{"id":98130,"date":"2020-01-23T04:35:21","date_gmt":"2020-01-23T11:35:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=98130"},"modified":"2020-02-04T15:17:25","modified_gmt":"2020-02-04T22:17:25","slug":"sri-lankas-response-to-resolution-s-84-passed-by-us-senate-on-1-march-2011","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2020\/01\/23\/sri-lankas-response-to-resolution-s-84-passed-by-us-senate-on-1-march-2011\/","title":{"rendered":"Sri Lanka\u2019s response to Resolution S.84 passed by US Senate on 1 March 2011"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"380\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Senator-Bob-Casey.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-98131\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Senator-Bob-Casey.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Senator-Bob-Casey-237x300.jpg 237w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On\n4<sup>th<\/sup> March 2011, the Sri Lanka Foreign Ministry responded to the\nadopting of Resolution (S. Res 84) by US Senate. What is poignant about US\nResolution and Sri Lanka\u2019s response is the manner that the groundwork had been\nlaid to politically &amp; diplomatically corner Sri Lanka using every route\npossible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What was the purpose of US Senate\npassing resolution on Sri Lanka?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Resolution\ncalled upon GoSL to <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Establish an\nindependent international accountability mechanism to look into reports of war\ncrimes, during the war.<\/li><li>US embassy\nColombo claimed S.84 Resolution was NON-BINDING<\/li><li>US welcomed the\nLLRC (US Permanent Representative to the United\nNations Susan E. Rice in May 2010 welcomed the appointment of the LLRC)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>S.\nRes 84 which was passed today in the U.S. Senate, is what is known as a simple\nresolution.&nbsp; Although it is non-binding, it does express the concerns of\nAmerican lawmakers that the government of Sri Lanka provide a credible and fair\nmechanism of ensuring accountability for possible violations of human rights\nduring the war,\u201d &nbsp;&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Resolution\nwas presented by Senator Robert Casey of Pennsylvania &amp; co-sponsored by 11\nother Senators passed unanimously by the US Senate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dailymirror.lk\/breaking_news\/us-senate-passes-a-resolution-on-sl\/108-10124\">http:\/\/www.dailymirror.lk\/breaking_news\/us-senate-passes-a-resolution-on-sl\/108-10124<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.colombopage.com\/archive_11\/Mar03_1299136828CH.php\">http:\/\/www.colombopage.com\/archive_11\/Mar03_1299136828CH.php<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Who is Robert Casey?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.casey.senate.gov\/newsroom\/releases\/casey-expresses-alarm-over-humanitarian-crisis-in-sri-lanka\">https:\/\/www.casey.senate.gov\/newsroom\/releases\/casey-expresses-alarm-over-humanitarian-crisis-in-sri-lanka<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In March\n2009 U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) &amp; seven U.S. Senators wrote a letter to\nSecretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton regarding their concerns over the\nescalating humanitarian crisis. This followed his first hearing as Chairman of\nthe Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern &amp; South &amp;\nCentral Asian Affairs on 24<sup>th<\/sup> February 2009. The Subcommittee had\ntestimony given by Jeffrey Lunstead former envoy to Colombo, Dr. Anna Neistat (HRW)\n&amp; Bob Dietz of Committee to Protect Journalists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Senator\nCasey wrote again to Secretary Clinton in 2013 <a href=\"http:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/archives\/15578\">http:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/archives\/15578<\/a>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Sri Lanka in response through the Foreign Ministry to\nS.84 Resolution (2011)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>LLRC empowered\nthe Commission to inquire &amp; report on events upto 19<sup>th<\/sup> May 2009\n&amp; covered probe into violations of international humanitarian law &amp;\nhuman rights law.<\/li><li>LLRC conducted\nfield visits to several locations in areas of conflict to gather testimony from\naffected civilians including those in detention, rehabilitation and welfare\ncentres. LLRC has presented interim recommendations which were to be followed\nvia Inter Agency Advisory Committee <\/li><li>LLRC established\nunder Commissions of Inquiry Act (Amendment in 2008) \u2013 Article 24 empowering\nAttorney General to institute criminal proceedings based on material collected\nin the course of an investigation or inquiry by a Commission of Inquiry. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Sri Lanka reminded US\nthat its embassy in Colombo had issued a statement on 3 December 2010 welcoming\nthe President\u2019s appointment of the LLRC. Sri Lanka reminded US that\nconsideration for international measures can be considered where national\ndomestic recourse is not available. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sri Lanka Foreign\nMinistry statement also reiterated that Resolution 5.84 overlooked the \u2018capacity\nand strong track record of the LLRC as a domestic mechanism\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sri Lanka\u2019s statement\nalso highlighted the power of lobbying US bodies by \u2018motivated groups\u2019, <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sri Lanka\u2019s reference\nto \u2018motivated groups\u2019 lobbying US bodies is significant when tiger front Global\nTamil Forum read out Senator Casey\u2019s later at its event in February 2010 in\nLondon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.casey.senate.gov\/newsroom\/releases\/casey-remarks-read-at-global-tamil-forum-event\">https:\/\/www.casey.senate.gov\/newsroom\/releases\/casey-remarks-read-at-global-tamil-forum-event<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/business\/archive\/2015\/04\/how-corporate-lobbyists-conquered-american-democracy\/390822\/\">https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/business\/archive\/2015\/04\/how-corporate-lobbyists-conquered-american-democracy\/390822\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-wordpress wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-mother-jones\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"zcHvfDmljo\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.motherjones.com\/politics\/2010\/10\/congress-corporate-sponsors\/\">Who Owns Congress? A Campaign Cash Seating Chart<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;Who Owns Congress? A Campaign Cash Seating Chart&#8221; &#8212; Mother Jones\" src=\"https:\/\/www.motherjones.com\/politics\/2010\/10\/congress-corporate-sponsors\/embed\/#?secret=Al1JrISPt3#?secret=zcHvfDmljo\" data-secret=\"zcHvfDmljo\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This is how the\nSenator thanked Global Tamil Forum<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>&#8220;I\nwant to thank the Global Tamil Forum for its efforts to support the democratic\nprocess in Sri Lanka<\/em><\/strong><em>, especially during this difficult time\nin the country\u2019s history.&nbsp;&nbsp; I hope that the Sri Lankan people will be\nable to come together and focus on a common future that moves beyond war,\nterrorism and violence as means of political expression<strong>.&nbsp; I also\nwant to applaud the work of the U.S. Tamil Political Action Council. USTPAC<\/strong>\nhas raised awareness of the humanitarian crisis facing the Tamil people in Sri\nLanka and has played a constructive role in educating U.S. policymakers.&nbsp;\nI look forward to our continued cooperation and wish you a successful forum in\nLondon.&#8221;<\/em><em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It was to this GTF\nLondon event that British PM Gordon Brown &amp; Foreign\nSecretary Miliband graced endorsing commitment to GTF.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The 2010 article (reposted\nin 2014) by Daya Gamage is poignant Global Tamil Forum (GTF) endorses separate\nstate in Sri Lanka: U.S. &amp; U.K. behind GTF\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/terroristfronts.wordpress.com\/2014\/04\/22\/global-tamil-forum-gtf-endorses-separate-state-in-sri-lanka-u-s-u-k-behind-gtf\/\">https:\/\/terroristfronts.wordpress.com\/2014\/04\/22\/global-tamil-forum-gtf-endorses-separate-state-in-sri-lanka-u-s-u-k-behind-gtf\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As per article\nSenator met with Global Tamil Forum (known as World Tamil Forum) at Crown Plaza\nHotel, London on 26 March 2009. The meeting ended with a resolution recognizing\nTamil people have mandated the establishment of a\nfree, sovereign state of Tamil Eelam (in Sri Lanka) as the only enduring\nsolution\u201d and that this conference Recognizes that the Liberation Tigers of\nTamil Eelam (LTTE) are the authentic representatives of the Tamil people\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The\nGTF, TGTE and USTPAC which has <strong><em>close rapport with State Department\nofficials to influence policy makers of Western nations with heavy diplomatic\ndiscourse is on the path of creating a \u2018Kosovo-type psychology\u2019 to achieve a\nseparate independent &amp; sovereign state for the 12% minority Tamils in the\nNorthern &amp; Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Daya\nGamage described USTPAC an umbrella organization of 16 Tamil expatriate\norganizations in the United States\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As per\nDaya Gamage USTPAC has <em>already convinced\nMr. Robert Blake and others in the State Department that the only redress the\nTamil minority could get is by achieving \u2018self-determination\u2019 of the Tamil\npeople and self rule\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>USTPAC\nhad met State Dept officials on 11 August 2009 in Washington. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is\nalso no surprise that Senator Casey is US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton\u2019s\npoint man for Asian Region in Congress and Senator Casey is also close to\nRobert Blake who was peddling for maximum devolution to the North &amp; East.\nAll this concern naturally aligned with the US Pivot to Asia policy &amp; US\nsilent agreement that Eelam in North would give US the Eastern theatre! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What a\ncocktail \u2013 Blake, Rudrakumaran, USTPAC, US Tamil Diaspora \u2013 all with access to\nChief of Staff of Sen Patrick Leahy, Chairman of Judiciary Committee, Chairman\nof Sub-Committee on Foreign Operations, State Dept &amp; Foreign Assistance\nresponsible for suspending military &amp; drastically reducing economic\nassistance which included removal of Millennium Grant to Sri Lanka. So we must\nnow wonder if MCC is part of the continuation of their bigger project to\nbifurcate Sri Lanka using \u2018concern for Tamils as a smokescreen\/camouflage\u2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is\nno better a time than to realize that these so-called foreign Tamil lobbies\ndrumming \u2018concern for Tamils\u2019 are simply pawns of the West carrying out what\nthe West in return for filling their coffers via its international networks.\nThe West keeps these entities in check by frequently renewing the bans on them\nand releasing annual reports which are just good for the library shelves. A\ncosmetic arrests are done just to please Sri Lanka and to reconfirm the West\u2019s\ncommitment to the bogus \u2018war against terror\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With so much of hypocrisies at play how do weaker countries handle the bigger bullies?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Shenali D Waduge<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On 4th March 2011, the Sri Lanka Foreign Ministry responded to the adopting of Resolution (S. Res 84) by US Senate. What is poignant about US Resolution and Sri Lanka\u2019s response is the manner that the groundwork had been laid to politically &amp; diplomatically corner Sri Lanka using every route possible. What was the purpose [&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-98130","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\/98130","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=98130"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98130\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=98130"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=98130"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=98130"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}