Every two years the leaders of the Commonwealth countries meet to discuss issues of common interest. In recent years the discussion has focused increasingly on the future of the institution itself. Are the values the commonwealth is founded on still intact? The election of Sri Lanka to host the meeting in 2013 suggests values are wavering. Can the commonwealth still be taken serious when its chair is under investigation for war crimes?
Sri Lanka was set to host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) this year. Because the country is recovering from the war, the candidature was postponed to 2013.
The member states are meeting today in Perth, Australia, but they refuse to discuss another postponement of Sri Lanka's hosting the CHOGM – despite the country's foot-dragging on investigating war crimes allegations.
Letter
In the run-up to the Perth meeting, an international group of NGOs have drafted a letter urging member states to rethink Sri Lanka’s candidature for 2013-2015. The NGOs declare:
We believe that the moment to re-consider Sri Lanka’s suitability as a host for Commonwealth’s most emblematic meeting must be at Perth. The Heads must take into account the consistent intransigence of the government of Sri Lanka and the lack of investigations or progress on impunity within the country since the 2009 decision to postpone CHOGM.
One of the 11 NGOs that has signed the letter is the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI). Its director Maja Daruwala believes a postponement is not just in the interest of the Commonwealth, but also of Sri Lanka itself.
“In this circumstance where there are serious allegations against the regime, it’s sensible to postpone it. Also, these conferences cost a lot of money, Sri Lanka is going through rehabilitating its population, and it’s recovering from the war. It wouldn’t be wise”, she says.
“You can easily postpone this meeting again. At least do that much. It would send out a strong signal about the values of the Commonwealth.”
Suspended
The Commonwealth is an intergovernmental organization of countries that share the same values of rule of law, democracy and human rights. But not all of the 54 member states have performed equally well on the human rights front.
Sri Lanka is certainly not the only member state that is struggling. Pakistan was suspended twice. Following Pervez Musharraf’s coup in 1999 the country was suspended until 2004 when the constitution was restored. But it was suspended again, more briefly this time, when Musharraf called a state of emergency for six months.
Though still considered a member state, Fiji is currently ‘fully suspended’, which means it is excluded from sports events, meetings and assistance programmes.
“There hasn’t been any talk of suspending Sri Lanka from the CW, but there are groups that are asking for it. There are other countries like Rwanda, Cameroon and Gambia which also have really bad human rights records. The truth is that the Commonwealth hasn’t really pursued human rights the way it should,” says Maja Daruwala of CHRI.
Reform
If Sri Lanka's hosting of the CHOGM goes ahead, some delegations have already called for a boycott of the meeting. Sri Lanka’s candidature exposes underlying problems with the current structure of the institution. All this comes at a time when the Commonwealth is examining what its real role is in this modern world.
Maja Daruwala: “An Eminent Persons Group has been asked by the CWHOG how the Commonwealth can renew itself. They have strongly said that everything the Commonwealth is doing should enhance its basic principles. They have suggested that the Commonwealth should have a commissioner for human rights.”
But this suggestion is strongly opposed by India and Sri Lanka. Both countries are reluctant to have an outsider investigate internal affairs.
On Amnesty International’s website, the rights group's Asia-Pacific Deputy Director Madhu Malhotra writes:
"Today Commonwealth leaders are faced with a choice – reform the Commonwealth so that it can effectively address human rights violations by its members, or risk becoming irrelevant."
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Nothing is going right for Eelamists.
Emmanuel, the Reverend who said God has a separate place in heaven for LTTE martyrs had been refused entry to India. Rajaratnam, the benefactor of LTTE terrorism is set in jail for a long time in the USA, 5 rump LTTE extortionists were convicted in Netherland. Exhilaration fashioned by moving images made in Ch4 and others pseudo freedom studios are fading away as bogus propaganda. Damilvany, Meena and all other terrorist accomplices have turned out to be faked eyewitnesses or hoaxes at best. And the last so far, Jagadeeswaran had to eat kangaroo meet in Australian court.
We know ythat rump LTTE would keep at it, but let us tell them, neither Velu nor his double will ever be back in Sri Lanka. I pity not for those who live in the west but those ordinary Tamils who live among us in Sri Lanka.
Leela
What a farce. Bush, Blair and Howard are not War Criminals?
What is the difference in COLLATERAL damage when its done by whites vs. browns? No difference - just dead civilians.
as a self confessed sinhalies, ltte is god gifted to regain the sinhala discourse. If you get rajapakse in to trable with so call war crime, this will further the sentiment. pump it up and watch overseas punters if you think this is the rock bottem you haven't seen half of it. if this happens even i will get a chance to feel sorry for tamils in sri lanka.
Oh we should not be worried about this because soon the world will know the truth. The Tamils have a cast system upper class, the lower class then educated class will have the common-sense to think, upper class will not want any trubel but just live picefully then we get the lower class "loony tunes" we see them out on streets protesting Terri sing Innocent people and doing all immoral things under the sun and they will come out and say, we get molested by Singhalese they kill us they hares’ us we need justice. Well news flash the bad the ugly will not win they might win the moment but GOOD will triumph at the end..
all economic makers are improving in sri lanka dispite ones belief. come and see for your self if you wish, only as a friend. security! security! security! is the key. our defence budget is not enough, has to go up to 20% GDP.
no one has so far pointed out a contry who hasn't breached "humen rights". UN, G8, EU, CHOGM, amnasty international, varies religion etc. etc. are tools to fight for limied resources. if their is an absolute truth, it should be able to apply any time, any place to any individual. only thing remotly applicable in this nature, to us is survival of the fittest. in the current atmosphere briging legitimacy to course correction which took place in sri lanka in may 2009 may be the only use of CHOGM. belive me this will be good for you tamils as well. disenfranchise minorities lives in well to do contries should sought answers to their own frustretions without further distroying their impoverish ralatives with their spare chang. to me this is like watching a bull fight or something similer you do for you animalistic primitive gratitude
Tamils in SL got and still get to study their language, religion in any given government school or university for free. All signs around the country are in Sihala, Tamil and English.
Why are they not demanding this from State governments in the US, Canada, UK, AUS, Norway, Germany and France. Tamil signs, Tamil education, religious places in every corner. If you do not get it, that means you are discriminated.
Or is not too long till you raise your demands. Tamils cannot fit in to any society unless it's for their own advantage.
This Tamils do all the crimes in Sri Lanka and then go to western countries and talk about human rights in Sri Lanka. Some tiger terrorist killed so many innocent civilians, even small kids, by swording in remote Sinhalese villages and now live happily under the protection of western countries. It is ridiculous these countries talk about human rights in Sri Lanka. What human rights this terrorists are talking about? killing Sinhalese as they like using bullets and suicide attacks? First thing Australia must do to to protect human rights is to find their past and bring them before the court. But what is they doing is grant them refugee status and make way to live them happily among rest of lawful citizens. Is it safe for other people?Why I am wasting my tax money and elect a government who protect terrorists and grant them rufugge status and see this unnecessary protest? Use you vote wisely next time.
Dave
Well said mate. We as the majority Sinhalese have to fight hard to protect our country. No one knows how amy innocent, and well educated high ranking politician, Doctors, etc was killed by ruthless LTTE. Our family members were killed Colombo by suicide bombs.
Well done MR and his team for their courage and leadership to crush LTTE
Thanks,
Jim
we we the people talk about the brutal massacre you did, why can't you answer that? Oh, you are justifying like your superman does!
Noted that the 2 Human Rights activists quoted....
full of false accusations against Sri Lanka.
Maja Daruwala...Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative..
Madhu Malhotra....Amnesty International...
are both either of Indian Nationality / Indian Origin....
perhaps they would be better looking at the....
Human Rights violations of the Caste System...
both in India....also among the Tamil people...
Stop bullying Sri Lanka !!!!
Suddenly, this useless organisation start probing human rights? As everyone know this CHOGM is remnants of memories of queens empire building attempt in past. There was mass human right violation and exploition carried out by Britain against other people in past. So, it is hilarious what they talking against Sri Lanka or any other country.Also, it was queen that sent Tamils as slaves to other countries to work for them by force. So, what is the first country should kicked out from CHOGM ? UK.
Also, they have forget everything in the recent past. They talking about war crimes around the world like they were in a deep sleep.Where was the real war criminals in this century. Adolfo hitler was dead. But where was George Bush, Tony Blair and John Howard ? Everyone know they are the war criminals living under cover and carried out the war that killed thousands innocent people in Middle East and Afganistan. So, this CHOGM should first expel Australia ,UK and Canada. Australia should not given any chance to host any event.Member countries must boycot Australia. It has worst human right records against Aborigine people.So , this organisation CHOGM is just a queens comedy festival. It is better member countries (other than imperialist) to form a new organisation and work for their benefit than to be victim of imperialist agenda.
People from other nations must boy cot Australia or UK having any event such as CHOGM or Olympics. Reasons for this is listed as follows
1 War against Muslim countries killed thousands in Iraq,Afghanistan , Libya and other countries.
2 Did not prosecute War criminals in their countries (John Howard, Tony Blair) .But queen act like she do not know anything.
3 Crimes against native aborigine people in Australia , Canada and New Zealand and their land grabbing by force.
4 Help the terrorist organizations such as LTTE , Libya rebels to organize against democratically elected governments around the world.
5 Hundred years exploitation and crime against countries nations around the world by British empire . Still conspiring to destroy and rule these countries using various genocidal tactics.
This is short list of crimes by these countries against other nations.This CHOGM is useless for other nations. It is lead by countries and leaders that plenty of blood in their hands.UK , Australia must expel from this organization or member their member nation must form different organization that benefit them but not victim of queen.
THERE ARE 2 Democrcies inthe world 1. usa uk and Australia where unemployed are paid a dole. 2.Rest of the world people have to struggle to exist by stealing or begging.Human rights are good for the people who gets the dole.
THERE ARE 2 Democrcies inthe world 1. usa uk and Australia where unemployed are paid a dole. 2.Rest of the world people have to struggle to exist by stealing or begging.Human rights are good for the people who gets the dole.
There is no end to the suffering of Tamils in this Island. No matter who comes to power, the root cause of the conflict will again be ignored by the rulers of Sri Lanka deliberately to keep the majority happy and continuing the Genocide. By introducing new regulations on visa requirements, land registration, Govt. blocking over a million Tamils who escaped to the world, returing to their native places. They are taking Tamils land & simply doing the ethnic cleansing. But the whole world is watching but doing nothing to stop the Genocide. In the name of greese devil, singhala army terrorising the whole minority.
What is the different between Tamil civilion and libiyan civilion or others. Over 40,000 Tamils were killed in 2009. Un did nothing, but in liyia???
Massacres of Tamils by Sri lanka State Terror from 1956
http://www.topix.com/forum/world/sri-lanka/TPHS2BRT61CRONBGP
check the killing field
Sri Lanka’s Killing fields
http://www.topix.com/forum/world/sri-lanka/T5PQIBOKUK2M2SFJK
sri lanka should increse the defence budget to 20% of GDP as any other country to defend the constitution of sri lanka agenst all enemies both forgien and domestic.
OK, increase the defence budget and let 90% of your countrymen become malnourished. Your thirdworld Pariah state is already broke and investigation into Human rights violation pending. You keep borrowing from all the other human rights violators and in 50 years there wouldn't be any Srilanka
At least we have a country, jacka*s. You can lick the white man's arses in the West while they shove their boots down your throats.
sri lanka should increse the defence budget to 20% of GDP as any other country to defend the constitution of sri lanka agenst all enemies both forgien and domestic.
can anybody point out to me a contry in this word with human rights?
justic and survival of the fittest cannot meet, one person cannot be equal to another
to the good or bad we are stuck in this island. no body from overseas did suffer the hardship of war. they were cheering for a dog fight, bets are being placed with spare change especially by frustrated underachieved immigrent minorities who do not want to do a root cause analysis for their problems. be careful,this is not rock bottom yet.
try to gain the problem solving skills, hey you may not even want to divide the country
There is no such a thing as human rights. Look around you. Only universal truth is survival of the fittest! Some people are more "equal" than the others in this world. We cannot go back in time.
I am not opressed or supressed. I will vote time and time out the current rajapaksa regime, untill a viable alternative is there, for making my cuntry stable, safe for my children who can come home without having to worry about suicide bombing and mindless violence in our country. I never belive this was possible untill may 2009.
when unintelligent masses try to resolve difference in opinion they go to war. Then it is a necessary evil.
My fellow tamil citizens, if you take the current regeim out of the equation you are going to force the next vible force in line to come to power, which is the army forces. Now you have alredy antagonized the army by branding army elite as war criminels.
Your overses living ex-ralatives can be that vicious, indifferent and hateful toward you to lead you on this distructve path. They hate themselves first.
Look in the mirror and ask your self how did we got there. Blaming everyone else for selecting leader who cannot see the broader picture is your fault. Lot of overseas living minorities are living in this idea of returning back to live in their retirment as elite among you, frustrated for their under achievemets due to obvious social, racial fabric. For what its worth We all get the leaders we deserved in a democracy. You have to blame your self for not having a "Arab Spring" for 30 years against your own dictator.
Only Buddhism devides the Eelam/Hela population. Buddhist Monks urges the Buddhist converted Eela/Hela people to kill the Indigeonus People. Monks uses Govt forces, thugs and even Adult Monks(without robes) to terrorise the Indigenous Population. They actively killed the Indigenous People during the 1958,1977 and 1983 Communal Genocidal Riots.
Sri Lanka must be outcasted from not only Common Wealth Countries, even from United Nations as the Barbaric Behavioural Killings of Indigneous and other Religious people.
Submission before Lessons Learnt & Reconciliation Committee (LLRC) by Chandra Jayaratne, 23 September 2010: ‘’Years of inequitable allocation of national resources and consequential disparities in regional economic development, infrastructure development and public service delivery have sown the seeds of discontent and disillusionment leading to conflict, insurrections of the South and the North and even the armed struggle towards a separate administration ....
…….. IDP’s being denied access to their former places of residence
Challenging the right to title of the properties traditionally owned and /or occupied persons living in conflict affected areas
Large tracts of previously occupied lands being demarcated as high security zones
Unjustified land acquisitions on security considerations but allocated for non security related purposes
The publicly announced resettlement benefits to internally displaced persons not being distributed equitably and in line with the announced scheme
Lack of basic amenities like water, sanitation, power and proper housing for the newly resettled families
Resource allocation not determined on community priorities and allocated without consultation and outside the need base and at times missing the most vulnerable and in need, possibly due to identity based biases
Some areas like Jaffna receiving more than necessary resource allocations and peripheral areas lacking in even basic allocations
Preventing willing and capable NGO’s/INGO’s, international community and Diaspora from helping people in need at their most vulnerable moment of need
Building of new permanent military cantonments with residential facilities for military personnel and their families
Plans to settle majority community families in order to change the traditional area demography otherwise than by natural development oriented migration
Arbitrary arrests and detention in the post war period as well
Continuing active engagement of unauthorized armed groups
Continuing disappearances of civilians
List of persons in custody, camps and detention centres not being made public
Failure to assist families in tracing missing persons
Negative impact on civilians during the conflict due military excesses
Unease of single women headed families fearing for their safety in the presence of large number of armed personnel of the forces
Removal of burial sites of persons affected by the conflict
Some important cultural, religious and remembrance sites being damaged and destroyed
Disrespect shown by visitors to holy sites and sites held in high esteem by resident communities
Free availability of liquor, cigarettes and narcotics
Emerging consumerism promoted by business houses who fail to participate in adding value to the civilian communities
Savings of the region being channelled to other areas whilst unmet needs of area community remain
Decision making in the hands of the military or officials from the Central Government. .…’’
(Jayaratne is a member of the Board of Directors of the International Centre for Ethnic Studies and a former President of Ceylon Chamber of Commerce)
No war, no peace: the denial of minority rights and justice in Sri Lanka, Report by Minority Rights Group International, 19 January 2011:
With the end of the conflict between Sri Lankan government forces and the Liberation Tigers for Tamil Eelam (LTTE or ‘Tamil Tigers’) in 2009, normality has returned for much of the population of Sri Lanka. But for members of the country’s two main minority groups – Tamils and Muslims – living in the north and east of the country, harsh material conditions, economic marginalisation, and militarism remain prevalent. Drawing on interviews with activists, religious and political leaders, and ordinary people living in these areas of the country, MRG found a picture very much at odds with the official image of peace and prosperity following the end of armed conflict. .... In light of the findings of this report MRG calls on the government of Sri Lanka to respect the economic, cultural and political rights of minorities living in Sri Lanka and to ensure that they gain from post-conflict reconstruction and development projects in the areas where they live. Failure to do so may have long-term repercussions for peace and stability in the country. .... The UN Independent Expert on Minority Issues should be granted an invitation by the government to visit the country in order to report to the United Nations Human Rights Council on the situation of minorities in Sri Lanka.’’
(UN Special Rapporteurs for i. Extrajudicial Killings, ii. Enforced Disappearances and iii. Freedom of Opinion and Expression have also been waiting for years to visit Sri Lanka.)
http://www.llrc.lk/images/stories/docs/Sep2010/K%20Godage.pdf
K.Godage(former Sri Lankan diplomat) addresses LLRC, 15 September 2010:
‘’….The Tamils have undergone, and are undergoing immense hardship. We need to reach out to them…. We have persistently discriminated against the Tamil people from 1956…. There is no reason for any one to be insecure, as a result of giving into the reasonable demands of the Tamil people. .... Now I must tell you of a very, very sad situation, particularly bad and dangerous situation. We have in our prisons over 2000 young Tamil men. Some of them have been taken on suspicion. Just picked up and taken. In detention without charges for years, Sir, for years ….’’
http://www.llrc.lk/images/stories/docs/August2010/Mangala%20Moonasinghe.pdf
Mr. Mangala Moonasinghe to LLRC, 17 August 2010:
‘’… so, who started terrorism – it was we – and then gradually naturally the youth, Tamil youth, went into terrorism in the north. … So terrorism did not come on its own. We created them sir, we created them. ….’’ (Moonasinghe is a former Sri Lankan diplomat and MP)
A large number of Sinhalese have been telling LLRC that successive governments have been oppressing the ethnic minoritiesfrom the time of independence till today:
http://transcurrents.com/tc/2010/08/outline_of_submission_made_to.html
Jayantha Dhanapala’s written submission to Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation
Commission(LLRC), August 2010: ‘’The lessons we have to learn go back to the past – certainly from the time that we had responsibility for our own governance on 4 February 1948 . Each and every Government which held office from 1948 till the present bear culpability for the failure to achieve good governance, national unity and a framework of peace, stability and economic development in which all ethnic, religious and other groups could live in security and equality. Our inability to manage our own internal affairs has led to foreign intervention but more seriously has led to the taking of arms by a desperate group of our citizens’’. (Dhanapala is a Sinhalese and was formerly UN Under-Secretary Generak for Disarmament)
http://www.llrc.lk/images/stories/docs/August2010/LLRC-JD-Transcript.pdf
Oral submission, Jayantha Dhanapala to LLRC, 25 August 2010:’’I think we need to rectify this bad governance and the first and foremost task before us is to undertake constitutional reform in order to ensure that we have adequate devolution of power. We have already missed several opportunities in the past; we have had an APRC functioning for quite some time but its report is still languishing in obscurity and needs to be presented to the public of Sri Lanka for discussion. We need to have State reform; we need to have rule of law established; we need to ensure non discrimination amongst our citizens; we need to have – as I said before – devolution of power and a tolerance of dissent and a strengthening of democratic institutions.’’
If the terrorists prevailed, you think the "diaspora" sympathizes would be seeking justice for "human rights" abuses? What a bunch of clowns! Canada be warned these clowns will want a separate homeland in a couple of generations!
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