U.N. to issue Sri Lanka war crimes report demanding justice

[Gibbs]

U.N. to issue Sri Lanka war crimes report demanding justice| Reuters

The United Nations will release a long-delayed report on Wednesday on war crimes committed during Sri Lanka's civil war that will demand perpetrators face justice, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Monday.

The global body originally meant to release its findings in March on atrocities committed by both government and "Tamil Tiger" rebels, but agreed to hold off for six months to let a new government look into why suspects had not been prosecuted.

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al-Hussein praised the new government's efforts on Monday but said it was time to press on with the report.

"Its findings are of the most serious nature," he told the main U.N. rights forum in Geneva.

"This council owes it to Sri Lankans - and to its own credibility - to ensure an accountability process that produces results, decisively moves beyond the failures of the past and bring the deep institutional changes needed to guarantee non-recurrence," he said.

According to an earlier U.N. report, around 40,000 ethnic minority Tamils were killed in a final offensive ordered by former president Mahinda Rajapaksa to end the long rebellion by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in 2009.

The U.N. council does not have the power to order prosecutions but its report is expected to push for a judicial process, backed by international monitors, that could implicate officials at the highest levels during Rajapaksa's rule.

Rajapaksa himself has also called for accountability.

A new coalition government formed by Rajapaksa's successor, President Maithripala Sirisena, has sought reconciliation with minority Tamils and promised a domestic judicial process, but has stopped short of spelling out how it will work.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, making his first foreign trip since last month's election, was due to arrive in India later on Monday.

He was expected to ask Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to back a proposed U.S. resolution in support of a domestic process, government and independent sources in Sri Lanka said, in the hope that India can use its influence to overcome doubts in the Tamil community that it can be fair and impartial.

India, which has close links to the Sri Lankan Tamil community, abstained last year from a resolution calling for an independent international investigation into alleged war crimes.

 

[Gibbs]

UN Live United Nations Web TV - OHCHR - Press conference on Sri Lanka Report (Geneva, 16 September 2015)

 

[Godman]

Not going to make quick and blind statements without waiting for the upcoming resolution.

According to them there is no evidence of a "genocide". Looks like most of the report is on extrajudicial killings ,Abductions ,torture etc.

 

[Gibbs]

Not going to make quick and blind statements without waiting for the upcoming resolution.

According to them there is no evidence of a "genocide". Looks like most of the report is on extrajudicial killings ,Abductions ,torture etc.

War crimes yes.. No genocide as expected and as we all very well know never happened

Government response..

Firm in conviction: Govt. ::: Dailymirror.lk ::: Breaking News

The Government said that it would ensure that its findings and recommendations received due attention of the relevant authorities including the new mechanisms envisaged to be established.

The government made the remarks in response to the UN report on Sri Lanka that was released today.

While stating that it took note of the OISL report and its recommendations, the government further noted that it was both pleased and encouraged by High Commissioner Zeid’s recognition of the efforts of the new government in addressing issues of concerns for the Sri Lankans relating to ‘human rights, rule of law, governance, justice, institutional and legal reforms and reconciliation’.

The statement expressed appreciation towards the High Commissioner’s recognition of the government’s constructive engagement with the OHCHR in addressing post conflict issues.

“We are firm in our conviction to take all possible measures to ensure non-recurrence in keeping with the mandate given by the people of Sri Lanka twice this year 2015, at the Presidential Election in January and the Parliamentary Elections in August,” the statement said.

“Furthermore, the government notes that it would ensure that dialogue and wide consultations with all stakeholders are carried out, particularly the victims of the conflict, communities, political parties, civil society representatives and the OHCHR as well as the High Commissioner in facilitating the right to know, the right to justice, reparations and guaranteeing non-recurrence with the aim of achieving reconciliation and durable peace to ensure long-term progress of all Sri Lankans,” the statement said.

It also said that the government fully recognised that the OISL represented a human rights investigation and not a criminal investigation and adds that it would be open to continuing engagement with the High Commissioner and its office as well as the systems and procedures of the HRC aimed at taking steps to safeguard and uphold the human rights of all Sri Lankans. - See more at: Firm in conviction: Govt. ::: Dailymirror.lk ::: Breaking News

 

[SarthakGanguly]

U.N. to issue Sri Lanka war crimes report demanding justice| Reuters

The United Nations will release a long-delayed report on Wednesday on war crimes committed during Sri Lanka's civil war that will demand perpetrators face justice, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Monday.

The global body originally meant to release its findings in March on atrocities committed by both government and "Tamil Tiger" rebels, but agreed to hold off for six months to let a new government look into why suspects had not been prosecuted.

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al-Hussein praised the new government's efforts on Monday but said it was time to press on with the report.

"Its findings are of the most serious nature," he told the main U.N. rights forum in Geneva.

"This council owes it to Sri Lankans - and to its own credibility - to ensure an accountability process that produces results, decisively moves beyond the failures of the past and bring the deep institutional changes needed to guarantee non-recurrence," he said.

According to an earlier U.N. report, around 40,000 ethnic minority Tamils were killed in a final offensive ordered by former president Mahinda Rajapaksa to end the long rebellion by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in 2009.

The U.N. council does not have the power to order prosecutions but its report is expected to push for a judicial process, backed by international monitors, that could implicate officials at the highest levels during Rajapaksa's rule.

Rajapaksa himself has also called for accountability.

A new coalition government formed by Rajapaksa's successor, President Maithripala Sirisena, has sought reconciliation with minority Tamils and promised a domestic judicial process, but has stopped short of spelling out how it will work.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, making his first foreign trip since last month's election, was due to arrive in India later on Monday.

He was expected to ask Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to back a proposed U.S. resolution in support of a domestic process, government and independent sources in Sri Lanka said, in the hope that India can use its influence to overcome doubts in the Tamil community that it can be fair and impartial.

India, which has close links to the Sri Lankan Tamil community, abstained last year from a resolution calling for an independent international investigation into alleged war crimes.

The UN is a joke. A pretty bad one at that.

 

[Gibbs]

The UN is a joke. A pretty bad one at that.

Oh well, Because of the tin pot dictator the country had in the previous regime and his mind numbing nepotism and huge ego, A issue that could have been sorted out with relative ease was turned in to a massive internationalized process at the detriment to the national interests of Sri Lanka because of failed diplomacy and foreign policies.. It has come to the stage that the country cannot be diverting the blame or accusing others of foul play, Have to suck it up and do whats necessary with minimum damage to it's sovereignty

@Godman @Azizam @Saradiel @NGV-H

Guys where are all those "patriots" screaming and jumping jigs during previous UNHRC sessions all over Colombo ? Burning posters and US flags ? Where is Lemon Puff Weerawansa ? The great Sinhalese patriot and @HeinzG 's hero ? What happened to BBS and their thug monks.. Have they all gone on vacation on the account of their boss MR ? Is thier patriotism valid only when MR is in power ?.. Seriously most Sri Lankan people have a long way to go to become truly literate and get out of their frog in the well mindset

 

[Godman]

Guys where are all those "patriots" screaming and jumping jigs during previous UNHRC sessions all over Colombo ? Burning posters and US flags ? Where is Lemon Puff Weerawansa ? The great Sinhalese patriot and @HeinzG 's hero ? What happened to BBS and their thug monks.. Have they all gone on vacation on the account of their boss MR ? Is thier patriotism valid only when MR is in power ?.. Seriously most Sri Lankan people have a long way to go to become truly literate and get out of their frog in the well mindset

Sri Lankans are easily fooled by the lies, If this goes well then MR's cult will be destroyed.
MR said that they are trying to bring him to a electric chair and fools believed him. He used the UNHRC to even strengthen his cult.

There was a discussion in TV today about the UN report in which some law experts explained the report.
He even mentioned about the fake patriotism of some politicians in the last 10 years which made things worse.
IMHO Wimal Weerawansha is one of the people who humiliated the country, acting like a caveman in front of the UN office

Hopefully SL can truly move forward now as a progressive country and the population needs to be educated on the scoundrels who take refuge in patriotism

 

[HeinzG]

Oh well, Because of the tin pot dictator the country had in the previous regime and his mind numbing nepotism and huge ego, A issue that could have been sorted out with relative ease was turned in to a massive internationalized process at the detriment to the national interests of Sri Lanka because of failed diplomacy and foreign policies.. It has come to the stage that the country cannot be diverting the blame or accusing others of foul play, Have to suck it up and do whats necessary with minimum damage to it's sovereignty
Guys where are all those "patriots" screaming and jumping jigs during previous UNHRC sessions all over Colombo ? Burning posters and US flags ? Where is Lemon Puff Weerawansa ? The great Sinhalese patriot and @HeinzG 's hero ? What happened to BBS and their thug monks.. Have they all gone on vacation on the account of their boss MR ? Is thier patriotism valid only when MR is in power ?.. Seriously most Sri Lankan people have a long way to go to become truly literate and get out of their frog in the well mindset

Why? the burning of posters and US flags brought this upon us? This is a culmination of a process that has started way back in 2009. I don't think you don't know that.

Jumping up and down as you say isn't the patriotism. I think you should know that.

Besides US was threatening us with this report for several years now and they have brought it in this year so no big deal.

Every thing depends on how well UNP gov. will handle this. Hope they will handle it without damaging integrity of Sri Lanka.

 

[Godman]

Jumping up and down as you say isn't the patriotism. I think you should know that

So now you are saying that the patriotic heroes you worship like Wimal and MR are not patriots?

 

[HeinzG]

Sri Lankans are easily fooled by the lies, If this goes well then MR's cult will be destroyed.
MR said that they are trying to bring him to a electric chair and fools believed him. He used the UNHRC to even strengthen his cult.

So if this court sponsered by UNHR to be prosecute someone, will it be Ranil or MR?

There was a discussion in TV today about the UN report in which some law experts explained the report.
He even mentioned about the fake patriotism of some politicians in the last 10 years which made things worse.
IMHO Wimal Weerawansha is one of the people who humiliated the country, acting like a caveman in front of the UN office

So acing like a caveman (according to you) have made this thing to Sri Lanka. right? You believe that if Wimal had behaved like Ranil this report could've been averted?

So now you are saying that the patriotic heroes you worship like Wimal and MR are not patriots?

Are we measuring patriotism like that? Do you believe so?

 

[Gibbs]

Why? the burning of posters and US flags brought this upon us? This is a culmination of a process that has started way back in 2009. I don't think you don't know that.

Jumping up and down as you say isn't the patriotism. I think you should know that.

Besides US was threatening us with this report for several years now and they have brought it in this year so no big deal.

Every thing depends on how well UNP gov. will handle this. Hope they will handle it without damaging integrity of Sri Lanka.

Lol.. What is left to damage in Sri Lanka's integrity ?.. Maybe you can ask MR's foreign policy adviser Sajin Vaas what happened to the countries integrity ? He had the free hand to spend billions upon billions on Washington lobby groups to pacify the US govt right ? What happened to that tea stall owner cousin of MR given the Ambassador post to Washington ?

Ofcause burning flags and jumping jigs did'nt bring this upon the country, Brain dead pseudo patriots supporting the ego of a tin pot dictator did.. Pitty the pseudo patriots swallowed the BS hood, link and sinker, Shouldn't Weerawansa go on another lemon puff hunger strike ? Yeah i guess no big deal, Because at the end of the day it's not the interest of the nation that matters but the high drama of your political masters

 

[coffee_cup]

Might is right bro, might is right.


Those who control the past, control the future. And those who control the present, control the past.

Now who said that, George Orwell?

 

[samv]

Lol.. What is left to damage in Sri Lanka's integrity ?.. Maybe you can ask MR's foreign policy adviser Sajin Vaas what happened to the countries integrity ? He had the free hand to spend billions upon billions on Washington lobby groups to pacify the US govt right ? What happened to that tea stall owner cousin of MR given the Ambassador to Washington ?

Ofcause burning flags and jumping jigs did'nt bring this upon the country, Brain dead patriots supporting the ego of a tin pot dictator did.. Pitty the pseudo patriots swallowed the BS hood, link and sinker, Shouldn't Weerawansa go on another lemon puff hunger strike ? Yeah i guess no big deal, Because at the end of the day it's not the interest of the nation that matters but the high drama of your political masters

What brought this upon SL is MR finishing off the LTTE. He withstood the pressure of the UK and USA and their demands to end the war and let Prabhakaran go free. The British and French foreign ministers even flew into SL to try and stop the war. Barack Obama even made a spiel in one of his speeches. But Sri Lanka didn't listen to them or the US ambassdor Robert Blake and went onto eliminate the LTTE in a decisive victory.

Of course a dumb twat like you thinks that this is all the fault of the SL government, and not a method the US and the west used to coerce Sri Lanka and gain influence. The "tin pot dictator" is the only leader who managed to defeat the LTTE with the resources available to him, what the f**k did you or your Burghur community do for the war effort against the LTTE? Ran away like a pussy, that's what.

 

[Gibbs]

If i'm not mistaken this guy was a highly nationalist and anti separatist commentator @Godman @Azizam @Saradiel

The Island

Gomin praises Mangala’s Geneva statement, reiterates concern over int’l intervention

Senior lawyer, Gomin Dayasri, yesterday commended the Maithripala Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government for assuring the Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Sri Lanka’s readiness to conduct a thorough domestic investigation into accountability issues.


Dayasri appreciated Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera’s statement made on behalf of the new administration at the on-going 30th UNHRC Geneva sessions. Dayasri, who has represented the military on numerous occasions asserted FM Samaraweera’s overall statement as prudent. Dayasri was appearing on Pethikada, a live political programme on Sirasa yesterday morning.


Heavy price


Dayasri stressed that the previous SLFP-led UPFA leadership had to pay a heavy price for refusing to inquire into accountability issues.


Had the previous leader ship acted judiciously, the country could have avoided being subjected to an external investigation as directed by a resolution moved by Western powers in March 2014 in Geneva, Dayasri said.


Those who had been found guilty through a domestic investigative mechanism could have been subsequently given an amnesty, Dayasri asserted. Against the backdrop of those who had fought for the LTTE as high as Karuna Amman and Kumaran Pathmanathan receiving amnesty during the previous administration, there couldn’t have been any issue in extending the same to the Sri Lankan military.


Responding to a query, Dayasri emphasised that the government should ensure that the proposed investigative mechanism remained strictly a domestic body. Expressing serious concern over deepening US role here, Dayasri said that the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) call for international judges shouldn’t be accepted under any circumstances.


Darusman et al


The catastrophic situation caused by the likes of Marsuki Darusman, one-time Indonesian prosecutor general underscored the danger in external intervention, Dayasri said.


Comparing international laws that dealt with the World War II and conflict in Sri Lanka, Dayasripointed out that our case was an exception as in all other conflict situations existing laws always favoured the victorious party.


Dayasri regretted the failure of the previous government to act in the best interests of the country after having defeated the LTTE. In the wake of Sri Lanka’s triumph over terrorism, the US, too, unreservedly praised the military effort, Dayasri said. Had the previous government acted swiftly and decisively to address accountability issues, international intervention could have been thwarted, Dayasri said, pointing out that New Delhi refrained from backing the launch of an external investigation.


The noted patriot said that he couldn’t understand the previous government’s failure to inquire into accusations.


Asked whether a statement attributed to war winning Army Chief the then Gen. Sarath Fonseka in a Sunday Leader in the run-up to January 2010 presidential polls had caused international intervention, Dayasri strongly condemned major political parties for pursuing policies inimical to national interests. They had failed to take into consideration that the armed forces triumph was a national victory, hence politicisation of the war victory, Dayasri said.


Truth Commission


Commenting on the proposed South African style Commission for Truth, Justice, Reconciliation and Non-recurrence as proposed by FM Samaraweera, Dayasri said that in theory it was right though there shouldn’t be an external role. Sri Lanka couldn’t forget that South African support to separatist forces here over a period of time, Dayasri said.


The son of one time top civil servant N.Q. Dias, recollected various interested parties, including a section of the international community as well as the media throwing their weight behind the LTTE. Former British Foreign Secretary David Miliband and his French counterpart Bernard Kouchner had intervened on behalf of the LTTE, Dayasri alleged. The lawyer stressed that the victorious military shouldn’t be humiliated for want of competent politicians and officials.


The world should remember that as many as 12,000 LTTE cadres had been integrated to the society following rehabilitation, Northern Provincial Council polls held and normalcy restored, he said. The military had to pay a very heavy price particularly during the eelam war IV, therefore the political leadership should meet its responsibilities.


He admitted that his personal efforts to convince the previous government to undertake credible domestic investigations hadn’t been unsuccessful.


Dayasri said that it was too early to comment on Maithripala Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government’s foreign policy. However, Sri Lanka should take into consideration the US-India partnership, growing Indian influence as well as diminished South Indian hold on the Centre.


Fielding another question, Dayasri pointed that the UNP’s conduct during the eelam war IV had been questionable. Those who had been in the Opposition during that period (2006-2009) never threw their weight behind the military effort, Dayasri alleged. Finally, they had no option but to field the war winning Army Chief General Fonseka against the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa, he said.

 

[Hindustani78]

The resolution moved by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa said that India itself should move a "strong resolution" at the UNHRC. File photo
Tamil Nadu urges Centre to seek international probe into 'war crimes' in Sri Lanka - The Hindu

In a resolution adopted in Assembly, TN sought diplomatic efforts by Centre to change any possible pro-Sri Lanka stand adopted by US in the UN rights body.
The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Wednesday unanimously asked the Centre to move a “strong resolution” in the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for an international probe into the alleged war crimes and genocide in the final phase of the civil war in Sri Lanka.

Chief Minister Jayalalithaa urged the Centre to move a resolution along with United States and other countries at the UNHRC for the international probe against all the perpetrators of the human rights violations and those responsible for the genocide.

“In case, the United States takes a pro-Lankan stand, India should take diplomatic efforts to change that,” Ms. Jayalalithaa said to the unanimous approval of the members in the House.

Moving the resolution, the Chief Minister said that the UNHRC will hold its sessions between September 14 and October 2. On September 30, there will be a debate on the Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights -Promoting reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka.

It has been proposed take action based on the draft agreement on October 1 and 2, she said. Meanwhile, media reports suggested that the Sri Lankan government’s views had been sought on the report. In such a situation, there are apprehensions that a resolution favouring “internal inquiry” by the Sri Lankan government could be moved in the UNHRC. “It is against natural justice. India has a great responsibility to stop it,” Ms. Jayalalithaa said.

It was in this context it was decided to unanimously pass a resolution in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly urging the Centre to take steps through the UNHRC for an international probe, she explained.

The Chief Minister also recalled the earlier resolutions moved by her in the Assembly urging India not to treat Sri Lanka as a “friendly nation” and impose “economic sanctions” on the island nation for its war crimes.

Another resolution had demanded that India boycott a meeting of Heads of Commonwealth nations held in Sri Lanka in 2013, besides insisting on the non-participation of Sri Lankan players and officials in IPL matches in Chennai. “BCCI agreed and is following it till now,” Ms. Jayalalithaa said, hailing it as a victory for her government to the loud thumping of desks by the ruling partymen.