CHANDRIKA KUMARATUNGA JUSTIFIES INDIA FOR VOTING AGAINST SRI LANKA AT THE UNHRC MEETING IN GENEVA
Posted on April 11th, 2012
By Walter Jayawardhana
Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s former President Chandrika Kumaratunga has justified India for voting against Sri Lanka at the United NationƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva recently.
In an interview with a Press Trust of India correspondent in New Delhi she said there must have been ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-justifiable reasonsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ for IndiaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s voting at the council meeting.
The former President .who has fell out with the current incumbent of the office in Colombo said IndiaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s move in Geneva was not a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-let downƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ and she felt ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-justifiable reasonsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ helped India take the decision.
The 66 year old Ms. Kumaratunga, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ who ruled the island nation for 11 years from 1994, also charged ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the Mahinda Rajapaksa government of not fulfilling the promises made to India and other ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-friendly countriesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ with regard to addressing the political grievances of minority Tamils.
Herself a victim of the bloodshed unleashed by the LTTE for nearly three decades and having survived an assassination bid with serious injuries, the former leader of the now ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party feels the vote will not have any impact on India-Sri Lanka relations.
ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-I don’t think it was a matter of letting down. India has supported us for a long time, not only this government, but many governments of Sri Lanka. It has been very supportive,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ she told PTI in the interview during a private visit to India.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Ms. Kumaratunga, who fell out with President Rajapaksa during the 2010 presidential polls, was asked about the generally prevailing Sri Lankan view that the Indian vote was a let-down.
ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-India had voted in favour of the U.S.-sponsored resolution at the United Nations Human Rights Council on May 23 that censured Sri Lanka for alleged human rights violations during the war with the LTTE.
ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-There has been criticism in Sri Lanka over the Indian vote with Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris saying that domestic compulsions forced its hand while Power Minister Champika Ranawaka has been more vocal raking up other issues against New Delhi.
ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Ms. Kumaratunga said: ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-India [even] supported the Government of Sri Lanka in another U.N. resolution in Geneva two years ago. So, for India having changed its mind this time, there may have been some justifiable reasons. India has been asking the Government of Sri Lanka to give a political solution.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ Asked whether non-fulfilling of promises by Sri Lanka might have forced India to vote against it, Ms. Kumaratunga said: ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-It could have. India also has its own domestic compulsions like every other country.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚
ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-This is the first public comment by Ms. Kumaratunga on India’s vote.
ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-She acknowledged that India had supported Sri Lanka under ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-difficult circumstancesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ and provided aid to the country for several years.
ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-The former President also said the Sri Lankan government should see the end of the LTTE as a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-window of opportunityƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ and address the political solution that would satisfy minority Tamils.
ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-India and many others have been [telling Sri Lanka to] give a political settlement to Tamil people and the government has publicly promised India. But they don’t seem to have kept those promises,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ she said.
April 11th, 2012 at 3:16 pm
I think Sri Lankan voters regret voting CBK to become the Sri Lankan president.
April 11th, 2012 at 5:23 pm
Ungrateful former President Chandrika Kumaratunga still enjoying tax payers money should keep her bloody mouth shat . According to Sunday Leader Newspaper sometime years ago Dr. Mervin Silva had made a entry at Cinnamon Garden Police station about CK favorites. Also Mr. Victor Ivon had given her a good character certificate in his book.
April 11th, 2012 at 5:25 pm
Ungrateful former President Chandrika Kumaratunga still enjoying tax payers money should keep her bloody mouth shat . According to Sunday Leader Newspaper sometime years ago Dr. Mervin Silva had made a entry at Cinnamon Garden Police station about CK favorites. Mr. Victor Ivon had given her a good character certificate in his book.
April 11th, 2012 at 6:03 pm
Bandit woman has no business to talk of Sri Lankan affairs when her two children disowned the Sri Lankan nationality. But this rouge woman keep on robbing the public purse as usual. Who paid her fares to India? The woman who has no self respect keep on fleesing the natives. In Sri Lanka’s political history, such a leader who robbed the taxpayer’s money in un imaginable proportion is not born. Where did she invest her Air Lanka deal mountain of dollars? Part of it is in Australia and the other part in UK. Balapatabendi knows it better. Why did chandirika appoint Balapatabendi as the Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner in Australia? As the caretaker of her state in Australia? This rouge woman must be skinned alive or stoned to death. A thradha woman I saw in my life.
April 11th, 2012 at 6:14 pm
Well, Chandrika ruled the country for 11 years. While she was president, her mother served as prime minister. Her friend Ranil was opposition leader. Still she couldn’t successfully bring a solution about the ethnic problem. How could she expect the present government could solve all the problems the county faces now? At least President Rajapakse , as he had promised to the nation, was successful in eliminating the biggest challenge the country faced. The elimination of the LTTE militarily. These upper class, elites never worry about the sufferings of the common mass but their own fading vain glory. Three years is too short a time for things to settle down after thirty years of bloody war.
April 11th, 2012 at 6:21 pm
People sure regret voting for this dirt.
Her PA won less than 50% vote at the 1994 GE. A few thousand votes less in a couple of districts would have made Gamini Dissanayaka the PM and at the next PE he would have won.
Now this bitchh is telling India, (please excuse me moderators for using this word but in the English language this is the BEST word to describe this trecherous woman. It is not considered a filthy word in classical and modern English.)
“Look here. I’m good at poltiical solutions. So make me the SL president once again. I will do WHATEVER India says. Remember I was in the ONLY group in 1987 that supported the JR-Rajiv Pact? How many love letters I shared with VP?”
This great window of opportunity should NOT be WASTED on political solutions. It should be BEST used for development.
April 11th, 2012 at 6:25 pm
She tells India.
“Look here. I’m very good at poltiical solutions. Remember the PACKAGE? We were the ONLY group in SL that HAILED the JR-Rajiv pact in 1987. Remember? I regularly shared love letters with VP and brought Norway into the thing. So help me become the president again I will do WHATECER India dictates.”
This great window of opportunity should NOT be WASTED on political solutions. It should be BEST used for development.
April 11th, 2012 at 7:57 pm
Someone driving pass the Horogolla memorial the other day had heard two eerie voices groaning….’Chandrika, please shut up so that we can rest in peace’
April 11th, 2012 at 8:11 pm
We all know that ChandrikaK didn’t leave politics voluntarily as she likes portray but was forced out. For one thing, if not for the Supreme Court ruling, she would have ruled Sri Lanka one more year against wishes of the vast majority of people.
In my opinion, she is the most corrupt leader ever in Sri Lanka. Though Victor Ivan is not my favourite political analyst or pressman, I have no question about his integrity. So as many a commentator suggest here one may read his book named ‘Bandit Queen’/‘Chaurawa Rajina’ as an unbias fact book to learn the truth about ChandrikaK and her rule.
Another point; Chandrika is a liar. She didn’t fell out of Rajapakse in 2010, she never wanted Rajapakse to be her party’s candidate in the first place. Not only she opposed Rajapakse and his ‘Mahinda Chintanaya’ at 2005 elections but also opposed Eelam war 1V in every way she could.
If Chandrika thinks she is popular for her good governance and Rajapakse is unpopular because he is corrupt and dictatorial, now that there is no term limit, she should be able contest the next presidential election and win. We are sure her buddy Man-gala would do the needful to nominate her as the UNP candidate. RanilW would like it for he knows he stay as the leader of the opposition.
Leela
April 11th, 2012 at 11:39 pm
Damn, Shame that Tigers did not finish this woman, we are still suffering and loosing money on her maintenance
April 12th, 2012 at 12:38 am
Andyd,
The same applies to Jayalalitha akka in TN who only a few years ago was hiding from LTTE death threats. She was pleading for bodyguards from Karunanidhi who was only too happy to ignore her abject pleas.
Clearly, both of them must have lost their short term memories due to advanced Alzheimers, now that those killers have been taken care of by the MR-GOSL.
Jayalalitha is now pandering to the rump-LTTE in TN to gain popularity by beating the drums of Tamil Racism, thinking she can control the holocaust she will help unleash.
I fully expect Jayalalitha to end up wearing a fashionable glass eye ball as well … if she is lucky enough to survive.
April 12th, 2012 at 2:39 am
I agree with most of the repondents, that she belongs to the category like the ELDERS who advised Sri Lanka, against the Govt. offensive.
They are corupt & seeking some form of redemption from what is left of UNP & other goons. Many still dispise her/Ranil
(Anglican with many croxxes against him, incuding his orientation) for giving 2/3 of the country just keep their jobs.
Bye Bye Chandrika K, you have done enough damage already now trying to help India to carry out their propaganda. It is time to retire in the true sense and attend Temples or do some volunteer work. The Pearly gate keeper is waiting for you.
Thank you…for the opportunity to respond……….~ Gamunu, retd Engr~ Canada
April 12th, 2012 at 6:03 am
CBK herself is seen by us as caught in various webs of history that were beyond her control. She herself lost her father and husband, both politicians, to assassins, and herself narrowly escaped death through an ltte assassin.
A rather long write up, attempting to sum up matters involving CBK. Please bear with me.
Could someone tell us why Mrs Sirimavo Bandaranaike, when she was PM of Sri Lanka, massacred the JVP of that time ? This act set in motion the sad scars of class divide and pain, felt even today. No one apologised to the JVP that talks were not held with them then when the first rumblings of discontent were heard and recorded through Police intelligence, way back in the 1970s. The JVP was allowed to grow and then became an uncontrolled force bent on angry acts of violence. They were levelled by Mrs B’s govt. after the JVP acts of violence. Who advised Mrs B. to act thus ? If the rumblings were addressed right from the start, perhaps the worst of the violence might have been avoided ? We can only speculate.
Going to the beginnings of the JVP troubles, it was, we think, mostly a negative off shoot of the some 500 yrs of Colonial rule. Before Colonial rule, there was a system in place, with a king and Rajakariya, with a Buddhistic backdrop to ruling, though with a general intolerance to dissent. After Colonial rule, we were left with Democracy and a lop sided society of the westernised, seen as ‘haves’ in Colombo vs rural masses, perceiving themselves as the neglected ‘have nots’. Have Lankans even today, got used to the Democratic system and how to use it wisely ? We think not. For instance, does the Lankan voter think of the welfare of the whole country when casting a vote or do they think only of themselves and the immediate area, blindly following the dictats of some politico ? How can citizens of this country call themselves ‘Sri Lankan’ unless they are loyal to this whole, undivided country ? Democracy requires a well educated public with savvy politicians, loyal to the country.
And did the 1983 Riots have to happen ?
The other problem is illegal migration from Tamil Nadu. The question why hundreds of thousands flee Tamil Nadu to end up in Sri Lanka has not yet been posed at Parliament level. The ltte was first formed to stop Caste discrimination in the North. Various Tamil leaders swung the problem around with the call for ‘Separatism’ (Eelam) to unite the Tamils, with the Vaddukoddai Resolution call to violence. This in turn created troubles with successive GoSLs and has now ended up at international level. Tamil Economic Refugees (TERs) abroad, together with the ltte, have created a situation through lies, cheat & deceit, cornering the GoSL. CBK & Ranil W. inviting the Norwegians into Lanka to solve the ‘Tamil problem’ unfortunately, only to empower and grow the ltte even more, and they made the situation much worse.
As far I know, only the JRJ govt. openly addressed the problem of illegal migration from Tamil Nadu, through an Army unit called TAFFAI. It was successful for that time in curbing illegal migration, but with the ltte in control of the N&E Tamil illegal migrants poured in again. At present, we think other ways of entering the country may have been devised such as through tourism, investing in businesses, fishermen, ferry services, NGOs, religious bodies, etc. We have to close as many loop holes as possible, and deport previous illegal migrants from Lanka. Tamil illegal migrants into Lanka only gives more hopes of Eelam to Tamil leaders. Tamil people ought to be encouraged to go back to Tamil Nadu. Making the North multi-ethnic is imperative.
I doubt if CBK identified any of the main problems such as illegal migration, and therein lies her weakness. May be she has learnt her lessons, but she has sufferd enough and ought to keep out of politics, or work with the GoSL, not hinder progress. On the part of GoSLs now and future, less dependency on Tamil labor, the better. The answer lies in mechanisation of tea plucking and other tea estate labor, where others too can do the work and will not depend on Tamil labor.
April 12th, 2012 at 6:18 am
Hey you mad woman TRAITOR! WHAT ARE TAMIL GRIEVANCES??? You Bxxxxy woman was in power for 11 yrs,WHY DIDN’T YOU DEFEAT LTTE TERRORISM AND SOLVE THIS TAMILS SO CALLED GRIEVANCES???
April 12th, 2012 at 6:53 am
We are the bloody fools not to have given the woman another 11 years to solve the problems. The woman is in the pay roll of RAW. Watch out for this woman who is capable of selling you and me like what she did to Air Lanka. Her two B….y children who disowned the Sri Lankan citizenship must not forget that they are living in luxury at the expence of the Sri Lankan Tax Payers. CBK and the two bludgers must learn the meaning of DITTA DHAMMA VEDI AKUSALAKARMAYA. Onething is for sure that they will rot in hell.
April 12th, 2012 at 12:09 pm
Stanley, you re 100% correct! “DITTA DHAMMA VEDI AKUSALAKARMAYA. Onething is for sure that they will rot in hell.”
Already we can see how the UNPers,JVPers & DNAs are strugling for their TREACHEROUS ACTS.
U REAP WHAT U SOW!!!
April 12th, 2012 at 1:54 pm
Chaps, can you imagine if this stupid CBK had wanted one of her whining cry baby brats to get into politics? Imagine our fate if they had followed mater’s misrule with another fiasco. Imagine a grown man crying on the phone with mommy saying he is ashamed of his birthright. If this plonker had been the President, all fat Velu had to do was say ‘Boo’ and the fellow would have burst into tears.
Cheers!
April 12th, 2012 at 4:56 pm
She was the president for 11 years. What political solution did she give?
She came to power vowing to root out corruption and terror. She achieved just the oppositte.
May be she wants to follow the footsteps of Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton or Nelson Mandela. She may not know where she stands.
Fran Diaz:
The problem of illegal immigration is much worse than you can imagine. Thankfully there are numbers for some colonial periods. Even that is not available for modern illegal immigration!
April 12th, 2012 at 7:40 pm
Indian Congress is surrounded by the fascism of Tamil Nadu, Jammu & kashmir, Odisha ( Orissa ), and so on like ticking bombs.
Having a ticking bomb off the Northern Coast of the island, Sri Lanka has got all the reasons to be vigilant from this type of back stabbing and biased politics from the interior as well as from the exterior ..
April 13th, 2012 at 5:55 am
Please permit me to digress from CBK to Illegal Migrants & Tea plucking machines.
Our concerns are that the problem of illegal migrants has not received any wide publicity in the local press, particularly in the Sinhala & Tamil media, or for that matter in the English media.
Illegal migrants come into Lanka fleeing mostly places like Tamil Nadu. They are traumatised by caste discrimination of thousands of years in those places. Has Lanka the facilities to look after emotionally damaged people such as these folk ? Our authorities and people are sleeping – they don’t know what they are up against !
Illegal migrants are fodder for Separatists political organisations like the TNA plus those with hidden agendas against Lanka. Separatism is inevitable as Tamil numbers increase.
The latest may be that entry into Lanka is made in the guise of Pilgrims. Sita Matha Temple upcountry has suddenly been established (strange, after thousands of years after the Rama/Sita legend), and even Kataragama may be the initial destination. Our authorities will allow all this, in the name of tourism and business. How sincere are these ventures ? Just a few days ago, there was an article in the Lankaweb by Walter Jayawardhana, that the Madhya Pradesh state government is paying folks there to come to Lanka as pilgrims to visit the Sita Matha Temple upcountry ! Do these pilgrims go back ?
If Lankan authorities think they are getting cheap Tamil labor, they are mistaken. The cost of wars later to counter Separatism via Terrorism far outweighs the cost of tea plucking machines to do the work in a tea estate. ANYONE CAN OPERATE THESE TEA MACHINES. See web site for pictures of these machines :
(1) http://www.google.com/search?q=tea+plucking+machines&hl=en&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENUS298&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=HxSIT_bTMIn9ggfs5sjSCQ&ved=0CG8QsAQ&biw=1344&bih=635
(2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2POQUb-3sCM
There are many more articles on the internet on tea machines, together with details where to purchase these machines. These tea machines are now widely used all over the worlds tea gardens.
In Sri Lanka’s tea gardens, around 300,000 tea pluckers work EVERY DAY TO PLUCK TWO LEAVES & A BUD. Actually, we think there are many more people than this number plucking tea, as no one can pluck tea 7 days a week, the year around. So Lanka is very dependent on Tamil labor to do this task. This is where illegal migrants come in. They entered the country via the Mannar Route and find their way into the Upcountry, and then again disappear into the other cities and areas of Lanka. Now the latest rouse to enter Lanka may be Pilgrimages, Ferry rides, fishermen, etc.
Is dividing our country along Ethnic lines worth it, just to get a few dollars more for better tea in the world market ? !! For that seems to be what is happening to ignorant Sri Lanka.
Please send in comments on this view of the Separatists matter which affects us all on a daily basis, now at international level.
April 13th, 2012 at 4:59 pm
“On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I am delighted to send best wishes to Sri Lankans around the world as you celebrate Sinhala and Tamil New Year.” says Hillary Clinton, who no doubt will follow this up with a few additional WAR CRIMES resolutions against Sri Lanka to promote her goodwill towards us.
Sanctimonious Hypocrite!
The $-value of ALL direct US Aid to Sri Lanka in 2011 was less than $25 million, compared to over $2500 million from China. The BULK of that $25 million was for pseudo-political activities designed to promote the US agenda and destabilize the country.
The primary utility of the US to Sri Lanka was as a MARKET for Sri Lankan products, such as textiles.
When the US is prepared to help Sri Lanka in a SUBSTANTIAL & MEANINGFUL WAY, building universities and technical schools, renewable energy power plants, advanced medical centers, state-of-the art airports, expressways, canals, dams and reservoirs, high technology manufacturing plants, etc as CHINA does, abandoning the current FOCUS on setting up 5th columns to UNDERMINE Sri Lanka from within, and demolish the peace and security we have achieved at great cost in lives and treasure … then we should talk again.
Until then, Sri Lanka should BLOCK all moves by the US to destabilize Sri Lanka under the cover of promoting “democracy”, and “human rights”, through activities of USAID, the Peace Corps, and support to politically oriented NGOs.
Can US Policies change? Yes, they can, if a new US Govt without the likes of Hillary Clinton at the helm arises after the November, 2012 Presidential elections.
During the George W. Bush era, we had neoconservative ideologues and born-again evangelists beating the drums of war against imaginary axes-of-evil. Now, we have liberal ideologues destabilizing emerging nations under the pretext of promoting democracy and human rights. The net result is the same: the destruction of central authority in developing nations, the pitting of their constituents communities against each other, and the transfer of power to undemocratic extremists, setting back their economic progress by perhaps a decade or two, and contrary to their expectations, the frustration of neocolonialist hopes that they can profit from the rise of pro-Western puppet regimes.
It is gradually beginning to dawn on many American citizens that US interference in the internal affairs of many countries across the globe, under various PRETEXTS including “nuclear security”, “democracy” and “human rights”, is not yielding the desired results, but is only sowing the wind with the seeds of new enmities that may reap a painful whirlwind for the United States in the not too distant future.
It is time for the United States to STOP its aggressive interventions in foreign countries, and instead, assist them economically to uplift their peoples …. like China does. Failure to do so, will only yield UNSUSTAINABLE commitments to conflicts that could BANKRUPT the United States.
……..
US looking forward to support Sri Lanka’s national reconciliation and development
April 13th, 2012 at 5:07 pm
Ananda,
Why not support Ron-Paul. Where is the website “Ex Sri Lankans for Ron-Pual” ?
April 13th, 2012 at 10:23 pm
Dham,
Unfortunately, Ron Paul has no hope of winning!
April 14th, 2012 at 8:20 pm
The Bandas that pretend to promote the interests of the masses (for electoral reasons) are really more at home hobnobbing with “elites” in London and New Delhi than with their voter base in Sri Lanka. The voters for the former SLFP regimes of the Bandas, must be feeling very cheated now.