By : A.A.M.NIZAM – MATAARA

While people throughout the country hold demonstrations, and burn effigies of imbecile Sarath Fonseka against his allegations that our war heroes committed war crimes and his tirade against the highly respected Ven, Elle Gunawansa Thero and other prominent Buddhist monks, the  Dollar voracious NGO vultures such as self exiled PRAA activist and Switzerland domicile Sunanda Deshapriya, a member of the so-called  ‘co-existence’ committee, along with notorious and anti Sri Lankan Pakyasothy Saravanamuttu, that recommended the establishment of an International Tribunal to try Sri Lankan armed forces, and a member of the pro-government NGO outfit called Puravesi Balaya” Vi-Angoda and the self appointed executive Director of the National Peace Council (NPC), the NGO funded by successive Norwegian governments, and the recipient of substantial funding from other foreign ‘sources.’ Jehan Perera have come forward to support the mad hatter Sarath Fonseka.

Sunanda continuously attended UNHRC Geneva sessions to criticize the Sri Lankan armed forces writing an article in Sinhala in the pro-terrorist website vikalpa.org” under the caption War Crimes, Jayasuiya, Fonseka and Sirisena” criticizes Sirisena for his statement made at the 66^th SLFP anniversary saying that he will not allow anyone to touch the war heroes. In this article, he reminds Sirisena of the statement made by him saying that he would have been buried under a 6 feet pit if he lost the election in 2015 and points out that the said Pit would have been dug and filled by none other than pro-Rajapaksa security service leaders.   He says that it was these war heroes who dragged Fonseka for imprisonment.

He states that Fonseka has now made a public statement saying that he possesses evidence to prove that General Jagath Jayasuriya committed war crimes and came to know that Jayasuriya mistreated the Tamil people who surrendered to the Army.  He points out that Fonseka has also stated he was planning to file a case against Jayasueiya in a war tribunal.

Referring to the statement made by the incumbent Army Commander Mahesh Senanayake (Divayina 4^th September) that the Army is against the statement made by Fonseka saying that 28,000 of the Army sacrificed their lives not to hear statements like this, the NGO vulture Sunanda asks whether Army Commander is saying that cases should not be filed as Fonseka said and no punishment should be meted out against wrong doings?

The NGO vulture points out that General Jayasueriya has told the English Daily Ceylon Today” on 3^rd September that he does not know whether the arrested Tamil suspects housed at the infamous Joseph camp were tortured or not. Sunanda says that General Jayasuriya does not say that such things did not happen.  He has only said that the suspects were held in that camp by the Intelligence Units and he had no connection with that.  Not only that he has said if any such things happened in that camp it was other Commanders who should be held responsible for that.   Sunanda says that Mahesh Senanayke may even object this.

Sunanda further states that when it was enquired from Jayasuriya whether he has read the report of the Paranagama Commission appointed by his leader Mahinda Rajapaksa about missing persons of the war time, the former Army Commander has responded that he does not know about it.  He says that this is a wonder but the truth.

Sunanda points out that from this interview and the interview given to the BBC earlier show that the only objective of Jayasuriya was to somehow escape from the war crime allegations against him regardless of whoever who becomes victimized.

This NGO vulture says that this Army Commander is an unwise person and it shows by the statement he made that Sri Lanka government should obtain an official statement from the United Nations Organization saying that Sri Lana has not committed war crimes.  He says what the UN has told Sri Lanka is to investigate through a credible Court about allegations saying that war crimes took place in Sri Lana during the war period.

He asks when the government of Sri Lanka instead of holding an investigation does not even shows an inclination to do so  who can say that war crimes have not taken place in this country? On the other hand the UN has not given such a certificate to any country. The reason for this was that in the recent history there were instances of such evidence coming to light even after thirty or forty years.

He says that it was for such a General that Sirisena was swearing on his head saying that he would protect him.

On the other hand it is not in an international court that a war crime case against Jayasuriya has been filed.  It has been filed in some South American Courts under local Laws.

Although people or organizations can make complaints to the War Crime Tribunals established in accordance with the Rome Convention it can be considered by the Tribunal only if the country concerned is a signatory to the Convention.

Sri Lanka is not a signatory to the Rome Convention.

The International War Crime Tribunal can investigate complaints received from individuals or organizations in respect of such countries only if the UN Security Council or the concerned country made a request to the War Crime Tribunal to do so.

It is stated that in the year 2006 a group of Sri Lankan patriots living in the United States filed a complaint against LTTE recruiting child soldiers in the International War Crime Tribunal.

Similarly other foreign domiciled Sri Lankan groups have also filed cases against the Sri Lankan government.  But none of these complaints was taken into consideration by the International War Crime Tribunal.

Therefore all vagaries being made saying that Jayasuriya will not be produced at the International War Crime Tribunal are only attempts being made to mislead the people.

The case that has been filed in Brazil and Colombia against Jagath Jayasuriya by Yasmin Souka’s South American Organization has no connection with the International War Crime Tribunal. As it was reported in the BBC it has been requested by this case to banish Jagath Jayasuriya from Brazil and to start an investigation about him.

The International media reported that similar cases will be filed in Argentina, Peru and Chile as well.

As per the local Laws of these countries it is possible even persons who violated international humanitarian laws in foreign countries to be taken into custody and cases can be filed against them.

These countries have enacted Laws of this nature in order to mete out punishments in any country for the region’s tyrant leaders and Army commanders for their human rights violations.

On 16^th October 1998 the former Chilean Dictator General Pinochet was taken into custody in Britain as a result of a case against him filed in a Spanish Court 6 days prior to that.

Despite whatever being said by Sirisena now if Jagath Jayasuriya visits those South American countries devoid of Ambassadorial privileges, the possibility of taking him into custody and initiating trials against him is very much likely. If he happens to visit Brazil without Ambassadorial privileges he will definitely be taken into custody.

The reason being that the judiciary in those countries, do not dance to the tune of the President of this country, or to the Rulers of those countries. The judiciary of these countries are even powerful to take into custody the corrupt Rulers and former Army Commanders in respect of war crimes.  They are so independent.

If credible accountability process does not happen in Sri Lanka even after ten years a situation like this not only for our Army leaders but also for Heads of State could happen in the European countries as well.

We know that the LTTE carried out war crimes violating human rights.  It assassinated innocent Sinhala and Muslim people and their own Tamil people because their politics was Terrorism.

There is a question that has to be asked from everyone who claims that the Sri Lankan Army in that war did not do any mistake. That is whether the security forces of this country did not fall into the level of barbarism during armed uprising of the Sinhala youth in the South in 1971 and 1988 – 90 period?  Response for this question is written all over the light poles. The question that needs to be asked is that the State forces which inhumanly killed Sinhala youth taken into custody in the South, how could have they treated the Tamil youth taken into custody?

The answer for this question is mixed in the air waves as it has been sung by Bob Dillon. There is no champion who could erase this truth.

Meanwhile, V-Angoda and Jehan Perera too have emphasized in their regular articles and TV talk shows the need to pursue the allegations made by Fonseka and they have deplored the anti-Fonseka demonstrations being held throughout the country.  (