By Charles.S.Perera

Today the UPR working group ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ is to review the human rights record of all the 192UN member States..ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Apparently Sri Lanka is on the top of the list and 99 member states areƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  to make 180 recommendations on Sri Lanka, with Navy Pillai making her own recommendations.

All that is a paradox ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ as they who come to question Sri LankaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  do not come with clean hands. Some of them are more cruel violators of human rights in developing countries.

But Sri Lanka ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ which has rid itself of terrorism that caused 30 years of suffering to its people is selected to be assailed by globalƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  perpetrators of human rights violations at the UPR session in Geneva.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It is worth noting that the ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ President of USA ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ from the Democratic Party is facing strong opposition to his re-election for a second term despite the fact that the Democratic Party stands for the welfare of the poor withƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  programmes like medical ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and welfare facilities, against racism and slavery.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ButƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Barack Obama who was elected, with new hopeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  of return of American Soldiers from wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and scrapping of centres of torture such as the Guantanamo camps has disappointed the people.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Though the PresidentƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Obama signed an executive order for the closure of the Guantanamo camp in January 2009, it has never been closed.

The USA State Department did nothing progressive since coming into office toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  justify the re-election of the President Obama who was acclaimed as a new hope for the American people who suffered under Bush administration.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  But US State Department headed by Hillary Clinton opened up new theatres of war and America became a war mongering nation supported by SarkozyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s France, and the International Community. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ They gave false assurances to the UNSecurity councilƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  that it will only survey the air space over Libya and got the NATO forces to bomb Libya devastating the country and massacring the civilians.

Colonel Gaddafi who the International Community treated as a DictatorƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  was a father figure ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to his people. Under him the Libyans enjoyed a higher standard of living.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Today after America and the International community helped in the assassination of Gaddafi the very peopleƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  America wanted to save from the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-DictatorƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ Gaddafi are revolting against the Americans.

Are these countries of the International Community the symbols of respectersƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  of human rights who try to judge Sri Lanka which did not go around violating human rights of people of other countries.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Sri Lanka fought a war against its own terrorists in its own country.

In Syria where America and the International community who arm rebels againstƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the Bashar Al Asad governmentƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  for their new policy ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  regime change, seem to have created aƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Frankenstein which has gone out of control.

In Afghanistan the war does not seem to be ending.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  In Pakistan USA with its DronesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  are killing more and more Civilians.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It was recently that an AmericanƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  womensƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ Organisation manifested against drone attacks on civilians in Pakistan. In Cuba a 15 year old trade embargoƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  is the worst violation of human rights against a Nation. So is the withdrawal of American Contribution to the budget of UNESCO forƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  respecting the decision ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  its General Assembly and accepting Palestine as a Member State of UNESCO.

The Sanctions against Iran for sale of its oil to developing countries is also a violation of human rights.

About Canada the Press TV reports of abuse of human rights of the Canadian people, and yet Stephen Harper the Prime Minister of Canada isƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  a violent accuser of Sri Lanka for violation of human rights of the Government of Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The report reads:ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-By way of soothing internal and international concerns, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper also said while trying to fight back his tears, “The government of Canada sincerely apologizes and asks the forgiveness of the aboriginal peoples of this country for failing them so profoundly. We are sorry.

These emotional moments of Mr. Harper were soon forgotten and the violation of the rights of the aborigines continued systematically.

The Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action (FAFIA) says Canada is ignoring the basic human rights of the poorest and most vulnerable Canadian women. FAFIA ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-spokesperson Sharon McIvor says, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Canada is the home of serious violations of the human rights of Aboriginal women and girls.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

The Sydney Morning Herald reported about human rights abuses in Australia, another country which often points its finger at SriƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Lanka for violation of human rights. The report says ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Those same individuals who will shake their heads and tut-tut the abuses that occur on foreign shores will minimise or dismiss Australia’s track record of human rights abuses, painting anyone who dares to speak critically as an unpatriotic endorser of a skewed black-armband view of history.

But the problem is not that journalists dare to expose human rights abuses committed here. It is that they trade in stereotypes centred around racial minorities and class.

In Australia almost one in five women will be sexually assaulted and almost one in three will be physically assaulted, often in a domestically violent situation, according to the Whit Ribbon Foundation. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Boys and men also experience unacceptable levels of physical and sexual abuse. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-

Each country will be allocated one minute and 20 seconds to question Sri Lanka during the review, which will be overseen by a troika of nations chaired by India and including Spain and Benin

What is the track record of each member of the troika overseeing the questions put to Sri LankaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  by other countries who themselves have not come with their hands clean with regard to violation of human rights.

Spain has been accused of violation of human rights on many occasions, one such case is the trial against the Spanish Judge Baltasar Garzon , ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- The actions taken in the GarzƒÆ’†’ƒ”š‚³n case demonstrate improper interference with the judiciary, in violation of SpainƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s obligations to protect an independent judiciary, including in cases of investigating serious international law violations at home. As Judge GarzƒÆ’†’ƒ”š‚³n is internationally recognized as a leader in the fight to end impunity for mass human rights violations and efforts to strengthen universal jurisdiction, the case against him will likely have a chilling effect on those lawyers and judges willing to pursue accountability at home and abroad.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

Benin is also aƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  violator of human rights, the worst case reported in Afroil News is , ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Female genital mutilation (FGM), a widely practised and very harmful tradition, is the worst substantial human rights violation in Benin, civil society groups hold. Other human rights violations in the stable democracy included arbitrary arrest and torture, but on a much lesser scale than FGƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

India is a burning cauldron of violation of human rights International Dalit Solidarity Network reported, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- At a press conference, Co-ordinator of the International Dalit Solidarity Network, Rikke NƒÆ’†’ƒ”š‚¶hrlind pointed out that victims of caste based discrimination suffer a hidden apartheid of segregation, modern-day slavery and other forms of discrimination, stating that ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-This issue has been skilfully hidden by certain governments and Dalits are simply being treated as lesser human beings and denied justice.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

Therefore without going into details one sees the farce being enacted in Geneva accusing Sri Lanka for the defence of which no country came forward when the ruthless terrorists were massacring its people practically every day by suicide bombers, claymore bombs, grenade lobbers, snipers and pistol toting terrorists.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Its innocent people were massacred in large numbers, its intellectuals, Ministers, members of the Parliament, Army Officers and the Police officers were assassinated almost on a daily basis. And there were then no Human Rights Watch, International Crisis Group, Amnesty International nor the expatriate Tamils who came forward to defend their suffering Tamil kith and kin.

Therefore the Government of Sri Lanka said No, No more assassinations and started its own military operations against the ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ group of ruthless terrorists. All governments ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ said that the Sri Lanka Government Armed Forces cannot win against the terrorists and advised it to negotiate for a peace settlement.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The peace negotiations were sabotaged by the terrorists themselves. Sri Lanka was not given any other alternative but fight to the last, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and that it did and ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ came out victorious.

It is only now the International Community which were then not there to defend Sri Lanka against the terrorists, coming forward( now) to accuse it for violation of human rights.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The International Community has messed up in every thing they had undertaken.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  They have failed financially, socially, politically and in all their so called attempts to settle political problems in other countries.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  They have failed in their disastrous policies ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  regime change and their right 2 protect. The International Communities ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ have lost all their claims to leadership in the world.

Under these circumstances it is best that USA, UN with its Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillai, and the rest of the International Community leave Sri Lanka alone to settle its problems in her own way without interfering into to itsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  internal affairs. Sri Lanka knows better than any one of the Nations of the International Community to manage its own ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ financial, social and political matters in its own way.