A new report by Amnesty International released today accuses the Sri Lankan government of covering up war crimes, committed by its military, at the end of the country’s civil conflict in 2009. But why is it publishing now?
By Richard Walker
The document adds to the already sizeable body of criticism levelled at President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), established in May 2010. In no way, says Amnesty, does the Commission represent a credible investigation.
“The Sri Lankan government has, for almost two years, used the LLRC as its trump card in lobbying against an independent international investigation. Officials described it as a credible accountability mechanism, able to deliver justice and promote reconciliation. In reality it's flawed at every level: in mandate, composition and practice,” writes Amnesty International’s Asia Pacific Director, Sam Zarifi.
The report comes at a time of increasing pressure on Colombo – a UN investigative team recommended a full investigation into the actions of military leaders on both sides of the conflict after it visited the country earlier this year. Added to this is credible evidence, revealed by international media, of serious human rights abuses ranging from the shelling of civilian hospitals to the systematic rape and execution of prisoners of war.
Shot in the dark
Amnesty is critical of the LLRC at every level, not least of the Commission’s 2010 interim report for not containing any recommendations on addressing human rights abuses.
However, the LLRC’s stated purpose is to compile a final report detailing the thousands of testimonies it claims to have gathered, and publish it in November.
“We feel it is premature to critique a report that has still not been written”, said the spokesman for the LLRC, Lakshman Wickremasinghe.
When asked why Amnesty had launched its attack now and not after the LLRC had produced its final report spokesman Yolanda Foster said: “We’re publishing this report now as a wake up call to UN member states that they must act on the … credible evidence of very serious crimes that happened at the end of the war and (the UN) recommended an independent international investigation”.
Rising shun
Sri Lanka’s LLRC points out it has tried to engage with Amnesty on the issue of its inquiry: “We invited Amnesty to come and see our work when the Commission was established but we regret they did not deem it important to attend… so it’s not our business to respond to any Amnesty report at this stage”, said LLRC spokesman Lakshman Wickremasinghe.
Amnesty’s response is that it pointed out key failures of the Commission’s structure a year ago but got no response from Colombo so decided to refuse an invitation to testify. It seems Amnesty is no mood for any form of reconciliation now: The international community “should not be deceived by the LLRC as a genuine accountability mechanism, it has been set up by the government to buy time in order to contain international pressure for real accountability for what happened in the final months of the war”, said AI’s Yolanda Foster.
RNW’s International Justice Desk will next week be following the Netherlands’ first trial of alleged Tamil Tiger activists accused of raising funds for terror
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LLRC report is prepared for Sri Lanka as it is a sovreign country and their report is not prepared for other countries like UK Canada, Austrailia and Europe. We do not want a independant report by Human Rights because the organisations such as Amenesty, Human Rights and European countries are lobbied by LTTE Diaspora. They offer money to these organisation and all the European Countries have made this issue as a commercial venture. Therefore, LLRC is formed to find out all incidents and malpractices occured during the last 30 years not only last 9 months. Sri Lanka is a democratic country and we stand by what we say. Western Countries did not stop LTTE walking away from nogociation table and they wanted Sri Lanka to be divided. It was LTTE who started this problem by killing 19 soldiers and the west put a blind eye. What a shame.
vijith arunasiri bandulahewa
9 October 2011 - 10:36pm / srilanka
reply
as we know India divided by the British in 1947. as well as they wanted to divide the Srilanka. they firstly ( up to 1995 chief of the Srilanka government intelligence was British officer (MI6) and most of other officers are Catholics which hate the Buddhist and the country) create a clash between Sinhalese and Tamils in July 1983,after that Tamils got the sympathy of the entire world,as well as Tamil youth formed the several armed groups like EROS,PLOT.. etc against the government. after destroying the every Tamil guerrilla organisations other than LTTE and continue war about 30 years the reason for this was govt intelligence give each and every support to the LTTE not to the srilankan forces.as well as each and every bomb blast and killings done by the LTTE with the help of government intelligence service. after come in to the power (bodujaya sena party) we claim the cost of the war (2300 billion rupees, the government estimate)and cost of the damage to the economy of the country and people of the forces as well as north and east Tamils, Sinhalese and Muslims from the BRITISH GOVERNMENT.
Vijith Arunasiri Bandulahewa,leader and secretary of the bodujaya sena party www.sinhalayani.com
vijith arunasiri bandulahewa
9 October 2011 - 10:36pm / srilanka
reply
as we know India divided by the British in 1947. as well as they wanted to divide the Srilanka. they firstly ( up to 1995 chief of the Srilanka government intelligence was British officer (MI6) and most of other officers are Catholics which hate the Buddhist and the country) create a clash between Sinhalese and Tamils in July 1983,after that Tamils got the sympathy of the entire world,as well as Tamil youth formed the several armed groups like EROS,PLOT.. etc against the government. after destroying the every Tamil guerrilla organisations other than LTTE and continue war about 30 years the reason for this was govt intelligence give each and every support to the LTTE not to the srilankan forces.as well as each and every bomb blast and killings done by the LTTE with the help of government intelligence service. after come in to the power (bodujaya sena party) we claim the cost of the war (2300 billion rupees, the government estimate)and cost of the damage to the economy of the country and people of the forces as well as north and east Tamils, Sinhalese and Muslims from the BRITISH GOVERNMENT.
Vijith Arunasiri Bandulahewa,leader and secretary of the bodujaya sena party www.sinhalayani.com
There is no doubt in my mind that European Courts are one of the best in the world for independence judiciary and the Dutch court will deliver the verdict based on the facts that were presented to them.
Lawyers must provide full details of the Tamils' struggle for equality, justice, rule of law, R2P and human rights since independence from the British. Prior to colonial rulers Tamils had their own kingdom. As the Tamil leaders during the independence period were too cozy with the Sinhala leaders and living among Sinhala in Colombo, they opted for a united country and failed to request the British for the Tamil homeland. Thus, the Tamil leaders have betrayed the Tamils by trusting DS Senanayake and others who promised that the Tamils will be treated equally. It is very clear that Mohd Jinna of Pakistan, a great leader has achieved by requesting for a separate Pakistan from the British. Former Tamil leaders' incoorect decision, trusting the Sinhala who had racist inner motive of Sinhala nationalism, paved the way for Tamils' bloodshed and sufferings at the hands of the Sinhala Apartheid Buddhist hooligans and regime.
The politics in India will change. Like Jeyalalithaa, one day India will have a strong and vibrant Hindu nationalist leader in power, then it will become time for the Sinhala to receive the pain and the sufferings;
The Sinhala must not forget that Rajiv Gandhi has ordered the Indian Air Force planes fly over Tamils areas in support of the Tamils struggle that made Sinhala hooligans and their racist forces like chickens. No solution to the ethnic crisis or Sinhala Buddhist Apartheid mindset means more bloodshed and sufferings to the orinary people - Tamils and the Sinhala. What you do, will come back to you - Lord Buddha
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