GoSL welcomes US stand on ‘accountability’
The Sri Lankan government says that those talking of moral obligation on the part of the US and its allies to intervene in Sri Lank have conveniently turned a blind eye to the position taken by the US at the first Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the world’s solitary superpower before the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on Nov. 5, 2010.
GoSL sources told The Island that the decision to move a resolution against Sri Lanka was contrary to US position articulated by Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs, Dr. Esther Brimmer that the responsibility on the part of the administration was for own people, to whom we are ultimately accountable.”
The human rights review took place in the wake of whistleblower website, Wiki Leaks releasing a plethora of classified military and diplomatic documents relating to excesses by US forces fighting non-state actors and the US military ignoring abuses by those working under its command both in Afghanistan and Iraq. Since then, international human rights organizations, including the US based Human Rights Watch (HRW) have accused the US of massive excesses.Responding to Dr. Brimmer, Cuban Ambassador Rodolfo Reyes Rodriguez demanded an immediate end to US blockade targeting Cuba, which he called a crime of genocide. Ambassador Reyes alleged that the US action seriously violated the rights of the Cuban people.
The Cuban reminded how the US was continuing torture, extradition, executions and other serious violations in Guantanamo, Abu Graib, Baghram, and other facilities. Iran, Venezuela, North Korea, Russia, China, Algeria, Bolivia and Nicaragua backed Cuba.
Many concerns were raised about America’s record on counterterrorism and alleged use of torture. Cuba and its allies demanded the military base at Guantanamo Bay be closed.
Although Legal Adviser of the Department of State, Harold Koh, categorically declared that the US did not and would not torture, while reiterating President Barack Obama’s commitment to closing Guantanamo, since the Nov. 2010 meeting many more US excess had come to light, sources said.
Referring to the fresh wave of violence in Afghanistan leading to the killing of four US personnel, including two senior advisors, government sources said that trouble had erupted after it emerged that copies of Koran were destroyed at a US military facility.
In line with the UPR process 192 UN member states are subjected to scrutiny once in every four years. GoSL delegation sources told The Island that nothing could be as accurate as what US Assistant Secretary of State Esther Brimmer told theUNHRC sessions two years back. Brimmer made that statement in the presence of Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe, US Ambassador to the Human Rights Council who is leading the campaign against Sri Lanka here.
In the run-up to 19th sessions of the UNHRC, Ambassador Donahoe reiterated the moral responsibility on the part of the US and like-minded countries to pursue accountability issues in Sri Lanka. She was speaking at a meeting attended by senior representatives of all member states of the UNHRC numbering 47.
Sources said that the US position articulated by Assistant Secretary of State, Brimmer also contravened the R2P or ‘Responsibility to Protect’ doctrine pursued by Western powers and those NGOs funded by them. GoSL delegation now in Geneva told The Island that stand taken by the US at the 19th UNHRC sessions scheduled to begin today (Feb. 27) totally differed from its position at the first UPR review.
The US joined the UNHRC in early 2009, three years after the establishment of the body.
The GoSL delegation said President Mahinda Rajapaksa had emphasized on many occasions that his responsibility was for the people of Sri Lanka. Sources said that the government dubbed its military campaign a humanitarian operation as one of its major objectives was the rescue of the Tamil speaking people.
The position taken by the US Assistant Secretary should be applied to any other country fighting state or non-state actors, in Sri Lanka’s case a formidable internal threat backed by powerful external factors.
Courtesy: The Island
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Hey Guys,
Should have had Mr Knicker-less Dias in the delegation. He’s really good at rubbishing SL’s true friend, the US.
Self appointed interlects have many lives in many names! However they have no suitable organs to appear in their true name.
The US effort in the UNHRC is supported by many of its lackeys. Norway has come out at last; Australia came out strong a week ago.
The SL community in Australia is dominated by the powerful tamil faction who have strong presence in public service, education, medicine, commerce, law and retail. The Sinhala community mainly consists of ex-lower middle class economic migrants from SL. They do not exercise any power; they are predominantly toilet cleaners and road sweepers enjoying a kokis-kavun lifestyle.
The UN resolution is far from meeting with tamil aspirations and wonder why the Sinhala GOSL is all excited.
Do these fool old tamil terrors dreaming to mislead sl by saying that US going to support SL in UN meeting..?
HILARIOUSLY SAD about you miserable waste buggers..!
How much $ has spent you fools on this UN meeting..?
Ayyoo Ellaam paysa Poi… aandawaneee…!
But hilariously Praba misled you all in that manner..!
Then don’t you know that the kavn kokis are festival sweets of srilanka..? Have most of tamils even seen them..? Do you know the poverty of tamils in your mama land TN..?
Nee poo daa… aadivaasi paitthiyan paandi…!
Why don’t you write these in tamilnet..? Don’t see anyone it now..? Hilariously sad..!
Old ltte members now only can voice harshly like “Wingless Crows” instead firing at civilians..! We shooted down flying lttes also…! No more terror here forever..?
This blighter PB-D admitted he is a diaspora Tamil and proud of it, when I challenged him to reveal himself, if he had the guts. But the pseudonym he uses is not a Tamil name. The ‘Deen’ bit sounds Muslim to me. I wonder why he dare not use his own Tamil name. Is he ashamed of it?
He seems to have got his doti round his head in a twist as a turban these days, instead of using it to cover his nether bits. As a result he is deluding himself that most kallathoni Tamils who have fled to Australia are not economic migrants but asylum seekers. He also propagates such balderdash when he says Tamils are intellectuals who hold eminent positions in foreign countries, while Sinhalese economic migrants are of low intelligence, uneducated and fit only for inferior jobs such as cleaning toilets. This is typical diaspora Tamil disinformation and racist propaganda to mislead foreigners! If a survey is carried out among the immigrant population in Australia, for instance, the contrary may be true.
I am glad the SL Delegation to UNHRC meeting has turned the tables on USA. Who the hell is USA to lecture to us on human rights when USA, the hypocrite, is the biggest violater of human rights, has committed such gross war crimes and crimes against humanity since Vietnam war which USA lost, and continues to commit such war crimes etc in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya, which they invaded with their military might, but was unable to make them kneel to US will!!! In their frustration, they continue to massacre innocent civilians, men, women and children often. Their policy is ‘Shoot first and question later’. The US policy/agenda with regard to oil-rich countries, which do not play ball with them, is to effect a regime change. USA does it in the most subtle manner. Through its CIA, it befriends rebellious extremist Islamic factions, such as Al Qaeda, Muslim Brotherhood etc, funds them, train them and arm them against the leader of the country they want to topple. When the Govt of the Country (such as Libya and now Syria) wage war on these radical terrorist elements, USA and its NATO allies (the lap-dogs) howl that the Country’s leader is committing genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. This is not infact the truth. The truth on the contrary is, the country is fighting terrorists funded, armed and trained by USA. USA and its allies takes the moral high-ground and demands UN resolutions/sanctions be brought against that country to effect a regime change. This is the US ‘modus operandi’ now, which they will extend to SL also in time, since they hate Hon President MR who dared to disobey their orders not to kill VP and the LTTE terrorists, who USA wanted to use for its own hidden agenda for SE Asia. What is the US hidden agenda for SL? They want a regime change to install a puppet leader, RW or SF who will play ball with them. N & E will be separated and given to TNA for their Tamil national kingdom. In return, TNA will give USA, Trinco Harbour for the biggest US base in Asia for all time. From this base USA will be able to confront China and even India, if it grows too big for its boots, and dominate Asia.
Assad in Syria will ultimately fall, like Gadaffi. Syria will not be allowed to use its won airsapce but NATO will invade and bomb Syrian planes, misslies, heavy armour etc. as they did in Libya. Assad, his family and top leaders will be killed like Gadaffi, his sons and top leaders were killed. Syrian oil wells will also then be under West’s rule, like Libya’s and Iraq’s. What fine feathers in their caps!
Iran will be the next to fall, with the combined attack of NATO forces and Israel’s. Israel has 300+ nukes but makes a big song and a dance about Iran developing nuclear capbility for peaceful purposes. Israel built its nuclear bombs and missile delivery system stealthily 25 years ago with US assistance. UN made no clamour for it to be inspected and shut down. So why should Iran be prevented from doing so? Surely, Iran has every right to arm itself against Israel with nuclear capability as an effective deterrant! Such nuclear capability in itself is a deterrance/warning to Israel not to attack Iran or other Arab nations. It does not stand to reason Israel’s, USA and NATO’s insistence for Iran not to have nuclear defence capability!
This is the double standard of USA and the imperial West and Israel which I denounce. I am sad that religious leaders such as the Pope does not do so!
There he goes again, Mr Knicker-less Dias, the know all. I wonder anyone reads the rubbish in his blogs. He could have done well in the SL delegation to geneva. Wonder why he keeps on rubbishing SL’s most valued friends, the US administration. Damaging strategy.