Janaki Chandraratna – Perth Australia

Dear Senator Christine Milne
Leader of the Australian Greens

 Dear Ms. Milne

 Investigation of alleged human rights violations in Sri Lanka

 I write in reference to your letter dated 3 January 2014 to the High Commissioner Navi Pillay requesting her to include Australia as a venue for the above investigation due to the presence of a large Sri Lankan Diaspora community. I guess you refer to the LTTE members rather than Sri Lankan Diaspora.

 In support of your request you mentioned Public Interest Advocacy Centre’s report ‘Island of Impunity?’ as a source of Australian research that had uncovered evidence for the above investigation. I guess you are not informed or have chosen to ignore the censure of this report by informed sources.

 Although I have no issue with your request I am saddened that a responsible political leader as yourself, has not yet understood the carnage that has been created in the world by foreign intervention in the domestic affairs of sovereign States, in particular by the support given to the activity of terrorist groups. It is surprising that you have not noticed that the Western intruders make a quick exit when these countries are on the boil declaring that local issues need to resolved by the locals and criticize the locals for the lack of ingenuity to handle the respective situations.

 The investigation into alleged war crimes is a similar spurious intervention by the West in support of the LTTE terrorist group, which is proscribed in many countries, as the most brutal terrorist group in the world. Needless to say this illegal investigation has set back the peace process in Sri Lanka by many years as the LTTE proxy party, Tamil National Alliance (TNA), has rejected the peace initiatives of the Sri Lankan Govt., hoping for a future division of the country by the West.

 It is extraordinary that you have not noticed that practically all Asian countries have rejected the entry of Pillay’s colleagues to investigate Sri Lanka from their shores. Did it not occur to you that this is because these countries believe the investigation is biased, unlawful and is a gross violation of rights of a Sovereign State?

 Taking a more local scenario, Senator Milne, how would you like some foreign power aiding and instigating Australian Aborigines, under the guise of human rights violations, to establish a separate state or establish a system for self determination? I am sure, you would be the first to defend Australian Government’s initiatives for reconciliation with Aboriginal people and counter any move by a foreign power to intervene in the internal affairs of this country. If this is the case, I am more than surprised why you are so concerned with Sri Lankan Govt. rejecting visas for Pillay’s investigators.  I, for a moment do not think that you seriously want to advocate another carnage in a nation broken by terrorism? This is the reason for my letter. A more honorable strategy would be to assist the reconciliation process within Sri Lanka by participation rather than supporting a deeply flawed and biased UNHRC decision.

 Further, I would like to inform you that there are many more Sri Lankan expatriates in Australia like myself, who would not want the slaughter and bloodshed that is currently experienced in other countries, due to foreign intervention, conferred on their beloved home country. In order to put your mind at rest and allay the fears of other Australians misled by the LTTE propaganda, I would like to request you to organize an un-emotive Q&A session, at the national level, with panel members chosen from both LTTE propagandists and other members of the community. The Q&A session needs to be held in a well-controlled environment, with questions given to both parties before hand and under the direction of an unbiased moderator. Unlike the Q&A meeting held in Fremantle on the so called, Sri Lankan Genocide 2009, on 30 April 2014, care should be taken to limit discussions to systemic issues with supportive evidence and not be embroiled on individual stories of emotive hearsay.

 I believe this strategy would provide a good understanding of the issues at hand. I do not for a moment suggest that everything is hunky-dory in Sri Lanka. If it were so there would not be a need for the current reconciliation process. The concern is that issues, if there are any, are clouded by a great deal of argument on generalities such as genocide, discrimination, rape etc. without any references to specifics of wide-ranging systemic occurrences. As you know, individual stories that relate to discrimination, street fighting murders etc. are common to any country. Fortunately, after the defeat of terrorism, as you may know, Sri Lanka ranks better than most countries in this regard.

 It is important that our concerns need to be focused on planned atrocities at the Government level. Quite frankly the average Sri Lankan, let alone the international community, is at a loss to understand what the LTTE fronted alleged Tamil atrocities are, as they are covered often covered in smoke screens of generalizations.

 In view of the above, I believe your office has the necessary resources and well equipped to undertake the requested Q&A. I would appreciate, and for that matter, non LTTE Sri Lankan Diaspora, which out numbers the LTTE supporters by many times in all Australian electorates, would be very pleased with the outcome, if you can give consideration to my request.