The United States is set to table a resolution against Sri Lanka at the next sitting of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva later this month. The Americans have voiced their concerns over human rights violations in Sri Lanka before, but so far had not taken the step of bringing it forward at the HRC.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has mentioned the option of a resolution in a letter to Sri Lanka’s External Affairs Minister G.L. Pieris, whom she will meet next month in Washington.
In March 2011, the US government already warned that Sri Lanka should do more to investigate the killing of many thousands of civilians during the final stages of the separatist war with the Tamil Tigers, which ended in 2009.
Tribunal
Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Robert Blake said last year that Sri Lanka could be hauled before an international war crimes tribunal if Sri Lanka’s own internal investigation did not meet international standards.
That investigation, carried out by the government’s own Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Committee (LLRC), was published in November, but it has since been met with international criticism. “The report was really, really bad,” says Fred Carver of the London-based Sri Lanka Campaign. “It lacked any accountability. Subsequently, the government failed to take any action. There was no next step, which is very necessary.”
Benefit of the doubt
Mr Carver is positive about America’s move to support a resolution against Sri Lanka at the HRC. “They’ve never been very critical of Sri Lanka, so this is new. So far there’s been a general feeling throughout the Western world that they give Sri Lanka the benefit of the doubt. This really would be a welcome change of opinion.”
Mr Carver warns that a failure of the reconciliation process could lead to a resumption of the civil war. “That could in turn lead to a new wave of international terrorism or money laundering in Europe. The world has an invested interest in Sri Lanka not returning to a civil war.”
Pressure
Alan Keenan of the International Crisis Group (ICG) says it’s clear that the international community is not satisfied with Sri Lanka’s steps towards a satisfactory reconciliation process. “The possible steps by the US and other countries at the HRC are a way of keeping pressure on Colombo,” he told RNW.
But he can understand why some countries – most notably Western countries – chose not to push too hard on what happened during the final stages of the Tamil war.
“If that had happened, they risked further inflaming passions in Sri Lanka,” Mr Keenan says, “with a risk of polarizing the communities and also strengthening the Rajapakse government.”
'Neo-colonialism'
President Rajapakse could then portray himself as “the victim of Western neo-colonialism trying to steal the fruits of his victory,” Mr Keenan adds.
Nevertheless, the ICG says that this fear is not a strong enough argument to allow impunity. “It’s undermined the country’s core institutions of the judiciary, police and political parties,” says Mr Keenan. “This needs to be addressed for Sri Lanka to move forward.”
Encourage Sri Lanka
David Kennedy, the spokesman for the US delegation at the HRC in Geneva, agrees: “If there is a resolution, it will be to encourage Sri Lanka to move towards reconciliation with all communities,” he told RNW. “It needs to be addressed, as it is an important human rights issue. A resolution at the HRC is just one tool to achieve that goal.”
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This is a god article, UN , USA and EU has expressed support for International mechanism , BUT Britain is yet to express openly. a parliamentary debate on the matter is scheduled on 22 Feb 2012.
British Tamils call upon UK to come out as they have primary responsibility in this conflict because they were the last country to leave Srilanka and in this mess .
British PM seems to understand this see his words in the audio@ http://youtu.be/y9qRA847Tn8
I found this so informative. Thanks for sharing.
Who is going to take US to the task for killing over one million civilians in Afghanistan & Iraq? Aren't those Muslims humans?
This reporter reports as some geek says; “They’ve never been very critical of Sri Lanka, ...." and "Western world gave Sri Lanka the benift of the doubt"; I say; my foot.
The truth is; the so called international community did everything in its power to stop sri Lanka wipeout LTTE leaders and when that failed they did all they could to put the noose round Sri Lanka on bogus claims ever year. We defeated the neo-colonialists agenda with the help of India, China, Russia and all the non-aligned countries.
Like Anonymous says t the beginning neo-colonialists should lead by example. What a joke; Nobel price winner Obama watched his goons slay unarmed Bin Laden and shoot his woman in the leg with a glee nd yet wanted to investigate eradicatng world acknowledged terrorists? Leela
This is a god article, UN , USA and EU has expressed support for International mechanism , BUT Britain is yet to express openly. a parliamentary debate on the matter is scheduled on 22 Feb 2012.
British Tamils call upon UK to come out as they have primary responsibility in this conflict because they were the last country to leave Srilanka and in this mess .
British PM seems to understand this see his words in the audio@ http://youtu.be/y9qRA847Tn8
US, EU, India and most western world proscribed LTTE and not only stopped the latter to collect money but also imprisoned its supporters, in US alone 33 LTTE supporters were imprisoned for attempting to buy anti-aircraft missiles. US also supplied intelligence to SL Navy and Air Force the where about of LTTE ships that carried arms so that they were bombed and destroyed in mid-seas. Without these vital help SL could not have crushed Tigers. The West tried to save the civilians in the so called safe zone because US was watching the satellite imagery that showed the bombing of hospitals, women, children and old indiscriminately.
What a bunch of hypocrits. US should lead by example. Let's start with the report on Hiroshima!
My pleading goes to all the western Nation to save our country from this Courrupt family regime.Our democratic fredom has been taken away by this regime.The Law of the country including judiciary is controlled by this regime and the law never applies to those connected to the regime.Please apply pressure what ever form necessary to controll this regime and also free General Fonsaka who was immprisoned on fabricated charges.Please save us from this regime.
The corrupt Regime is totally responsible for the mess they are in today. After winning the war, they took a wrong turn, turned the democratic Sri Lanka into a lawless, corrupt Banana Republic ruled by a family dictatorship. The citizens lost all their rights including the protection from the Police force and the Judiciary. However the biggest mistake was the imprisonment of the War Hero, the opposing Presidential Candidate on fabricated charges and using Kangaroo Courts. Dancing and dinning with the LTTE Terrorist who now support the corrupt regime is not going to help, but make the world laugh at us. Hope someone has the guts to tell the Regime that they should restore democracy and turn the Banana Republic back to democratic Sri Lanka and release the war hero immediately if they are to escape from the mess they are in today.
I see the tiger tail wagging in Canada where most of the LTTE terrorist migrated stating sordid stories about human rights! How can you say such a thing from Canada? We are now safe from all the terrorist activities that the LTTE carried out in Colombo. There is peace and development in the country. Any one is welcome to see the change!
Boss I can see your tail waging behind.
UNHRC should do their act in the proper order. Why not discuss about violations in Korea, Vietnam and most recently Afghanistan and Iraq before taking on SL. US and Allied forces killed and maimed more innocent people in these countries including thousands of children and women.
Sri Lanka placated the international community for far too long. Still it expects China, Russia and perhaps India to protect it at UN SC and UN-HRC so that it can continue to keep the minorities especially Tamils in Sri Lanka in fear psychosis by deploying large section of its mono-ethnic armed forces in minority areas. It fails to understand that fear created by occupying military and paramilitaries cannot impose reconciliation. The minorities must be treated as equals and not as conquered and defeated. Culture of impunity to human rights violators such as assailants of journalists and NGO activists and abductors must end and end immediately.
In addition to your Eelam dream, you seemed to have an inferiority complex as well my dear. Leela
LEE
Leela, Have you not got any counter arguments against the facts some of which are contained in my statement? Personal attacks will not take you or the government anywhere.
Robert Blake is working hard to implicate Sri Lanka because of his bitter
experience when he was Ambassador in SL. He acted like a political bully, and thought he is an expert on SL. He was like India's Dixit in the eighties.
Assistant Secretary of State was the appointee of the previous Bush administration who helped Sri Lanka crush LTTE and in that process kill more than 40,000 civilians. He wants to impress that he cares about human rights, too, but Wikileaks showed he wanted Sri Lankan forces that were accused of sexual attacks on under age girls in Haiti and committing war crimes on civilians at home to fight in Afghanistan. He forgot how Irish Americans helped IRA in Northern Ireland to put pressure on UK government to bring about power sharing agreement with the sectarian majority - Unionists.
GL go on your knees and lick your lips or some thing and save us.
The UN Human Rights Council must prove its credentials in March. So far it’s been a farce - with member states congratulating Sri Lanka on its victory over terrorism - utterly overlooking war crimes and crimes against humanity committed on a huge scale. A UN advisory panel did not rule out 40,000 killings in 5 months alone during 2009 - the majority by the government which deliberately shelled hospitals and civilian safe zones. It called for an international investigation. Support that now.
HRC in Geneva keep blind eye on USA human rights violations
YOU CAN NEVER SATISFY TAMIL TIGER FRONTS IN WESTERN COUNTRIES UNTIL CREATING A SEPERATE STATE. WESTERN COUNTRIES SHOULD KNOW THIS.THEY KEEP MAKING DIFFERENT SLOGANS EACH TIME THERE IS A UN OR UNHRC MEETING.IF THE WEST TRY TO ADVOCATE TAMIL TIGER ISSUES AT UNHRC EACH TIME, PEOPLE IN SRI LANKA WILL KEEP ELECT MAHINDA RAJAPAKSA TO PROTECT THEIR HOME LAND, BECAUSE EVERY ONE KNOW HE IS THE ONLY LEADER IN THE COUNTRY WHO CAN DELIVER SRI LANKA'S TERRORITAL INTERGRETY.
Tamil dilemma is, they are over sixty million but they do not have country of their own. They tried it in India since 1929 but banned talking separatism in 1963 by its 16A. Then they thought they can have it in Si Lanka. Leela
Shame on those countries that supported the Rajapakse regime to commit unspeakable human rights abuses and alleged war crimes and their hands are soaked with innocent Tamils and Sinhala blood. Over 34 Journalists were murdered and hundred were attacked, threatened, intimidated and jailed for being open in their work. The leaders who supported the Rajapakse regime have proved their mockery, inhuman and barbaric nature by supporting an alleged war criminal regime that denies all norms of democratic process, transparency, rule of law, human righst, fundamental rights and deny access to global media, NGOs, Human Rights groups and use Law enforcing authorities to commit crimes against humanity. What a shame that we live a world with full of leaders who either support or keep quiet when crimes against humanity takes place.
loss of human rights, fundamental rights etc that Shiva talks about are mainly propgnda and are concerns of Western agents such as INGOs, NGOs, evngelists, Tamil Diaspora and etc. Anyone with an iot of brain could see that the vast majority back the government from elections win in the recent past. Leela
All tamils should accept that their homeland is in Indian (Tamilnadu), but all the tamils in the world do not have balls/backbone to get it back from India. Th reason is tamils are considered as low class/cast citizens in Indians. Therefor before asking SL goverment to treat them alike ask your mother india to do the same.
Tamils are the laughing stock of the world (THEY NEVER INTEGRATE WITH other nationalities/cultures), (example In Sri lanka they live only in Wallawatte, In Canada only in Toronto...etc). If you cant integrate to the Sri Lankan socity, please go back to Tamilnadu
I am from south part of the nation.time has come to take this matter end.how long this people can suffer like over 30 years.this not only Tamil but all people,we do not have basic right in the nation.police,judiciary and entered law enforcement agencies corrupted.ti is time to carry out meaningful power sharing with center with provinces and allow to live all community with dignity and respect.we do not have democracy any more.
Man, you do not know what you are talking.
Man, you do not know what you are talking.
I am from south part of the nation.time has come to take this matter end.how long this people can suffer like over 30 years.this not only Tamil but all people,we do not have basic right in the nation.police,judiciary and entered law enforcement agencies corrupted.ti is time to carry out meaningful power sharing with center with provinces and allow to live all community with dignity and respect.we do not have democracy any more.
REALLY NEEDS SOME KIND OF FOLLOW-UP FOR THIS MATTER IF NOT THIS NATURE OF RECONCILIATION WILL NEVER GOING TO TAKE PLACE IN THE NATION.
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