By Charles.S.Perera

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is strange thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  an ineffective UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon , submissive to the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-powerfulƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ , who lacked imagination to seek for the UNO an independent path of excellence in dispute management of its Member States, is being propelled back into the seat ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  leadership for a second period.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The coming years promise yet another period ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ of UNOƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s descent into another insignificant period of existence as an Organization expected to maintain peace in the world , but incapable to negotiate to stop political confrontations between Member States, stop interference by the powerful Member States into the affairs of ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sovereign Member States of developing countries, and ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ incompetent to forestall the International Community ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ aiding and abetting ,interposingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  their own Organizations- like the NATO to destabilize and destroyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  other Member Sovereign States on the pretext of aiding rebels forces to dispose of ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ruling governments , orƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  governments not obedient to theirƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  dictates.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sri Lanka, should under ordinary circumstances should have been the first to have opposed Ban Ki MoonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s re-election as the UN Secretary General.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  But however undeserving seems the support of the Government of Sri Lanka to Ban Ki Moon, we have to bow downƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  as the ways of diplomacy is difficult to imagine.

However,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  true to UNƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s unaccountable inefficacy is its Commissioner of Human Rights, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ a Tamil womanƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Navineetham Pillay, who ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ favouring her ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-kindƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ -the terrorist sympathizing Tamil LTTE diaspora has thought it appropriate toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚«ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ warn Sri Lanka not to take too long in probing war crimes allegations, saying failure to carry out a credible inquiry could lead to international action.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚», which she hopes would come with the Sanction of theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  UN Security Council, as it is happening in Libya.

As usual UNHCHR Navi Pillay, working under the stewardship ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Ban Ki Moon , who sees only the human rights violations in Sri Lanka, removed from the Agenda, the ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ BharainƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s case of torture and ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ human rights violations which was included to be taken up at theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  last Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva on 4 June,2011, despiteƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  as reports sayƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  that , ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦.The Islamic Human Rights Commission held an emergency meeting at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva to discuss the crisis in Bahrain.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The rights group urged the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, to send a fact-finding mission to Bahrain to investigate abuses.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚».

But she conveniently turned a deaf ear toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the call of the BharainƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s rights group, andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  turns to Sri Lanka to ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ makes a strong statement as if to satisfy her ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-pay mastersƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

She had said , that “ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦There is now a high level of expectations expressed by member states that Sri Lanka should seriously inquire into these allegations of prisoner executions and assaults. But this should not be an open-ended process,” . She had stressed that a previous Sri Lankan internal inquiry “failed to complete its task, never published its report and never led to a single prosecution.”, and warned, “If that should be the case again, there is an intention for the international community to take further action. I certainly believe that the Human Rights Council should actively consider this matter.”

These are very strong words indeed.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It must be giving her a great pleasure of importance to command the Government of Sri Lanka in these termsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  expecting it to accept them without a whimper.

What really is wrongƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  with Navineetham Pillay, and the other Western interferers ? Are they blind and ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ deafƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  or are they ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in another planet, not to see or hear of the on going unpitying massacres taking place ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in Libya ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  warn NATO toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  stop immediately itsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  war crimes in Libya ?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

In Sri Lanka an efficient Government with ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ a well organizedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  action plan had divided the tasks of the elimination of the thirty year old terrorists menace, and carrying out at the same time infrastructure development projects betweenƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the Armed forces and the civil administration.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Its Armed Forces successfully eliminated the ruthless terrorism, whileƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  many infrastructure projects wereƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  successfully carried out in the South and in the areas liberated from the terrorists in the North by the civil administration.

In the mean time, considerable effort is underway, for the reconciliation of the different communities and settle the internally displaced people in the North and the East. The Armed Forces now relieved from their military functions are deployedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  to carry out ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ both technical and agricultural development projects .ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

The Government has despite itsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  large human, material and financial losses made considerable progress in creation of employment and economic developments bringing the country from a developing status to a middle income country status showing a 8 percent economic growth. Sri Lanka is now one of theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  fast developing countriesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  in the world.

But when the country awakened ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ after ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ a thirty years of suffering under a ruthless terrorism that kept the country backward and under developed , and began to advance with its progressive development projects, another ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-terrorismƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ , in the form of a UN Secretary Generals Investigation Panel accusing Sri Lanka for crimes in the process of elimination of terrorism, Navi PillayƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s warningsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  and threats, andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  constant ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-barkingƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ of the Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International et al ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to revive the terrorism in Sri Lanka with the help of the terrorist front Organizations of the Sri Lanka LTTE diaspora,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  is barring its progress.

This threat of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- international terrorism of sorts ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- coming from the West threatening to take Sri Lanka- the only country that was able to free itself ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  a terrorism that had eaten into its ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-fleshƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” before ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ a war tribunal, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ accused for war crimes in theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  course of the elimination of terrorism ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and threatening it with dire consequences , ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- if such inquiries are not carried out,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  and warningƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  of theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ intention of the international community to take further action, is indeed a case of flogging a dead horse.

It is past history that the UNHCHR and the rest of the International Community are trying to rake up while countless number of Civilians are being killedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  every day in Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan by the very people forcing Sri Lanka to leave aside its development projects and reconciliation efforts, to inquire intoƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  its past which it has finished with.

Instead ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  wasting her time with Sri Lanka and its past, UNHCHR Navi Pillai should now investigate into what is happening inƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  LibyaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  today. Libya is the present ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-killingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Field of the NATO Forces.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ . The UNSecurity Council only sanctioned the control of air space over Libya.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  But the Americans, French, UK, and Canadian armed forces not only continue relentless bombardments, but UK, France and Italy have sent military liaison officers to support the rebel army on the ground in Libya.

Two days ago France even dropped arms to rebels ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- making it the first countryƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  to announce that it has armed rebel forcesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  What are the Members of the UN Security Council waiting forƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  without stopping further massacres in Libya in an unsanctioned war by the NATO Forces ?

John.F. Burns reports in International Herald Tribune of theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  22^nd June,2011 that two senior officers of the British Forces have warned Cameron ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- that the British ForcesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  will come under heavyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  strain if the air operationsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  continue indefinitelyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  to which Cameron had quipped ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- you do the fightingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  and IƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ll do the talking.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

The report reads, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-.. OriginallyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  envisaged as lastingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  weeks rather than months , the air campaign is now into itsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  forth month.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ has seen NATO conductƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  nearly 12,000 air missions over Libya about one third of themƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  involving strikes by bombs or missilesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

Further on in the report it is stated ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦in recent days by two NATO strikes that,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  for the first time since NATO took over command of theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  air operations from the United StatesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  on March, 31, appeared to have caused significant number of civilian casualties.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The first of those strikes , in the early hours of Sunday, struck what Libyan Officials said was an apartment buildingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  in Tripoli, killing nine people, includingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  women and children.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  NATOƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  issued a statementƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  acknowledgingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  that ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- one weaponƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ intended for a military missile site had missed its target as a result of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- a weapons system failureƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ and regretting the civilian loss of life.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

Well United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  doƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢nt you think, that you have got your priorities wrong ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in trying to repeatedly flog Sri Lanka for a successful military operation thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  eliminated terrorism two years agoƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  threatening to take its Armed Forces to a military tribunal for war crimes , while you ignore the massacre of ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ civilians almost every day in Libya ?