LLRC report will advance accountability: Commonwealth
The Commonwealth has hoped that a Sri Lankan war commission report on the conflict with the LTTE will advance the cause of accountability, saying that genuine reconciliation and accountability go hand-in-hand.
Applauding the intent of transparency with which the Sri Lankan government tabled the full report of the commission before Parliament, Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma said the recommendations in the report should be implemented in an objective, even-handed and forward-looking manner.
“It is for the government and people of Sri Lanka to chart their country’s way forward after the military defeat of the forces of terrorism,” Sharma said, commenting on the report of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC).
“The Commonwealth, as a partner of Sri Lanka, which is a founder member of the modern Commonwealth, remains ready to assist the government in dealing with the challenges of building a harmonious and sustainable peace,” he said in a press release.
The LLRC was appointed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa in May 2010 to probe the role of the nation’s army in the final stages of the civil war.
The war came to an end in 2009 when the Lankan military crushed the rebels.
The LLRC report cleared the nation’s army of deliberately targeting civilians in the final stages of the war against the LTTE, though conceding that some isolated incidents could have occurred.
The commission called for a political settlement of the ethnic conflict with the minority Tamils and asked the government to take the initiative for “a serious and structured” dialogue with all political parties, particularly those representing the minorities.
It asked the government to reach out to minorities and said that the Tamils should in turn reposition themselves in their role vis-a-vis the state.
However, US-based Human Rights Watch has slammed the report, saying it failed to fix accountability and “disregards” the “worst abuse” by government forces. – PTI
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AI, HRW and other such organisations are US based and funded by US government. Despite the gross war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by USA, Britain and France since the end of WW2, AI, HRW, even UNHRC and UNSG had not dared to hold these countries’ leaders accountable for their crimes. No charges in the Hague have been levelled against the leaders of these countries for their wanton war crimes and crimes aginst humanity, which they continue to commit with impunity.
Mr Bradley, a 24 yr old US Marine, who had dared to blow the whistle through Wikkileaks, on the horrific tortures committed by some brutal US and British soldiers in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay prisons had led to this poor soldier being imprisoned, tortured and dragged to a Court Martial hearing, which will undoubtedly end in life imprisonment if not the death penalty for alleged treachery. This is how USA dealt with their soldiers who dared to film and reveal the truth to the world. But the very same US and British governments dare to allege, criticise and dictate to us against the legitimate imprisonment of ex-General SF, after being found guilty by two separate Courts Martial, for breach of military code/protocols and for reporting through the Sunday Leader a gross untruth that our Def Sec, GR, ordered army commanders in the front lines, to kill the LTTE leaders who surrender. What adstounding hypocrisy and double standards by USA, Britain and France!!! It stinks to high heaven!
British Parliament while applauding the release of the LLRC Report continue to dictate to us about accountablility. Let USA, Britain, France and NATO set good example first, of their own accountability for starting and conducting an illegal war against Iraq and Libya, and now about to start another illegal war against Iran and Syria, on trumped-up bogus charges. Are they not accountable for the riots instigated by them, arming and training these rioters against the legitimate governments of these two countries?
Nicholas,
I thought you were a wise man with your age and having had a good education. However, you seem to be beating about the bush when it comes to fair teatment of the tamils in Srilanka.
It is nice to know that you are a serious meditator which helps you get through this unpredictable and sometimes violent world that we live in.
With your age and experience you should have known by now that the tamils were and are a very humble race. Who created the militancy within this humble race? It was, the racists among the singhalese majority, their ever conniving opportunistic politicos and some radical budhist clergy hiding behind their saffron robes. It is not like a question of which came first, the hen or the egg. This is clear cut.
It started with the discrimination since independence and culminated with the standadisation for university admissions in the early ’70s which was the last straw prior to young tamils taking up arms. No one can deny this, including you.
This has now created a very powerful tamil diaspora, whom you call rumps who are now started to wield their influence in the world fora seeking justice for all your attrocities. Do not be fooled. It has only started and the release of the humbug LLRC report has helped it to gather momentum. As a wise man you can see it coming but are not prepared to accept it because of your croocked mindset. Instead you are beating about the bush of other irrelevant world events.
The “Aram” in the jungle should do you good in your remaning days to wash away your accumulated sins.
In spite of your age and life experience you are still bragging about your son being a doctor and your daughter being a HR manager. Humble people do not brag about their or their family members achievements. It is for others to see and appreciate. You must be dumb not to have heard of other families having many siblings all of whom being highly qualified. You have the audacity to challenge my educational background. I can humbly respond to you that I am more qualified than you. The “Aram” in the jungle will do you good and straighten you out your ego.
By the way did you hear that MR is looking for people like you to join his front line of ‘kadu’ team comprising Rajiva, Dayan, Kohana and Peris to fend off the international pressure seeking justice. I can stronly recomend you! Or you can join his second line of defence comrising Mervyn, ‘veeraya’ Weerawansa and ‘kudu’ Duminda
Mr.Udurawana,
You say the discrimination started since Independance. That is not exactly correct.The British always preferred the Tamils and the Muslims for their Govt. or civil jobs.The Catholic and other Christian churches built schools and educated the Northern and Eastern people more than all the other provinces put together.Britishers knew that the Tamils more meeky and obedient than the Sinhalese.Thus when the Independance was granted to us the govt. service was fully packed with Tamils and Christian Sinhalese. Majority Sinhala Buddhists comprising over 80% of the population were in a dismal minority.Add to that late Mr.GG started a 50-50 movbement while being in first Cabinet.Isn’t that racism?
Mr.Udurawana let us keep all that aside and help anyone doing a job of leading the country to prosperity.Your personal attacks on Nicholas are summarily condemned and never shall be admitted or condoned.
I must add that I am an octogenarian and cannot sit and concentrate for more than half an hour the most,let me exit.
Dear AUJ,
Thank you for your comments in defending my good name. Udurawana begged and pleaded with me to help him against his perceived enemies. Now he has chosen to attack me. How vile! This shows the man’s real character. He seems to be an apologist for Tamil radicalists, the diaspora LTTE/Tamils/TNA. He may not be a Sinhalese at all but hiding under a Sinhala pseudonym. If he is Sinhalese then he belongs to the treacherous Vickremabahu brigade. There are such traitors among us who have no shame.
What you have said is very true re British ‘divide and rule’ policy of favouring Tamils against Sinhalese during the colonial days. It is still continuing in the way they issue British visas. We shall never forget how the Sinhalese were massacred mercilessly in great numbers by the British during the Uva-Welassa uprising to overthrow the British raj. People like Udurawana are treacherous who want the Tamil extremists to win in dividing the country for a meagre 4 million people in SL to rule a separate kingdom, by whatever name. We shall never let them win. SL shall always be and remain ONE COUNTRY ONE NATION.
We have a great leader in Hon Mahinda Rajapaksa. We shall support him throughout and point out to him if he goes astray, to correct himself for the good of the whole nation. In the absence of a decent Parliamentary opposition it is for patriots of whatever community, to step-in and support the good political leaders and encourage them to develop our great country on fast track. We shall at the same time not hesitate to totally denounce, despise and expose to the world the evil traitors amidst us, who may also be hiding under Sinhala pseudonyms, to confuse the nation. They are easily identified by the record of their misconcepts, disinformation they engage in and their wholesale treachery on the side of Tamil separatists. They will never win.