UK vows to defend its troops: Yahapalana Government to create War Crimes Tribunals for Sri Lankan Army who defended the nation!
Posted on October 9th, 2016
Shenali D Waduge
‘We will protect them with our hearts and souls… we will never again in any future conflicts let those activists, left-wing, human rights lawyers harangue and harass the bravest of the brave, the men and women of our armed forces” thus thundered Britain’s Theresa May to an audience that clapped every word. That was Britain defending troops sent to fight illegal wars! We now come to Sri Lanka – the Sri Lankan Armed Forces defended the nation & its citizens & eliminated the ground force of an internationally proscribed terrorist organization while simultaneously carrying out a humanitarian rescue operation saving close to 300,000 and what is the outcome – the current government has co-sponsored the Geneva Resolution agreeing to War Crimes Tribunal that would place the army that defended the nation on the dock as war criminals. The yahapalana government has chosen not to stand by its troops and tell the world to produce the evidence first as well as to say any evidence produced will be heard only under domestic laws of sovereign Sri Lanka. The whole world must be laughing at us for not defending our army, the ONLY ARMY to have militarily defeated an international terrorist organization.
From 1990 Britain has been involved in a series of illegal wars together with US and NATO. These countries include Yugoslavia, Angola, Mozambique, Liberia, Zaire, Sudan, Haiti, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and now Syria.
The invasions and occupations, we now know were all based on lies, people fed lies by the media, and PR firms like Bell Pottinger paid millions to create false videos and footage to justify the lies. Plenty of paid reports by human rights groups, civil society also added spice.
The British troops have no choice but to land in nations when their government decide to illegally invade.
British troops landed in Iraq in 2003 at one time its numbers were close to 50,000. British troops have been deployed in Cyprus since 1964. British army was deployed in Belize from 1949 to 1994 while troops have been based in Bermuda since 1701. There is a gurkha battalion in Brunei since 1962. How many are aware that the British troops have been stationed in Germany since end of World War 2 and David Cameron assured all troops would leave Germany by 2020.
This is the same country asking other countries to close down military bases stationed in their own countries!
The Chilcot Report clearly establishes the fault of the Blair Government. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/06/chilcot-report-2003-iraq-war-was-unnecessary-and-invasion-was-no/ UK’s invasion of Iraq was both wrong and illegal.
However the prosecutors of the ICC have ruled out putting former British Prime Minister Tony Blair on trial for war crimes but the soldiers will be. This was questioned by the father of a soldier who died in Iraq. It is outrageous. It is double standards. These soldiers have gone out to do their best for us and here they are being hounded and yet the guy who took them there is not being looked at. That is completely wrong and disgusting,” Roger Bacon
Another father Reg Keys who also lost his son says The ICC should be using the Chilcot report as a basis for a legal action against Tony Blair not as ammunition against British soldiers for alleged abuse,” http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/07/03/473364/Tony-Blair-Chilcot-inquiry
The list of military interventions based on bogus R2P objectives has unfortunately had the troops sent by the governments of these nations committing a host of crimes. “The Responsibility of UK Officials for War Crimes Involving Systematic Detainee Abuse in Iraq from 2003-2008” detailing over 400 cases now referred to the ICC http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/exclusive-devastating-dossier-on-abuse-by-uk-forces-in-iraq-goes-to-international-criminal-court-9053735.html There are numerous other court martials also in progress.
There is a history to British crimes and these crimes have been part & parcel of state policy and these crimes have taken place in countries that the British have illegally invaded. The British Army has dropped bombs that are internationally banned. Defence Secretary John Reid admitted that UK used white phosphorus in Iraq. The British were the first to employ herbicides and defoliants to destroy the crops, bushes, and trees of communist insurgents in Malaya during the Malayan Emergency.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_politics/4441822.stm
Royal Air Force dropped diphenyl chloroarsine, an irritant agent designed to cause uncontrollable coughing, on Bolshevik troops in 1919. During colonial rule in British India, Rawalpindi experiments, hundreds of Indian soldiers were exposed to Mustard gas. All these cases are with the knowledge of and consent of the government and often it is the leaders who purchases these substances that the army are ordered to use.
These illegal wars have left troops traumatized going so far as to even commit suicide. Nearly 400 troops killed themselves between 1995 and 2014. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/armed-forces-suicide-every-2-7503692
However, with the exposure of PR firms being paid to prepare false video footage, and ‘journalists’ are no other than military personnel while media too are paid to justify interventions we have to seriously question the reports and ‘witness claims’ being produced by entities who survive and thrive only if there are global issues to make a living.
Therefore, when Lord Richard Dannatt says it is dangerous for soldiers to ‘feel inhibited in doing what they think is right for fear of retrospective investigation’…. To have these wide-ranging inquiries into what are repeatedly turning out to be wholesale, fallacious accusations is undermining for morale and the Army’s effectiveness”. What he is indirectly implying is that the cobweb of lies and deceit that prevails in these ‘conflicts’ to which troops are sent and thereafter the inhibitions and fallacious accusations that the troops have to suffer are demoralizing the Army and it must stop he says. It would have been nice if our own Field Marshall spoke like Lord Dannatt!
While the UK has had British military Court Martials for offences committed by British troops the US has given itself immunity. In Afghanistan a deal secures blanket immunity the United States shall have the exclusive right to exercise jurisdiction over such persons in respect of any criminal or civil offenses committed in the territory of Afghanistan.” In 1955 the Supreme Court ruled that veterans of the U.S. armed forces could not be court-martialed for overseas crimes that were not detected until after they had left military service. https://www.amazon.com/American-Immunity-International-Culture-Politics/dp/162534046X In 2000 Congress attempted to close the jurisdictional gap with passage of the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act. The effectiveness of that legislation is still in question.
US is not a party to the ICC. Global Policy Forum writes US-led occupation forces have committed numerous atrocities in Iraq since the invasion of 2003…. While some cases have been brought before military hearings, the Pentagon has covered up most of these cases and exonerated the soldiers involved. Rather than pursuing high officials and senior officers, military prosecutors have pursued only a few low- ranking soldiers. With few exceptions, most cases have yielded relatively light punishments, while the majority has seen original charges of murder downgraded to lighter charges or even dismissed completely. The United States has repeatedly insisted that these atrocities were committed by “few bad apples,” obscuring the fact that troops are regularly committing such crimes under a system of unrestrained violence attributable to those at the top.”
In the meanwhile, the law firm that has hounded British troops with false allegations of war crimes is to be stripped of its legal aid funding having pocketed over £4 million of taxpayers’ money dragging soldiers and their families through years of unwarranted torment. This is certainly welcome news – no soldier (whether he took part in legal or illegal wars) should have to face such inhibitions just so that a handful of people can make money – same scenario applicable to Sri Lanka. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-3742454/Now-Professor-Shyster-hounded-hundreds-innocent-British-soldiers-dock-demands-RICHARD-LITTLEJOHN.html This should not be allowed to happen in Sri Lanka. Though recently a soldiers family had to pay compensation for killing a LTTE terrorist. It is why Lord Dannat has demanded compensation to all soldiers falsely accused of war crimes https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/oct/01/compensate-soldiers-falsely-accused-of-war-crimes-says-ex-british-army-head
The underlying message from this is that Britain is standing by its troops even which Sri Lanka’s government is not. Britain is standing by its troops when they are well aware that these troops are sent to fight illegal wars and often the enemy that the troops are sent to kill are the very people that their government help train and arm.
In Sri Lanka’s case the troops were defending their nation against terrorists. War Crimes Tribunals have never put terrorists on the dock. Therefore the Sri Lankan Government agreeing to war crimes tribunals are only agreeing to declare our own troops as war criminals. We know that all of the tribunals held thus far have all been worthless and a waste of money though it has enabled a handful of people to become quite rich dragging the tribunal with no justice.
Says Lord Dannatt – We need to ensure that when the men and women of our armed forces go out there on our behalf, willing to sacrifice themselves for our safety and for our defence, that they have our full confidence and backing in doing that and that’s what we will give them.”
Isn’t this what Sri Lanka’s Government should be saying for its own troops? Or is that affecting this laughable reconciliation, secular-multicultural bogey that the government is foolishly riding on. The irony becomes far greater when the Canadian Court in refusing asylum to a TNA applicant says LTTE and TNA are one and the same while the present government allows the TNA leader to be the Opposition Leader and the flag bearer of reconciliation when in reality he is hoisting the separatist flag while the government has to hang to separatist lobbies for its own political survival.
Whatever the reasons LTTE were terrorists. They carried out heinous crimes. Just because the UN has yet to define what a terrorist is, LTTE cannot be omitted from being held responsible for its murders. Just because Prabakaran is dead no one can simply say LTTE is no more. What about the TNA, the LTTE diaspora, the Sinhalese and foreigners who were helping the LTTE, the international organizations that gave oxygen to the LTTE, the local NGOs, the charities, the others who made money knowing they were providing material support to the LTTE, the media even some politicians who aided and abetted terrorism at some point or the other throughout the 30 years – ALL of them must stand trial for every murder and mayhem committed by the LTTE BEFORE any military person is taken before any court (local or foreign).
Justice must come to the victims – the victims are those killed and injured by LTTE not the LTTE killed by those that defended the nation.
Shenali D Waduge
Theresa May’s speech – http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/theresa-may-left-wing-human-rights-lawyers-cover-up-murder-torture-civilians-armed-forces-a7346846.html
British Crimes in Iraq – https://www.britisharmykillings.com/category/crimes-in-iraq/
October 9th, 2016 at 7:02 pm
“If I get a chance to shake hand with Theresa May I would give everything including my country to any body” Honourable Executive President of Sri Lanka My3 Sira.
“If I get a chance to talk to Theresa May I would give everything including my country to any body” Honourable foreign Minister of Sri Lanka Mangalaya.
“If I get a chance to sit equal to Theresa May I would give everything including my country to any body” Honourable Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Runnil.
“If I can be graced by the sight of Michelle Scisson I would give everything including my country to any body” Malwathu Asgiri Maha nayaka theras.
October 10th, 2016 at 1:52 am
The LTTE massacred over 35,000 Sri Lankan Armed Forces members, Police Force members and Civil Defense Force members over 6000-7000 overwhelmingly Sinhala but also Muslim civilians, 1,253 Indian Peacekeeping Forces (IPKF) members, over 2,000 Tamil Armed Group members who supported the Government of Sri Lanka and who were against the LTTE, around 3,000 Tamil civilians and all this add upto 47,000. Around 35,000 LTTE terrorists are estimated to have perished too. In all around 84,000 in total have perished on both sides in the war.
As you can see it is the brutal LTTE terrorists who massacred over 47,000 mainly Sri Lankan Armed Forces members, Police Force members, Civil Defense Force members in over 26 years of war. Over 23,000 Sri Lankan Armed Forces members are today both temporarily and permanently disabled due to the war. Over 13,000 Sri Lankan Armed Forces members are permanently disabled due to the war. Over 156,000 Sri Lankan Armed Forces members have been injured due to the war. Over 6,000-7,000 overwhelmingly Sinhala but also Muslim civilians have been massacred by the LTTE terrorists in the war of over 26 years.
The LTTE terrorist group also ethnically cleansed the entire Sinhala and Muslim population of the Northern Province, of over 65,000 Sinhala people and over 75,000 Muslim people of the Northern Province in the 1980s and the 1990s. The LTTE also ethnically cleansed the entire Sinhala population of the Batticaloa District in the East of over 25,000 Sinhala people.
Today, the Sinhala people and their descendants of over 135,000 are yet to be resettled in the North and in the Batticaloa District and Muslims of over 115,000 are yet to be resettled in the North. Uptil 2012, of the above number, around 32,000 Sinhala people and around 32,000 Muslims has been resettled in the North.
The LTTE terrorist group recruited over 20,000 child soldiers, all Tamil youth, as attested by UNICEF itself which stated in 2007 that perhaps the LTTE has recruited over 20,000 young persons under the age of 18 years into its cadre between 1983-2007 inclusive.
The LTTE was notorious for its horrific terror tactics such as large scale bomb attacks and the use of suicide bombers in carrying out hundreds of attacks against mainly Sinhala civilians and the country’s leadership, horrific attacks against Sinhala civilians using IED devices, claymore mines and bombs, the massacre of Sinhala villagers in their villages in the North Central, Eastern, Northern and North Western Provinces, the coerced recruitment or abduction of Tamil youth and children for recruitment as child soldiers, forced money collection from Tamils with threats to life in case of non-compliance, attacks on Sri Lanka’s economic infrastructure such as the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL), Sri Lanka’s the then only international airport, oil storage facilities, hotels, planes, buses, trains etc. ethnic cleansing of Sinhalese and Muslims from the North and East of Sri Lanka, the assassination of Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, the systematic assassination of over 120 noteworthy Sri Lankan politicians, civil servants, senior military and police officers, prelates, activists, academics, journalists and other professionals who were assassinated by the LTTE who were but a few of the hundreds of assassinations carried out by the LTTE, including the former Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar.
October 10th, 2016 at 3:22 pm
Dear Senali,
Not just this govt. all previous govt.s since 2000 imprisoned LLRP WAR HERO SUNIL RATNAYAKE.
October 10th, 2016 at 4:01 pm
Lorenzo,
Sunil Ratnayake was found iNNOCENT by the Army Courts.
It is a civil procedure that found him ‘guilty’.
Blame those grown ups in the LTTE who recruited Tamil children and gave them guns to turn on the SL Army. Blame the Tamil leaders who brought out the V’koddai Resoln (1976) – Eelam through Violence.
Sunil Ratanayake acted according to Army rules. He ought to be released.
October 11th, 2016 at 7:38 pm
UK vows to DEFEND its troops, while our Avamangalaya VOWS to betrays our HEROES to our enemies!
HERE is ONE RESULT of those BETRAYALS: The ENCOURAGEMENT of the TNA to OPPOSE the PRIMACY of Buddhism in Sri Lanka!
HOW LOW SRi Lanka has FALLEN under this TREACHEROUS Yamapalanaya!
Yamapalana GoSL claims refuted by the TNA: WE DO NOT AGREE, No Primacy for Buddhism in Sri Lanka says the TNA!
Who is telling the TRUTH?
BOTH the Yamapalanaya and the TNA Separatistyys are DIGGING THEIR OWN GRAVES!
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Tamil party leader dismisses PM’s claim that all parties agree to give Buddhism foremost place in new constitution
Tue, Oct 11, 2016, 09:15 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Oct 11, Colombo: Sri Lanka’s Opposition and main Tamil party, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Monday rejected the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s a claim that the party has agreed to give Buddhism the foremost place in the new constitution.
TNA’s spokesman and Jaffna District Parliamentarian M.A Sumanthiran stressed that his party stands for a secular constitution in the multi-religious country and giving one religion a priority is contrary to basic norms.
“The Tamil National Alliance stands for a secular constitution. In a constitution that gives equality pride of place and assures equal protection of law for everyone – irrespective of race, cast, religion, gender, age etc – a provision which gives one religion the foremost place would be incompatible and contrary to basic norms and we would oppose it,� MP Sumanthiran told Ceylon News in an exclusive interview on Monday.
Speaking at an event Prime Minister Wickremesinghe emphasized that all political parties and leaders of all religious faiths have no issue in giving priority to protect Buddhism in the country and have declared their consent to the provisions given by the Constitution to protect Buddhism.
“All Parties in Parliament today, including the Tamil National Alliance, have agreed to keep the articles protecting Buddhism unchanged in the Sri Lanka Constitution,” the Prime Minister said.
MP Sumanthiran said that the Steering Committee appointed by the Constitutional Assembly has kept for itself certain important issues to discuss and one of those was religion.
Sumanthiran, who is a member of the Steering Committee, said so far only three issues have been discussed. One is the electoral reforms, the other is executive and the third is power-sharing arrangements. “The issue of religion in Constitution is yet to be discussed.”
“And it’s wrong to say that all political parties, including the TNA have given their consent to making Buddhism the foremost religion since we have not even begun discussions on it in the Steering Committee,” the TNA spokesman said.
October 11th, 2016 at 7:48 pm
The TNA has denied the Yamapalana PM’s statement on the PRIMACY of Buddhism.
HELL NO, WE DO NOT AGREE the TNA says!
So, WHO IS TELLING THE TRUTH …… the GoSL PM or the TNA??
Is the PM bull shitting the Sinhala Buddhists??
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‘No issue in giving priority to protect Buddhism’, Sri Lankan PM emphasizes
Mon, Oct 10, 2016, 11:50 am SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Oct 10, Colombo: Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe emphasized that all political parties and leaders of all religious faiths have no issue in giving priority to protect Buddhism in the country and have declared their consent to the provisions given by the Constitution to protect Buddhism.
“We do not have a problem with regard to giving priority when protecting Buddhism. All Parties in Parliament today, including the Tamil National Alliance, have agreed to keep the articles protecting Buddhism unchanged in the Sri Lanka Constitution,” the Prime Minister said speaking at an event.
Speaking at a religious program held at the Sedawatte Veheragoda Viharaya in Kolonnawa, the Premier said not only have the political parties expressed their willingness to protect Buddhism, the Catholic Cardinal as well as the Muslim Imams and Hindu Swamis have also accepted the article in the Constitution.
“Some are experts at protecting Buddhism through their words, but are equally adept at destroying the religion through their actions. As a State, the President, myself and all of us, protect Buddhism, not through words, but through our actions,” he said.
The Prime Minister therefore said individuals need not create unnecessary issues over the future of Buddhism under the proposed new constitution.
“Same as protecting Buddhism, it is our duty as citizens of Sri Lanka, to build a Nation where we accept and respect the different religions and cultures as well,” the Premier pointed out.
The Prime Minister highlighted that the international Vesak festival will be held in Sri Lanka next year. The government has also planned to hold a Theravada Buddhist Summit in 2018.
Addressing the gathering Minister of Justice and Buddha Sasana Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said that the government is committed to improve Buddhist religious places island wide.
October 14th, 2016 at 7:36 am
In a Globalised world, Buddhist Nations failing/fail to defend themselves properly.
New ways must be found by Patriotic forces in Lanka on How to Defend Lanka from ‘predatory foreign others’ and their local agents.
There has been enough death and disease in Buddhist Lanka, and Lanka’s Armed Forces have paid a very heavy price for defending the country and the People.
Signs of take over must be recognised and dealt with long before the negative events happen. ALL Patriotic forces must act together for this to happen.
The new UN Sec General has Human Rights as his priority.
Human Rights for Sinhala Buddhists have been long overdue.
We hope he will address this topic straightaway and even create an R2P to protect the Sinhala Buddhists of Lanka.