Please Mr.President Tamara Kunanayakam’s place is in Geneva and should not be removed elsewhere to satisfy whims and fancies of others.
Posted on May 4th, 2012
by Charles.S.Perera
If the Ambassador in Geneva Ms.Tamara Kunanayakam is to be removed from Geneva now it would be a great injustice.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sri Lanka in such a move will have much to loose.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Tamara Kunanayakam had brilliantly demonstrated of what calibre she is made in defending Sri Lanka against the most unconcerned violator of human rights and war criminals the United States of America paradoxically of President Barack Obama, man who presented himselfƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ as one who had been working for the underpriveldged poor Americans and stood for justice and against war.
Sri Lanka has been falsely accused for the sake of a few million dollars coming from the pro-Terrorist ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-TamilsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ for Obama ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ campaign, by the American State Department, for ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ discriminating against the minority Tamils and for killingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Tamil civilians during the last phase of the elimination of terrorists.
In that campaign of false hood, engaging the UK Channel 4 to ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- prepareƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ false evidence, the symbolic contradiction of that falsehood was the presence of our Ambassador to Geneva Tamara Kunanayakam coming from the very Tamil Community Sri Lanka is being accused of denying their rights as citizens along side the Sinhala majority.
If Tamara Kunanayakam is removed now itƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ would be the greatest weakness of this government who is unable to use appropriate personalities to counter attack false accusations levelled at it.
We see howƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ USA is using every available materialƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ turning it to a seemly evidence for accusing a sovereign state.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ For instance AmericaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ had been for long using Aung San Suu Kyl against the Burmese government, and now using the Blind Chinese dissident Chen from Shandong province who is supposed to have campaignedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ against forced abortions under ChinaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- one Child ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ policy, as a means to accuse the Chinese Government for violation of human rights.
And we unfortunately are unable to use our own Ambassador who did not mince her words in attacking the falsehood of AmericanƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ accusations levelled at her motherland, her country Sri Lanka, as a symbol of the Governments treatment of all its citizens without distinction of colour, race, or language.
The presence ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Tamara Kunanayakam as the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Geneva ridicules the TNAƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s accusation against the Government of Sri Lanka that it ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ denies the Tamils their rights and aspirations.
If the Defence Ministry ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sri Lanka wants to make Tamara Kunanayakam aƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ scapegoat to escape from the responsibility of the failure to have lost the battle against the American Resolution against Sri Lanka, the reason for the debacle is to be found else where.
The choice of the Sri Lanka delegatesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ for the 19th Session of the Human Rights Council was wrong and not made with any foresight of the end result.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Minster of External Affairs Professor G.L.Peiris should have been given his rightful place to lead the Delegation.
The Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe was a wrong choice, his only qualification seems to be his ability to articulate well.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ But that is not what was necessary at the Council. Professor G.L.Peiris mayƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ not be a forceful speaker but he is able to present his case more appropriately, more convincinglyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and with confidence.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ He was relegated to the back seat in the Council.
Mahinda Samarasinghe was out there to get the credit if the American Resolution was defeated.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ If he was the GovernmentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s choice why could not it have been Dayan Jayatilleke or Rajiva Wijesinghe.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Either of them could have done a better job than Mahinda Samarasinghe.
What was Shenuka SeneviratneƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ doing their in Geneva and to what extent was her contribution, if there was any useful to the Delegation? ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ She must have been Mahinda SeneviratneƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s choice, and may have been present to destabilise Tamara Kunanayakam. A better choiseƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ would have been Dr. Shudharshini Fernandupulle
The correct person to have presented the arguments against the resolution at the lastƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ session at which the voting was taken should have been the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Geneva Her Excellency Tamara Kunanayakam and not the Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ She was a forceful speaker, she was sincere, determined, and had a convincing way of presenting the facts against the American resolution.
Tamara KunanayakamƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ is one of our Sri Lankan Tamils- a woman we could all be proud of. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Why should she be sacrificed ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ when the causeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ for the loss of the resolution is to be foundƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ else where ?
It was carefully prepared by India .ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ India was sure that Sri Lanka was going to win and India knew that some member states were still undecided which way to vote.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ India also knew that those member States ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ could be made to abstain from voting by an appropriate diplomatic move by India.
It was at the precise moment India declared its intention to vote with America.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ If India waitedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ till the last minute toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ vote in favour of the American resolution , the member states who were wavering would have already voted against the resolution, hence India declared its intention to vote against Sri LankaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ wellƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in advanced.
We lost because of the back stabbing of India and not because of Tamara Kunanayakam.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is in the interest of the Government to give credit to all Sri Lankans for their efforts without discriminating against race, colour, or religion.
Therefore the President should intervene without delay in the case of the Ambassador Tamara Kunanayakam before an administratrive error is committed in the External Affairs Ministry to transfer Tamara Kunanaykam out of Geneva.
If she were to continue to work in Geneva she will be a more mature and a clever diplomat later, an ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ asset to Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council when China and Russia, two of our friends, have completed their terms.
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May 4th, 2012 at 1:35 pm
Shenuka Seneviratne may be Mahinda Seneviratne’s choice. But We knew Shenuka’s capability when she was out in London. Whole of England became pro-LTTE during her period. We all knew she was good at looking after Rajapakse boys, but nothing more than that.
May 4th, 2012 at 3:47 pm
Removing Tamara Kunanayakam would be a great injustice. During the UNHRC vote on Sri Lanka, her contribution was invaluable. She stood for reason and dignity, her contribution to counter US-India-LTTE remnants was forthright and dignified. She was the face of Sri Lanka in Geneva and we should be proud of it.
May 4th, 2012 at 3:59 pm
I agree, the sate Department in SL is a mess. Lot of embiclies are trying to get appontment without qualification. Ambassador in US shouldbe removed. 4 Americans are employedin SLemabassy in US. Onlyone qualified foreign service employee there. Huge waste ofmoney
May 4th, 2012 at 4:37 pm
Tamara was the ONLY useful person in Geneva. All the others were Indian bootylickers. India and USA are FURIOUS about the allegations she made and her attempts to bring transparency to UNHRC. So they and the Dayan J henchmen want her out.
TNA obviously wants her out because that “muddies the waters” about Tamil “grievances”.
Government is trying to please TNA-LTTE-India-NGO-Dayan (13 amendment) crowd.
A disaster.
May 4th, 2012 at 4:59 pm
Remove Mahinda Samarasinghe, not Tamara !This is absurd and going from bad to worse.
May 4th, 2012 at 5:02 pm
GoSL must remove Mara-Singh and GULP not Tamara who did an excellent job at the UNHRC. Gulp and Mara-Singh became the decoys of RAW and Hillary. The duo are ungrateful, untrustworthy and unreliable. When are they going to cross over again. Tamara must take GLP’s place and not that bafoon Mara-Singh.
May 5th, 2012 at 4:30 am
Seems the time has come for a complete revamp of the foreign office. It’s a shame and a big mistake to remove Tamara from Geneva at this juncture,which might come to regret later.
May 5th, 2012 at 7:14 am
Whosoever want Tamara’s scalp is not a secret any more. I can understand why they go for DJ for he appeared to have started his own politicking but Tamara has done nothing of the sort. We’ve seen, her endeavour had been Sri Lanka first. We should be proud of her. Perhaps for that reason, not a single commentator here seems to accept her unreasonable transfer. And what is important is; all of those commentators were anti LTTE and known patriots. I am sure President Rajapakse has the wisdom to decide the right.
Leela
May 5th, 2012 at 11:29 am
I am not sure about Tamara what she did and did not do at the UNHRC, However I do know that none of the people who went to Geneva all 60 plus, of them did NOT DO the following which should have been done.
1. Dispel the CH4 allegations by showing the real video of the Sinhala soldiers being shot by LTTE. It is only a few minutes long and if it was shown that would have been the end of the discussion on CH4. See attached link.
http://www.terrorinlanka.com/ch4uk/
2. Put a comprehensive document with video footage to show the atrocities of the LTTE during the 30 year war. This document should have been shown at the UN hearings and copies sent to all the relevant Governments of those countries. The film Ruthless which the GoSL put together is really just a white wash of the Catholic priest who was responsible for the abduction of 600 Tamil children given to his safe keeping by the parents. See attached link. http://www.adaderana.lk/news.php?nid=16845
3. GoSL must talk about the real issues of the Tamils in Tamil Nadu and the reasons as to why they keep running away from Tamil Nadu. Viz the caste issues which have kept the untouchables (Dalits) bondage for 3000 years in institutionalized slavery. The very smart upper caste Tamils in Tamil Nadu have set them up and sent them to Sri Lanka to grab the land from the stupid Sinhalese. Then they can unload all the Dalits in to Sri Lanka and enslave the Sinhalese and take over the whole country. They will be aided by the vested interests who think they can use Tamils easily compared to the Sinhalese and discard them when necessary. The bonus for them is to destroy Buddhism in the process which is a pain in their butt.
In defence of GOSL I would say that they were lulled into a sense of false security by India at the UNHRC and then let down at the last minute.
May 5th, 2012 at 12:03 pm
Extract from a statement by TK
“I believe I have acted consistently with loyalty toward our people and our country, and that I have worked on the basis of principles rather than devious schemes and maneuvers, pettiness, and mediocrity. Mine is not a personal agenda, and my motivations are not career, fame, or fortune related. I have carried out my duties conscientiously, with the best interests of the Sri Lankan people at heart and to the best of my abilities, placing at their service my long experience and knowledge of the UN System, more than 10 years of which was spent within the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights,”
Any one wants to translate this or explain it to Sajin Vass (Himin Air fame) our erstwhile “monitor” of External Affairs?
Tamara is best advised to “get out” with her credibility in tact before the “shit hits” the fan!
May 5th, 2012 at 1:28 pm
From what I and many have seen recently of her performance – she did an excellent job in Geneva. If SL expects to be competently defended in the future, better keep her there to consolidate our position instead of giving her premature marching orders ! Or is this to get some GoSL incompetent toady as it usually is to get to Geneva!. I may also add that a critical contribution to failure on the part of SL was to appoint in the past utterly incompetent bodies for critical embassies in the West on favouritism and not competency. This an utterly mad step by the GoSL – may be on the lines of an ancient Greek myth (?) that the those that the Gods wish to destroy are first made to go mad !!, in this instance the Sinhalas and the GoSL – S de Silva – London
May 6th, 2012 at 8:43 am
I smell a rat here! I am beginning to believe those who say Shenuka Seneviratne is behind all these damaging decisions. It is also said that Sajiin Vass Gunewardena a powerful politician is behind Shenuka and the two of them together have forced the hand of GL Peris to make a stupid decision. This means GL is also not suitable to protect SriLanka’s interests, if he cant resist pressure coming from junior individuals like Shenuka and Sajiin. Reading Tamara Kunanayakam’s comments, it is obvious that she is enthusiastic and committed to defend the interest of SriLanka and if necessary expose the hypocracy of UNHRC Commissioner, the West and their netwok of NGOs funded by the US organisations and individuals. Hope the President has the foresight to nip this in the bud, before more damage is done and avoid playing into the hands of terrorists and their Western backers.