yes, indeed Pakistan’s support in stark contrast to India’s lukewarm abstention, goes above and beyond the call of mere friendship, and DESERVES recognition from Sri Lanka’s Government and its People!
Gratitude distinguishes man from beast; Let us show our gratitude to Pakistan for their generous help in our hour of need!
April 8th, 2014 at 1:45 pm
Someone showing off his PETTY, MICRO, Tamil racist brain now suffering daily seizures after his organization was BANNED as a terrorist outfit.
Poor show, man! Get over it.
What SW says is FACTUALLY correct. Too bad you can’t handle the TRUTH.
April 8th, 2014 at 2:17 pm
Obama’s new york times and Cum-Moron’s UK guardian attack MODI.
MODI responds to them in twitter!!
“Tehelka, a weekly magazine, secretly videotapes senior police officers and politicians boasting about their roles in the 2002 killings — how they burned Muslim men, raped their wives and destroyed their homes.
The investigation renews focus on what role Mr. Modi might have played.
A B.J.P. politician says Mr. Modi had told him they had three days “to do whatever we could,” according to a transcript the magazine published the following month.
Mr. Modi dismisses the claims as politically motivated.”
– new York times
“A court rejects – 26-12-2013 a petition to prosecute Mr. Modi — filed by the widow of Mr. Jafri, who was killed during the 2002 rioting — saying there was insufficient evidence to prosecute him. This is the third time — in 2011, 2012 and 2013 — that Mr. Modi has been exonerated by Supreme Court panels.
The manner in which the investigation was conducted has been contentious.
Mr. Modi welcomed the news on Twitter:
सत्यमेव जयते! Truth alone triumphs.”
– new York times
Hindu-Muslim riots again!! SL Hindus and SL Muslims are blood relatives of Endian Hindus and Muslims. So Endian riots will spread to SL Hindus and Muslims too.
This is very dangerous.
April 8th, 2014 at 3:25 pm
FINALLY The war against Tamil terrorism both by the military and by diplomacy is being won by Colombo. Pakistan and many other nations including China and Russia have come out and taken a stand against the cabal of Western nations who have a long list of horrors perpetrated upon nations and its people for centuries while they use the UNHRC to dictate geopolitical issues.
This is also a strong indicator that the shift of power from the Western world to the Eastern world is paying rewards. All it takes is for nations like Pakistan to Sri Lanka to stand up to the blatant hypocrisy of the Western world and not give an inch. In the same manner of defeating the Tamil terror wrought upon Sri Lanka for 30 years with the explicit support of India, to the Tamil Diaspora, Sri Lanka should equally stand up and fight against the diplomatic war waged to date against Sri Lanka by the same group of thugs in the Tamil Diaspora and in New Delhi.
The Sri Lankan war against Tamil terrorism was not won by words, peace talks or negotiations. It was won by the immense sacrifice of the Sri Lankan military in confronting and defeating the Tamil Tigers on their own terms. Now the tide is changing on the Tamil Diaspora and the number of nations that hosted them, fully aware of their nefarious and ulterior motives. NO MORE!!. These nations ranging from the UK, US, Canada to a whole list of other nations ending with India have to now be accountable for hosting these vermin pro LTTE supporters and their poisonous political lobbying for that “pound of flesh” to be exacted from Sri Lanka for defeating their cause.
April 8th, 2014 at 3:54 pm
The Pakistan Lion roared at the UNHRC and did not mince his words or couch them in diplomatic niceties. He said what has to the said. Even the Sri Lankan delegation did not have the courage to roar like how the Head of the Pakistan Delegation to the UNHCR Mr Zamir Akram did. Shenali is dead right. We need to invite him to Sri Lanka and felicitate Pakistan and Mr Zamir Akram personally for his and his country’s outright courage and conviction that the “Big Show” and Hollow Victory for the US sponsored resolution is nothing but hypocrisy and double standards.
What India did is out of self preservation and in her own selfish interests. There is nothing more to read into their action this time at the UNHCR. India knows that the ultimate objective is to bifurcate Sri Lanka and if that happens balkanisation of India is not far behind.
Pakistan like China and Russia, is our all weather friend and we must show our gratitude in no small measure.
April 8th, 2014 at 4:33 pm
What if Pakistan silently abstained?
They could have.
We should see the DIFFERENCE between NOT VOTING and ACTUALLY VOTING for SL.
April 8th, 2014 at 4:43 pm
Ratnapala, Lorenzo,
Very true and fully agreed. Our buggers have no nuclear weapons, nor balls to be straight.
Buddha said one has to be not only straight but very straight ( ujuuch, suujucha in Karaniyametta sutta).
Our fools want Sri Lankans to be ” grateful ” for stupid politicians who plays with hero’s lives to gain votes and security for their families.
Only a few patriots feel this “gratefulness” towards true heroes and true friends like Pakistan.
April 8th, 2014 at 4:45 pm
Yes. India’s silence made them happier than fierce support form Pakistan.
April 8th, 2014 at 5:01 pm
One more issue. Sri Lanka should get the help of Pakistan to procure the begging bowl of the Buddha from Afghanistan. Currently India is working with Kabul to acquire this priceless Buddhist relic. But Pakistan has a lot of influence with Kabul and relationships between Kabul and Washington D.C. is fractious at best. This places India in an odd situation since India is a strong ally of the US.
Hindu India already has the most priceless Buddhist relic, the Kapilavastu relic. Sri Lanka along with Pakistan should place the reason why Sri Lanka the oldest unbroken Buddhist nation in the world should deserve to procure the begging bowl of the Buddha.
If Sri Lanka achieves to procure this priceless Buddhist relic it could be housed in a new Vihara in Kandy overlooking the Dalada Maligawa. Time is of the essence as India is putting a lot of pressure to get this relic.