Courtesy The Daily News

On whether the TNA that was called ‘the representatives of the LTTE’ by the LTTE, can be prosecuted and whether Adele Balasingham now in London could be prosecuted for training terrorists and whether those who negotiated on behalf of the Tamil Tigers can be prosecuted for Tamil Tiger atrocities, Ms. Navi Pillai the UN High Commsioner for Human Rights said it is upto governments affected to pursue such matters and obtain international cooperation to persecute people. She said so answering questions posed by the Daily News. She did not deny that the TNA can be prosecuted.

On whether she listens to ‘tale-carriers’ with fabricated allegations without verifying information, the Daily News reminded that though the Sri Lankan government delegation in Geneva was in best behaviour at the UNHRC sessions in 2012, that she accepted without verification the version of the Tamil lobbyists that ‘the Sri Lankan delegation intimidated them.’ There had never been any investigations into these claims and the Sri Lankan delegation was never quizzed.

However, all Ms. Pillai could allow at the press conference was that ‘the Sri Lankan delegation was there and made their ‘input’.

She also stated that US drone attacks had been investigated by UNHRC, but did not say why nothing practical has been done to censure the US on serial human rights violations — as this newspaper pointed out in its editorial comment on Tuesday.

Here is the full text of the transcript arising from our questions:

Q: (Daily News) Madam High Commissioner, you said both in the press statement and the subsequent question and answer session that the LTTE was a ruthless organization and that there is no room for its glorification.

If you do not mind my saying so, why isn’t it possible for you to put your money where your mouth is and ensure that those perpetrators in the LTTE such as those who are free in most countries, for example those who negotiated on behalf of the terrorist LTTE, and then Adele Balasingham who trained Tamil Tigers, now free in London, and the TNA that the LTTE called their representatives, are called into account?

Why isn’t the UNHRC calling for action to bring these people to account for LTTE atrocities? Why is the Sri Lankan Government alone being called into account?

Navi Pillai: Let me first emphasize neither I nor the UNHRC have called for an investigation a scrutiny or an investigation just on the excesses of the Sri Lankan Army. We call for investigations into all killings, all deaths all disappearances wherever the perpetrators are.

The best authority to commence those investigations are the Government of the country concerned. With regard to people abroad, this is a law enforcement matter and here again the Government might obtain international cooperation to track perpetrators who are now outside the country.

Q: (Daily News) How do you come to that conclusion (your saying that when representations are made to you, you investigate them and do not accept everything blindly) without such investigations? For example I was in Geneva, there was nothing untoward that happened as far as the behaviour of the Sri Lankan delegation was concerned (at the UNHRC sessions 2012).

But you appear to have believed misrepresentations made by the diaspora Tamil lobby and you didn’t do any investigation.

No one in the SL delegation was asked to make representations so the inquiry was one sided.

Navi Pillai: There was an investigation under the auspices of the President of the Human Rights Council and he made the statement to the Council. Calling for the proper conduct of affairs in the Council. Well the Sri Lankan Government Delegation was right there and made their response. They had the opportunity. Rupert Colville UN coordinator for NAvi Pillai’s visit replied on behalf of Navi Pillai:

The investigation was conducted by UN Security.

(Editor’s note to Daily News readers, not from the press conference proceedings: No such ‘investigation’ was conducted. UN security may have been coerced by Tamil lobbyists into supporting false allegations.)

Q: (Daily News) Are there investigations on the drone attacks?

Navi Pillai: Yes, there are. I encourage the youth parliamentarians – look at international issues, emerging issues such as environment, drone attacks, internet censorship. And really I think you would be doing a huge benefit for Sri Lankan readers if you raise these issues. If you truly compare the UPR, the state that claims to be the most highly developed had almost 300 recommendations made to it by other states.

All you need do is just scroll and see what those recommendations are, there would be issues that the population here would be interested to hear about.