{"id":98125,"date":"2020-01-22T23:35:52","date_gmt":"2020-01-23T06:35:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=98125"},"modified":"2020-02-04T15:22:34","modified_gmt":"2020-02-04T22:22:34","slug":"why-is-unhrc-overlooking-report-by-colonel-anthony-gash-british-defense-advisor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2020\/01\/22\/why-is-unhrc-overlooking-report-by-colonel-anthony-gash-british-defense-advisor\/","title":{"rendered":"Why is UNHRC overlooking report by Colonel Anthony Gash (British Defense Advisor)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/col-gash-222-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-98127\" width=\"385\" height=\"217\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Lt.\nCol. Anthony Gash was UK\u2019s defense attach\u00e9 to the British High Commission in\nColombo from Feb2007 to Jun2009. He sent secret reports to the UK (upto 26\nApril 2009) which the UK Govt classified as \u2018secret\u2019. Lord Naseby challenged the\nclassification by Foreign Commonwealth Office across 3 years from the UK\nFreedom of Information Act 2000. The 39 pages obtained were heavily blackened\nbut what was not censored was enough for Lord Naseby to realize that 40,000\ndeaths did not take place thus totally negating war crimes charges the basis on\nwhich UNHRC conducted an investigation known as OISL. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Who was Lt. Colonel Anthony Gash?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Defence\nAdvisor to the British High Commission from February 2007 to June 2009<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What was\nhis job role?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Sending secret\ndespatches to the British Government<\/li><li>Training Sri\nLankan Armed Services in International Humanitarian Law in March 2008<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>British\nTransparency &amp; Lord Naseby<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"306\" height=\"549\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/4AE6768000000578-5587831-Tory_peer_Lord_Naseby_Michael_Morris_called_for_the_decision_to_-m-6_1523055517161.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-98128\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/4AE6768000000578-5587831-Tory_peer_Lord_Naseby_Michael_Morris_called_for_the_decision_to_-m-6_1523055517161.jpg 306w, https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/4AE6768000000578-5587831-Tory_peer_Lord_Naseby_Michael_Morris_called_for_the_decision_to_-m-6_1523055517161-167x300.jpg 167w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 306px) 100vw, 306px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The\nresponse by Foreign Commonwealth Office to Lord Naseby\u2019s request to release\ndespatches was thus:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8220;Lt. Col. Gash was the FCO&#8217;s\ndefense attach\u00e9 at the British Commission in Colombo during the closing stages\nof Sri Lanka&#8217;s civil war. <strong>Many of his\ndispatches contain information provided directly to him by his contacts in the\nSri Lankan government, the Sri Lankan Army or other military sources.<\/strong> His\nreports indicate, <strong>he had access to\nreports on troop movements, Sri Lankan military strategic thinking, the\nmovements of the LTTE and assessments of casualty figures<\/strong>. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The effective conduct of international\nrelations depends upon the free, frank and confidential exchange of information\nsuch as this. If the UK does not respect these confidences, then its ability to\nprotect and promote UK interests through international relations will be\nhampered which will not be in the public interest\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Lord Naseby\u2019s response to above<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>He wanted only\nclarity over events not to support anyone &amp; UK Govt too should commit to\nthat<\/li><li>British people\nhad a right to know the contents of despatches<\/li><li>It would be\ndeemed criminal to withhold relevant information from investigation given the\nallegations on war crimes with the despatches able to negate such and reconfirm\nthe SL Govt took great care to \u2018minimize civilian casualties\u2019.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Lord\nNaseby when finally given access to Col. Gash\u2019s despataches had pages and lines\nblacked out by the British authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Who read these despatches or rather who\ndidn\u2019t?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>British\nForeign Secretary David Miliband darted off to Colombo with French Foreign\nSecretary Kouchner in April 2009 \u2013 surely Miliband would have been privy to\nthese despatches?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Why\ndidn\u2019t Sri Lanka have the political will to exploit such a golden opportunity when\nLord Naseby declared his findings in the House of Lords on 12 Oct 2017. The\nentire co-sponsorship of 2015 UNHRC resolution would have fallen flat on its\nface. While the Ranil Wickremasinghe Govt downplayed the importance of Lord\nNaseby revelation, Foreign Minister Marapana acknowledged it in Mar2019 UNHRC\nsessions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Why did\nYahapalana Govt downplay Lord Naseby\u2019s revelation except make reference to it\nin March 2019 in Geneva via Foreign Minister Marapana. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What\nis poignant about Lord Naseby\u2019s findings from the despatches sent by Col. Gash\nis that after his departure in 2009 \u2013 virtually 10 years later UK sent Col.\nDavid Ashman as Resident Defense Advisor to UK mission Colombo to \u2018help Sri\nLanka military fulfill obligations undertaken under 30\/1 UNHRC Resolution\nco-sponsored by RanilW Govt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>House of Lords \u2013 12 Oct 2017 Lord\nNaseby\u2019s speech referring to the 39 despatches of Col. Anton Gash<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/hansard.parliament.uk\/Lords\/2017-10-12\/debates\/14CAA83D-8895-4182-8C4F-D964E0A5B399\/SriLanka?highlight=sri%20lanka#contribution-E1EBDAC1-5D5F-4A7F-A0E4-5A52C5FEA9DA\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>28 January 2009 : Gash dispatch to UK<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>The LTTE appear to have no options left<\/em><\/strong><em>, and the <\/em><strong><em>language\non TamilNet and other similar platforms is clearly striving for international\nintervention to force a ceasefire on the GoSL<\/em><\/strong><em>. Further civilian casualties are now inevitable as they\nno longer have options to move away from the combat zone. <\/em><strong><em>Without\nthe presence of the IDPs the LTTE would be subjected to unrestricted air and\nartillery strikes, so have no incentive to release them.<\/em><\/strong><em> <\/em><em>The <\/em><strong><em>SLA is exercising restraint<\/em><\/strong><em> but, without a change in political mood, will not hold\nback entirely.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>It is not possible to distinguish\ncivilians from LTTE cadres, as few cadres are now in military uniform.<\/strong>\u201d<\/em><em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What does Lt. Col Gash say?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>LTTE\nwas without options<\/li><li>LTTE\nmouthpiece Tamilnet was appealing for international intervention <\/li><li>Likelihood\nof LTTE not releasing any civilian hostages to protect itself from SL Army\nfire. <\/li><li>It\nwas impossible to distinguish civilians from LTTE (as they were not in LTTE uniform)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>From\nthis we should understand that LTTE took civilians with the plan to use them as\nhostages\u2019\/human shields and argue case for international intervention. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In\nProf. Roberts own words the Western nations, both individually and\ncollectively, were complicit in one of the most outstanding acts of blackmail\nthe world has seen in recent centuries.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lord\nNaseby met Lt. Col. Gash in Colombo in early 2009 and Lord Naseby was told that\nthe SL Army were proceeding in a measured way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>16 February 2009 \u2013 Col Gash on ICRC-SL\nNavy Operations in Trincomalee<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Col.\nGash and US diplomats had arrived in Trinco to visit SL Navy around 11 Feb\n2009.<\/li><li>12\nFebruary 2009 &#8211; Visit to IDP reception centre in Trincomalee <\/li><li>Commodore\nSinniah invited them to observe arrival of ICRC ship but was declined by them\nciting protocols. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What does Col. Gash say in his dispatch\nto the UK Govt <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>He observed arrival of 400 IDPs by sea\nto Trincomalee on 12 Feb evening (10p.m. on 12 Feb to 2a.m. on 13 Feb)<\/li><li>Some IDPs carried on stretcher and put\ninto vessel chartered by ICRC (he presumes transfer is agreed by LTTE as all\nIDPs had \u2018release\u2019 passes given by LTTE. Screening process done by intelligence\npersonnel including metal detector screening of bags.<\/li><li>ICRC Registration Desk provided\nstatistics and SL Navy screening was only a re-confirmation <\/li><li>SL Navy served IDPs tea \u2013 water \u2013\nbiscuits before transporting injured to Trinco General hospital and others put\nin buses to St. Anthony\u2019s School area<\/li><li>Col. Gash says operation was efficient\n&amp; effective but most importantly was carried out with compassion, respect\n&amp; concern. I am entirely certain that this was genuine \u2013 my presence, was\nnot planned and was based on a sudden opportunity; I had free access to the\n300m long stretch of beach over a 4hour period and was able to observe upwards\nof 200 SLN personnel working extremely hard in difficult conditions. Their high\nmorale was notable; they were enjoying the work and clearly finding it\nsatisfying\u201d<\/li><li>Col. Gash There were constant examples\nof thoughtful assistance ~ looking after babies while mothers were being\nsearched, helping elderly ladies or mothers of babies with their bags,\ncheerfully offering food etc. ICRC observers were present at the beach, <strong>and the ambulance point was manned by\nthe Sri Lankan Red Cross. <\/strong>I\nhad a couple of minor criticisms mainly to do with the risks that were being\ntaken; The commander explained that they had tighter security during the first\narrival 2 days earlier- more rigorous searches of the injured, more separation\nof the stages in the process- but that <strong>t<\/strong><strong>his had taken so long, and had made the\nlDPs walk further, so that the SLN simplified the operation to avoid distress\nand exhaustion among the new arrival<\/strong>s. <strong>IDPs were having their mobile phones checked but they were\nthen returned to them.\u201d<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Col. Gash  It was notable that this group\nwas injured personnel, elderly or female accompanying family members, and\nchildren under 10 years old. The only men of fighting age were missing limbs or\notherwise disabled<\/strong>\u201d<\/li><li>Col. Gash There is real risk that a suicide bomber could cause mass\ncasualties in the beach environment. <strong>I was genuinely surprised how calm the atmosphere was in the\naftermath of the suicide bomb at the Vavuniya screening centre, and by how much\ncompassion was being shown. Welfare appeared to be overriding some security\nconsiderations\u201d<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What does Lt. Col Gash say?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>He gives a glowing character\ncertificate of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces (SL Navy)<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>He gives many an example of the\ncompassion and concern shown by the SL Navy personnel in treating IDPs even\nscreening their mobiles but returning it back to them. <\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>12 March 2009 \u2013 Gash dispatch to UK <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>The<\/strong> <strong>LTTE has been forcing the\ncivilian population to move in accordance with their tactical requirements<\/strong>.<\/em><em>\n<\/em><strong><em>The NFZ is rigorously\npoliced and patrolled by LTTE cadres<\/em><\/strong><em>, <\/em><strong><em>who control access to food and medical\nfacilities<\/em><\/strong><em>, ensuring that their own needs are met\nbefore any capacity is allowed for civilians.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>All artillery is now a single brigade\nto ensure clarity of tasking.\u201d (this clearly indicated that there was\ncontrolled and clarity in using artillery)<\/strong><em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What is Lt. Col Gash trying to say?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>LTTE\nwas taking civilians with them <\/li><li>LTTE\nwas inside the no fire zone (when they had no business to be)<\/li><li>LTTE\nwas policing and patrolling the NFZ \u2013 that means civilians were prisoners <\/li><li>LTTE\ncontrolled all food and medicines that had been from Colombo to the civilians<\/li><li>LTTE\nwere distributing these food and medicines giving the LTTE &amp; their families\nfirst <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The humanitarian situation: in the NFZ\nis unpleasant.<strong> Little space, little food or medical facilities, and a brutal\nLTTE regime. <\/strong>Deaths from all causes (combat and illness) are <em>increasing and<\/em><strong> malnutrition<\/strong> is being seen. The SLA is confident that once it\nreached the edge of the NFZ the civilian population will spontaneously rush\nout, overwhelming the LTTE if necessary. \u2026 <strong><em>a line blacked out\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What is Lt. Col Gash trying to say?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Situation\nlooking grim was Gash\u2019s assessment<\/li><li>Gash\nsays civilian population would rush out \u2013 but that is an assumption only<\/li><li>Gash\nsays there is malnutrition but how does he know that? That assertion has been\ndismissed by Dr. Shanmugarajah\u2019s affidavit which says <strong>I can say that I saw very few cases of\nmalnutrition.&nbsp;They were mild to moderate in nature.\u201d<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Lets\nnot forget the opportunist Gordon Weiss from Colombo saying on 11 May 2009 that\n\u2018malnutrition levels were extremely high\u2019.<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Note: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From\nJan-Feb2009 \u2013 35,178 civilians had defied LTTE and fled by foot or by sea. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On what\nbasis was Gash claiming there was little food or medicines if he couldn\u2019t\npredict how many civilians &amp; LTTE were inside the \u2018little space\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>22 April 2009 \u2013 Gash dispatch to UK <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>TamilNet\nallegations continue along the familiar themes of attacks on orphanages,\nhospitals, cluster munitions, chemical weapons. These are no longer credible<\/strong><strong>,<\/strong> albeit there clearly have been heavy civilian casualties\nfrom small arms and mortar fire.\u201d (rest of line has been blacked out FCO)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What is Lt. Col Gash trying to say?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Gash\nadmits that Tamilnets allegations regarding attacks on hospitals, orphanages,\ncluster munitions, chemical weapons were no longer credible.<\/li><li>(Col.\nGash\u2019s statement) is supported by affidavit of Dr. V Shanmugarajah who says I\nwas on several occasions put under pressure by the LTTE International\nco-ordinator to give false death and casualty figures to the International\nMedia.&nbsp; On one occasion, the death toll that day had been 34 but I was\ninstructed to tell the media that the death toll was 534.\u201d<\/li><li>It\ncertainly should make any to wonder whether the briefings by Col. Gash who was\nin Sri Lanka, who went on occasions to inspect sites and had hands on intel\nshould be ignored and wild allegations by writers like Marie-Colvin writing\nfrom London should be accepted?<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>25 April 2009 \u2013 Gash dispatch to UK <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despatch has\nbeen blackened out by the Foreign Commonwealth Office<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>26 April 2009 \u2013 Gash dispatch to UK Assessment\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><\/strong><strong>The question is what does the SLA do\nnext?<\/strong> The lagoon\nobstacle makes it harder than before to mount a breaching operation or to\nattempt to bisect the NFZ again<strong>. It is likely that tactics will remain the\nsame \u2014 patient assessment, infiltration, then sudden and decisive action at an\nidentified weak point.<\/strong><strong>\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"223\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Gash-1-1024x223.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-98126\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Gash-1-1024x223.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Gash-1-300x65.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Gash-1-768x167.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Gash-1.jpg 1260w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Civilians killed Feb 1-Apr 26 \u2013 <strong>6432<\/strong>\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&nbsp;<\/em>(Gash Despatch quoting UN Country Team)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The\ndespatches are important as it confronts statistics and statements on the\nnature &amp; manner of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces in the manner they carried\nout the humanitarian operation whilst engaged with the LTTE terrorists. Simply because\nthese very valid evidence doesn\u2019t fit into the plot of things, the disclosures\ncannot be omitted and UNHRC and many others carrying a vendetta certainly have\nsome explaining to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Shenali D Waduge<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More\ninteresting disclosures can be read when Lord Naseby releases his memoirs <strong>Sri\nLanka:&nbsp;Paradise Lost Paradise Regained \u2013 Recollections from 50 years of a\nunique friendship between a British Politician and the people of Sri Lanka<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-link is-provider-thuppahi-039-s-blog\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/thuppahi.wordpress.com\/2018\/03\/31\/the-gash-files-i-about-lt-col-anton-gash\/\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-link is-provider-thuppahi-039-s-blog\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/thuppahi.wordpress.com\/2018\/04\/04\/the-gash-files-ii-lttes-strategic-design\/\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-link is-provider-thuppahi-039-s-blog\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/thuppahi.wordpress.com\/2018\/04\/09\/the-gash-files-iii-trapped-tamils-out-by-sea-in-2009\/\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-link is-provider-thuppahi-039-s-blog\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/thuppahi.wordpress.com\/2018\/04\/29\/reflections-interpreting-the-gash-files-iv\/\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lt. Col. Anthony Gash was UK\u2019s defense attach\u00e9 to the British High Commission in Colombo from Feb2007 to Jun2009. He sent secret reports to the UK (upto 26 April 2009) which the UK Govt classified as \u2018secret\u2019. Lord Naseby challenged the classification by Foreign Commonwealth Office across 3 years from the UK Freedom of Information [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1498,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-98125","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\/98125","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\/1498"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=98125"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98125\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=98125"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=98125"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=98125"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}