{"id":116432,"date":"2021-07-23T16:27:04","date_gmt":"2021-07-23T23:27:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=116432"},"modified":"2021-07-23T16:27:04","modified_gmt":"2021-07-23T23:27:04","slug":"open-letter-seeking-clarification-yasmin-sooka-eu-funding-for-itjp-sri-lanka-via-foundation-for-human-rights-south-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2021\/07\/23\/open-letter-seeking-clarification-yasmin-sooka-eu-funding-for-itjp-sri-lanka-via-foundation-for-human-rights-south-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"Open Letter seeking clarification: Yasmin Sooka & EU Funding for ITJP-Sri Lanka via Foundation for Human Rights South Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"

Shenali D Waduge<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

16 July 2021
Ms. Fiona Knab-Lunny
European Commission
MEMBER OF CABINET<\/strong>
+32 (0) 2 29 60220
Email:\u00a0fiona.knab-lunny@ec.europa.eu<\/a>\u00a0
cc:\u00a0cab-borrell-fontelles-contact@ec.europa.eu<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dear Ms. Fiona Knab-Lunny<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Open Letter seeking\nclarification: Yasmin Sooka & EU Funding for ITJP-Sri Lanka via Foundation\nfor Human Rights South Africa<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This email letter is to seek\nclarification and appropriate action by you with regard to Yasmin Sooka former\nExecutive Director of Foundation for Human Rights who via this EU-Funded entity\ncreated for the people of South Africa, was administering an entity called\nInternational Truth & Justice Project-Sri Lanka and issuing more reports\nagainst Sri Lanka than the work she was paid to do by EU for FHR-South\nAfrica. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The primary question is did EU\nsanction Yasmin Sooka to create ITJP-Sri Lanka under FHR-South Africa? If so,\ncan you explain why an EU funded project for South Africa should plug a project\nthat is anti-Sri Lanka? Sri Lanka & South Africa are located in two\ndifferent continents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yasmin Sooka was an EU employee\nin 2001 & became the Executive Director of the Foundation for Human Rights\nSouth Africa (formed by EU-South African Govt in 1996)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Foundation is funded by EU\n& Belgium & receives funding from Ireland CARE, UN bodies & even\nAmerican Foundation. The foundation\u2019s scope of work\nis SOUTH AFRICA n<\/strong>ot Sri Lanka.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her position as Executive\nDirector of FHR-South Africa ended in September 2019 but her position as\nDirector ITJP-SL continues \u2013 is she still being paid by EU via FHR & why?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can a EU funded South\nAfrican human rights project administer another project (International Truth\n& Justice Project-Sri Lanka since 2014) that has nothing to do with South\nAfrica or South Africans? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If EU is funding human rights\ninitiatives in South Africa via the Foundation for Human Rights who allowed\nITJP to be administered through the Foundation for Human Rights? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the EU paid for Sooka to\nfunction as Executive Director of FHR did the EU also pay for her to function\nas Director ITJPSL within the FHR? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is this funding approved by EU\ntax payers? (2 salaries?)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Was EU funding for FHR-South\nAfrica, used for ITJP-Sri Lanka with or without EU knowledge by Yasmin\nSooka? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is the EU aware that Yasmin\nSooka is\/was Executive Director of FHR while also being head of\nITJP-SL?  http:\/\/www.itjpsl.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If EU is not funding ITJP(SL)\nwhich is administered within FHR why is EU allowing ITJP-SL to be administered\nthrough FHR-South Africa? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/www.fhr-mirror.org.za\/?ccm_paging_p_b2194=3<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/itjpsl.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Though Sooka relinquished\nduties as Executive Director of FHR in September 2019, the ITJPSL reports on\nSri Lanka has only increased. Is FHR really involved in South Africa or\nchurning reports against Sri Lanka via ITJPSL?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From 2014-2021 (7 years), the\nITJPSL and Sooka has issued a record breaking 164 reports on Sri Lanka in English,\nTamil & Sinhalese. How many reports has she issued on South Africa? South\nAfricans should start counting!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the connection with EU\nfunded FHR & ITJP(SL) Sri Lanka?  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/www.fhr.org.za<\/a>(put\na search for the name ITJPSL on Foundation for Human Rightswebsite \u2013 all\nthat appears is sorry, but nothing matched your search items\u201d<\/em>)  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If FHR website does not mention ITJPSL \u2013 how can ITJP-SL on its website claim that it is\nbeing administered by FHR & its Executive Director Sooka? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(pl note that since 2021 the\nITJPSL introduction has been changed. Below a screen shot of previous\nintroduction is given as proof)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As per Sigrid Rausing Trust\nwebsite from 2014 to March 2019 the Sigrid Rausing Trust has given \u00a3471,500 to\nITJP (Sri Lanka) and a further \u00a3300,000 from 1st<\/sup>April 2019 to 2020.\nBut the Trust\u2019s NewsStories from 2013 to 2020 does not cover a single story on\nSri Lanka.  <\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Highlighting some of her biased\n& controversial reports via ITJP-SL<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7     ITJP-SL 2014 report gave 40\nselected cases most of whom were former LTTE illegal combatants seeking asylum\nin UK. This report was funded by the British Foreign Office through the Bar\nHuman Rights Committee of England & Wales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7     In June 2018 Yasmin Sooka &\nITJP-SL submitted a list of 351 missing persons to the Office of Missing\nPersons Sri Lanka (inspite of Sooka & ITJP claiming 40000-200,000\ndead\/missing in Sri Lanka\u2019s conflict) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her association with other\nanti-Sri Lanka campaigns <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7     Advisory Council Member of Sri\nLanka Campaign for Peace & Justice along with anti-SL documentary maker\nCallum MaCrae of Channel 4 UK. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7     2013 \u2013 she was a guest speaker\nat Global Tamil Forum (proscribed as LTTE front by the Government of Sri Lanka\nin April 2014). She was introduced as \u2018comrade\u2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7     2013 \u2013 Yasmin Sooka called upon\nCommonwealth Heads of Government to boycott CHOGM in Sri Lanka & praised\nCanada for boycotting. This is not how a public figure presumably unbiased\nconducts herself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7     2014 \u2013 Yasmin Sooka joined a\npetition (2nd<\/sup>signatory) by Sri Lanka Campaign for Peace &\nJustice http:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/archives\/28557<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7     2014 \u2013 Yasmon Sooka endorsed\nanother report against Sri Lanka http:\/\/cja.org\/downloads\/Crimes%20Against%20Humanity%20in%20Sri%20Lanka_s%20Northern%20Province.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7     2014 March \u2013 Yasmin Sooka\nwrites an article to the Mail & Guardian about \u2018White Vans\u201d \u2013 she has never\neven landed in Sri Lanka but she cannot name anyone who she claims to have\n\u2018disappeared\u2019 http:\/\/mg.co.za\/article\/2014-03-31-sri-lanka-living-in-fear-of-the-white-vans<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ITJPSL had to make an apology\nto Brig. Ravindra Dias for wrongfully using his picture claiming it to be Maj.\nGen. Suresh Salley, the Director of State Intelligence Service. Maj. Gen.\nSuresh Salley is taking legal action against Sooka separately!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

To cover up this embarrassment,\nher outfit is now targeting patriotic diaspora groups and singling out\nindividuals figuring prominently to safeguard the sovereignty of Sri\nLanka. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a public figure and the\nmanner Yasmin Sooka has been issuing reports against Sri Lanka without even\nvisiting Sri Lanka, we have every right to raise questions as to why she is so\nparticular about only Sri Lanka over & above every other country in the world,\nincluding the countries she serves as Member of Truth Commissions etc. We find\nthis concern\u201d for Sri Lanka by her very puzzling and her actions questionable.\nShe became involved with Sri Lanka in 2010 as one of former UNSG Ban Ki Moon\u2019s\npersonally selected 3 panel members for his personally commissioned report on\nSri Lanka after the conflict ended in 2009. This report was leaked to the\npublic in 2011 and in 2013 became referred to as a \u2018comrade\u2019 by a pro-LTTE\nGroup designated and banned as a LTTE front in 2014. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be that as it may, the EU funds\nglobal initiatives using EU tax payers money. It is appropriate for the\nMinisters in charge to see if funds sent by EU for social initiatives in South\nAfrica have been used against Sri Lanka as well as answer how the FHR-South\nAfrica funded by EU can operate an entity called ITJP-SL of which Sooka is head\nwhen FHR-South Africa website has no records of ITJP-SL or links to it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can you please be kind enough\nto respond to any of the questions raised, or in the least commence an inquiry\nto ascertain the validity of the questions posed to you in this mail. We find\nit very strange that an international public figure who has never been to Sri\nLanka and was involved with Sri Lanka only after 2010, could hate Sri Lanka so much\nto use her position in a manner that citizens of Sri Lanka find hurtful in view\nof the conclusions she promotes internationally using her public office. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, we would like the EU\nto make clear of the links between FHR-South Africa & ITJP-Sri Lanka an\nexplanation as to why EU would fund ITJP-SL within the FHR-SA and why FHR-SA\ndoes not carry any mention or link to ITJP-SL in its records\/website yet\nITJP-SL claims it is administered via FHR-SA with Yasmin Sooka functioning as\nExecutive Director of FHR from 2001-2019(Sept) and Director of ITJP-SL from\n2014 to present (based on the reports)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanking you<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shenali D Waduge<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sri Lanka <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Shenali D Waduge 16 July 2021Ms. Fiona Knab-LunnyEuropean CommissionMEMBER OF CABINET+32 (0) 2 29 60220Email:\u00a0fiona.knab-lunny@ec.europa.eu\u00a0cc:\u00a0cab-borrell-fontelles-contact@ec.europa.eu\u00a0 Dear Ms. Fiona Knab-Lunny Open Letter seeking clarification: Yasmin Sooka & EU Funding for ITJP-Sri Lanka via Foundation for Human Rights South Africa This email letter is to seek clarification and appropriate action by you with regard to Yasmin Sooka […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-116432","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-shenali-waduge"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116432","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=116432"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116432\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=116432"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=116432"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=116432"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}