UNHRC Geneva Circus 2013 – A tragicomedy in verse
Posted on March 8th, 2013
by Manjuka Soysa
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The annual circus is upon us
One and all give us your focus
Giants, clowns and freaks galore –
prima donnas all not a single bore
Here we gather to show the world
that justice is alive and well
With pride our hearts will swell
Names be made and emotions stirred,
tyrants brought down and hung
Songs of joy for freedom sung
Let all man rejoice in peace
and forgive our outrageous fees
So who you ask will reign this year
I shall tell you, lend me your ear
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
Let’s start from the top
In this motley crew
there’s always a boss
whose words be true
The ringmaster one might say
Or Mistress appropriate in this case
Pavi Nillay you may have heard
is back again to lead the herd
A lady of great importance
Not afraid to face the furnace
Whip in hand, for severe punishment
It is her source of entertainment
Who can be more qualified
to free the masses victimised
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
Oppressive regimes all world-over
shudder when Pavi waves her whip
Always ready to shoot from hip
Better off to give up and bend-over
The obedient will be forgiven
To democracy you will be driven
Unless if you’re a super power –
about you Pavi won’t bother
For Pavi’s duty as head of circus
is not to bother her pay masters
But to punish little upstarts
who aren’t open to free markets
or those not ready to share their oil
with the powers who’s fun they spoil
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
The freaks are organized in groups
Each with its own important label
Making it easy to gather the troops
Their achievements quite the fable
Amnesty, one says, the most famous
favourite hangout of banner-wavers
Globetrotting in the name of peace
About justice they will not tease.
HRW a less romantic name
Playing catchup in terms of fame
Will not give up on the race to top
With outrageous acts they do come up
The circus is the annual fest
For freaks to put their acts to test
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
And representing the great nations
The giants of human rights and freedom
Ambassadors arrive at their stations
A more important crowd is seen seldom
Here to talk about smaller nations
Chastise them for their violations
Their famous trick – carrot and stick approach
A subject we shall now meekly broach
The carrot given in terms of loans
to democratize your neighbourhood
And let the multinational firms
Excavate the ground you stood
And if you do not like Carrot, you’ll see
The stick comes out – worried you should be
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
For ‘freedom’ is not a choice for people
It will be dropped down your steeple
Shocked and awed you would be
As bombs bring to you democracy
Human value is well understood –
As unmanned drones exemplify
But there is no need to justify
Collateral damage for greater good
Freedom of press, when restored
Shall be your nations guiding light
Bringing to you great delight
And lifestyles you once spurned
This trick now practiced far and afield
Can easily compete with Copperfield
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
And who shall be the clown this year
It will be the pick of the crowd
We shall laugh, insult and shed a tear
or throw some fruit if too proud
Surprise! Surprise! Same as last year
A little country shaped like a pear
Which some thought would by now tear
Seems like this clown has no fear!
Through thirty years of war and struggle
The clown was a side-show, not much trouble
But now that it stands accused
Of killing the tigers – we’re not amused
For tigers are all part of the act
The clown has clearly broken the pact
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
The great illusionists of the day
Hold the assembly at his sway
forty thousand dead they come up with
numbers from thin air are fact forthwith
Evidence? What evidence, there is no need
As long as Channel 4 has video to feed
The cattle and the freaks are all to happy
To judge and hang under the canopy
The ambassadors want accountability
and reconciliation to suit
Or they will stick in the boot
The irony of it all – a great comedy
The judge, the jury and all the evidence
against the clown – is it time for repentance?
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
Give me a fair hearing he cries
What is the crime you accuse me of
Where is the balance you so talk of
I have nothing to answer – but let me apprise
For thirty years while my people struggled
Bombs going off and kids abducted
You did nothing to tame the tigers
Even called them freedom fighters
You let the raise funds in your fair cities
and turned a blind eye to their activities
There was no justice in those days
You slammed your door in my face
That is all fine I have forgiven
But do not think it is forgotten
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
After decades the guns are silent
children who bore them are now schooling
In what was once a ground for fighting
rice harvested – once more resplendent
What’s booming now is the economy
Not the suicide bombs of infamy
People of different beliefs and races
Going peacfully through life’s phases
And suddenly I have your full attention
for alleged rights violation
The crowd that once funded terrorists
call for sanctions – for whom this benefits?
For protecting my people I make no bones
Let he who has no sin cast the stones
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
I don’t need your carrot and stick
I can tell you where to stick it
Had enough lectures from the pulpit
I know you don’t know your topic
For your wealth built on warsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ spoils
from tyrants who turn from good to bad
depending on for whom their toils
A common occurrence, all too sad
And now your great new illusion
Spreading springs in great profusion
I know it is not justice you want to see
Just another sheep for your friends to fleece
A tearful clown makes his closing statement
Tragedy is it won’t stop his debasementƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
Manjuka Soysa-Melbourne