{"id":112978,"date":"2021-03-24T18:10:14","date_gmt":"2021-03-25T01:10:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=112978"},"modified":"2021-03-24T18:10:14","modified_gmt":"2021-03-25T01:10:14","slug":"sri-lanka-can-win-the-admiration-of-the-world-by-resisting-the-unhrc-inquisition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2021\/03\/24\/sri-lanka-can-win-the-admiration-of-the-world-by-resisting-the-unhrc-inquisition\/","title":{"rendered":"Sri Lanka can win the admiration of the world by resisting the UNHRC ‘ Inquisition’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Senaka Weeraratna<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

Cuba is one of the most admired countries in the Global South.\nCuba stood up for Sri Lanka at UNHRC, with a speech calling for defiance and\nresistance. These are the hallmark attributes of Cuba which have won global\nadmiration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Likewise, China, Pakistan, Venezuela, Philippines, Bolivia and\naltogether eleven countries backed Sri Lanka resolutely. Our sincere gratitude\nis due to all of them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The speeches of the Delegates from Pakistan, Venezuela and the\nPhilippines were masterly orations. It was a treat to listen to them. Great\nanalysis and eloquence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The delegate from.Sri Lanka, Mr. C.A. Chandraprema, the veteran\nColumnist, read out a well prepared draft speech exposing the hypocrisy and the\ndouble standards of the proponents of the Resolution. The so called ‘ Core\nGroup’ of nations. ‘Which country would be most concerned about the welfare of\nits own people than the country itself?’ he asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He echoed the defiance and never say die spirit of Sri Lanka. If\nwe are to die then let us die fighting for the principles we believe in and not\ncapitulate in abject surrender. We have done no wrong to any soul to feel any\nremorse or guilt, was Sri Lanka’s stance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In hindsight, the wisdom of a Counter Resolution from Sri Lanka\nas suggested by International law specialist Mr. D. Laksiri Mendis, in a recent\narticle published in a local newspaper, looms large. Sri Lanka’s version of the\nchronology of events set out in a recital of the draft Counter Resolution would\nhave then entered the records of the UNHRC proceedings. It is an option worth\nconsidering in future sessions of the UNHRC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These speeches deserve to be played back over and over again on\nlocal TV and Radio Channels. Law students, in particular students of\nInternational law must be exposed to the reasoning and exposition inherent in\nthe brief speeches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sri Lanka is on the right side of history. With China as an ally\nand support of the rest of Asia ( bar one – South Korea) which did not vote in\nfavour of the Resolution against Sri Lanka, the signs are clear of the Global\nSplit. Between the rapacious Colonial countries of the Global North and ex –\ncolonies of the Global South. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sri Lanka must be congratulated for requesting a Vote. We showed\nthat we are not prepared to bow our heads down to Western Imperialism\ndeceitfully masquerading as paragons of Human Rights. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Nuremberg and Tokyo Trials what prevailed was Victor’s\nJustice. For the first time in history the only country which defeated brutal\nterrorism ( LTTE – that is responsible for killing thousands of innocent\nTamils, and the Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi) is being subject to the\nJustice of the Defeated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a retrogression or must be treated as an Aberration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is like hauling the Allied Commanders and political leaders\nof USA, Soviet Union, Great Britain, France before an International War Crimes\nTribunal for Crimes against <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Humanity, Genocide and Mass Murder of civilians after the end of\nthe second world war. Using the evidence of bombing of Dresden, Tokyo, Atomic\nbombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. And the Rape of countless  German women\nby Russian, American and British troops of the Allies, as the basis of the\ncriminal charges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How would the world respond to such a drama? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Double standards of the UNHRC<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is exactly what confronts Sri Lanka. The Punishment for\ndefeating the evil of terrorism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights there\nis hardly any mention of the serial killing and mass murder of innocent\ncivilians committed by the LTTE. No condemnation. A document that is more\nappropriate to the proceedings of a ‘ Kangaroo Court’ than the hallowed\nprecincts of a UN related international institution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

UNHRC is now engaged in a shameless and morally indefensible\nexercise of white washing the LTTE and giving the status of Martyrdom to\nPrabhakar an. How would India respond if the UN system  recognized Godse,\nwho killed Mahatma Gandhi, as a Martyr? The LTTE is no different. Its hands are\nstained with the blood of Rajiv Gandhi and over 1500 lives of IPKF soldiers.\nYet the Foreign Minister of India, Jayshankar ( a Tamil from Tamilnadu) is\ntotally indifferent to the sentiments of millions of Indians who have not\nforgotten the crimes of the LTTE perpetrated against Indians both on the soil\nof India as well as Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jayshankar wants India’s foreign policy to be forged by looking\nat Sri Lanka through the lens of Tamilnadu. This is suicidal for India.\nTamilnadu is no longer an  exclusive Hindu state. Like the LTTE it pushes\nthe Agenda of the Global Church. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

India will rue the day if a Dravidastan is formed. It will lead\nto the break up of India. By supporting Tamil aspirations for a Tamil Eelam,\nIndia is committing hara kiri. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

India no longer can claim leadership of South Asia. It failed to\ngive support to a fellow South Asian country i.e. Sri Lanka, when three others\nnamely Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Maldives ( all three Muslim countries) \nshowed South Asian solidarity and voted against the Resolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

India is pushing all it’s regional neighbours to the warm\nembrace of China. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asia needs countries that  have a spine to lead this huge\ncontinent and stand up against the colonial West. The Historical \nAdversary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The East is East and the West is West. India is geographically\nin the East. Why did it not give voice to the concerns of Sri Lanka and join\nChina, Pakistan, Philippines, Venezuela, Russia, Cuba, Bolivia?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why did India join UK and USA and forget the history of\nhumiliation and plunder under the British occupation ? The natural allies of\nIndia lie in Asia and not in the West. How can India forget this reality? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We must take refuge in a value system that are non – negotiable.\nThe grundnorm of our civilization and our links to each other. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike in a western country where almost every thing is for sale\nand values have significance only when they generate profit. It is not so in\nthe East.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The image of India as a lackey of the West is causing enormous\nharm to India both within and outside India. Thanks to Jayshankar’s tribal\ndriven agenda of foreign policy making for India. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Posterity will never be kind to Indian Prime Minister Mody for\nhaving allowed a Tamilian (Jayshankar) to destroy India’ s millennial old links\nwith Sri Lanka through a flawed foreign policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Singapore’s Foreign Affairs Minister is always an Indian or a\nMalay. Never a Chinese. Likewise a Tamilian Foreign Affairs Minister for India\nwill not win the trust and confidence of Sri Lanka in respect to the latter’s\nexistential problems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tomorrow belongs to China, not India.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pakistan, Bangladesh, Maldives and the rest of South Asia know\nthat. The pattern of voting at UNHRC showed that clearly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Defiance should be the hall mark of Sri Lanka’s response to\nbullying tactics by Western colonial countries, both now and in the future. UN\nis a tool of Western Colonialism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sri Lanka can win the admiration of the entire world and put the\ncurrent leadership of India to shame for showing spine when needed. Asia’s\ndestiny is not subservience to the West. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was no greater embodiment of spine and moral courage than\nthe great Netaji Subash Chandra Bose. Why is India failing him now? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sri Lanka can become the Cuba of Asia to the accompaniment of\nunceasing applause of Asia’s teeming millions yearning for moral leadership\nwith backbone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senaka Weeraratna<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Senaka Weeraratna Cuba is one of the most admired countries in the Global South. Cuba stood up for Sri Lanka at UNHRC, with a speech calling for defiance and resistance. These are the hallmark attributes of Cuba which have won global admiration.  Likewise, China, Pakistan, Venezuela, Philippines, Bolivia and altogether eleven countries backed Sri Lanka […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[165],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-112978","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-senaka-weeraratna"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112978","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=112978"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112978\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=112978"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=112978"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=112978"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}