Category Archives: UN reports

April 14, 2019 · 12:15 pm

A Cry for Sri Lanka — Jane Russell in London

When I sent Sampanthan’s recent “Statement” in Colombo Telegraph[1] to Jane Russell in England, her Immediate Response by Email, dated 13th April 2019, was an impassioned Cry from the Heart

There are no sensible replies to this kind of rhetoric…. perhaps a novel such as Gogol’s ‘Dead Souls’ might challenge such hyperbole? But we are in an era when the ‘Leader of the Free World’ can lie, exaggerate, fantasise, stereotype and throw unsubstantiated accusations and abuse on opponents with happy abandon.

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April 11, 2019 · 12:13 am

Multi-pronged British Vengeance Politics at Geneva

Shamindra Ferdinando, in Island, 9 April 2019, where the title reads “UK reiterates foreign judges as Killing Fields producers crucify Lanka again”

The House of Commons seems far more interested in Sri Lanka’s accountability in respect of war against terrorism than our own parliament. Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Mark Christopher Field, on April 04, 2019, reiterated foreign judges in Sri Lankan judicial mechanism to hear war crimes cases. Conservative Party member Field reassured the UK’s commitment to ensure participation of foreign judges in proposed mechanism in response to a query raised by Labour MP and shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry (Islington South and Finsbury).

Mark Field Army Chief of Staff Major General Shavendra Silva recently received the appointment as the new Colonel of the Commando Regiment at its Ganemulla headquarters. Foreign Minister Tilak Marapana, PC, told Geneva sessions that it wouldn’t be fair to deprive security forces commanders of their due rights on the basis of unsubstantiated allegations. Marapana said that as allegations hadn’t been proved officers couldn’t be dealt with on the basis of them. The delegation also pointed out that information supportive of the military had been disregarded.

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April 8, 2019 · 12:02 am

Facing Charles Sarvan: Mark His Obliteration of Context

Michael Roberts

Charles Sarvan’s recent essay in Colombo Telegraph “On ‘Reading’ A Picture” presents reflections with a dispassionate air that conveys an impression of philosophical weight above the tumult of a propaganda war in which all of us are willy-nilly involved.[1] He distances himself at the outset from the identities of the victors in the picture as Sinhalese and the vanquished as Tamil by terming that differentiation “accidental”. But, in concentrating on the horrendous assaults on women perpetrated by men, he proceeds to a presentation of the contemporary Tamil litany about the horrendous acts inflicted on the Tamils in the last stages of Eelam War IV. He does this without any historical, political and cartographic contextualization of the events that unfolded from mid-2006 to May 2009.

 Map I = The Situation in late December 2008

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April 7, 2019 · 6:51 am

Sri Lanka ct. Mangala b. Geneva …. and ht. wkt. Rajapaksa

Rajeewa Jayaweera, in Sunday Island, where the title runs “

The heat of the theatrics during the 40th session of UN Human Rights Council and praise for Foreign Minister Tilak Marapana for his spirited address has begun to decrease. Northern Province Governor Dr. Suren Raghavan has backtracked and apologized for his injudicious remarks,rejected by Human Rights High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet.

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April 7, 2019 · 1:55 am

All is Well: Mangala Samaraweera’s Reading of the UNHRC Resolution

Harim Peiris, in Sunday Island, 7 April 2019, with this title “Mangala sets record straight on UNHRC resolution”

Earlier this week, former Foreign Minister and current Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera, who recently celebrated his unbroken thirty years of public service as a parliamentarian, issued a lengthy statement which sought to set the record straight and correct misconceptions about the UNHRC process and Sri Lanka’s policy and position in that regard. The situation was aggravated by the conduct of one member of Sri Lanka’s delegation who had a solo press conference and claimed to have corrected the UN High Commissioner, a former president of Chile, who promptly denied the same. Later in the week, the opposition JO / SLPP has challenged the Government to correct what they claim are contradictions, between Minister Mangala’s statement and the statement of current Foreign Minister Tilak Marapana, who is undoubtedly fortunate to be Sri Lanka’s foreign minister, as a national list MP, who was forced to resign his previous portfolio in 2015, after public and his ministerial colleagues outrage over his unconscionable defense of the Avant Garde floating armory. However, the issues raised are more important than the personalities involved and deserve objective examination.

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April 3, 2019 · 3:49 pm

Penetrating Reflections on Sri Lanka’s Response to the GENEVA BALLET

Arising from “THE GENEVA BALLET: The Ranil-Mangala Treachery and Sirisena’s Intervention,” 31 March 2019, …. https://thuppahis.com/2019/03/31/geneva-ballet-the-ranil-mangala-treachery-and-sirisenas-intervention/

 

ONE = from Gus Mathews, 2 April 2019

Rajeewa, Thank you for this well researched analysis. It is a well-known fact that if the ‘Western Governments’ requested RW to jump, his reply would be ‘how high’. On a serious note though according to the Sri Lankan constitution is not foreign affairs the sole province of the President who acts through the foreign minister? Any interference into foreign affairs by the Prime Minister must be sanctioned directly by the President. It is also a well-known fact that RW hankers after the powers of the President as he tried on numerous occasions to be elected President and failed dismally. Hence the framing of the 19th amendment that subtly decreased the powers of the President and enhanced the powers of the Prime Minister. Continue reading →

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April 3, 2019 · 2:08 pm

Sri Lanka, 2010-2019: Positive Changes but Sinhala Buddhist Dominance still prevails — Alan Keenan

Alan Keenan, in Sri Lanka Mirror, April 2019, where the title runs “Sri Lanka is a ‘nation favourable to the Sinhala Buddhist majority’ –ICG,”

After ten years since the end of the war, Sri Lanka being a country that favours the Sinhala Buddhist majority is detrimental to its progress, an NGO head has warned.  The Project Director of International Crisis Group (ICG) Alan Keenan made this statement to the Tamil media after a tour of the North Eastern province and border villages.

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April 2, 2019 · 3:22 pm

A Bibliography from TAMIL PERSON and STATE

Michael Roberts

TAMIL PERSON and STATE. PICTORIAL appeared in 2014 in Colombo under the imprint of Vijitha Yapa Publications. …. ISBN  978-955-665-231-4. The biliography probably covers most of the articles in the companion piece, TAMIL PERSON and STATE. ESSAYS; but it is possible that there are other bibliographical items listed at the end of each article in ESSAYS. Though new material on Eelam War IV continues to turn up all the time, my present research led me to consult the works listed in these volumes and reminded me of material I had forgotten about. I believe that assiduous readers and investigators will find it useful to have the listing at their digital fingertips: hence its reproduction here.

ALSO SEE

* http://thuppahis.com/2014/09/15/tamil-person-and-state-pictorial-images-listed/

* http://thuppahis.com/2014/09/14/tamil-person-and-state-essays/

LRTTE Pic 50 in TPS. Pictorial –presenting senior LTTE commanders –probably circa 2003/05. Continue reading →

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March 29, 2019 · 9:57 am

Hostage Situations as defined by US War Manual absolves Sri Lanka in 2009

Daya Gamage in Asian Tribune, 28 March 2019, where the title is different = “U.S. official document clears Sri Lanka of civilian deaths”

Instead of agreeing to collaborate with the United Kingdom to adopt Resolution 40/1 in March – an extension of October 2015 30/1 Resolution which imposed on Sri Lanka a mechanism of ‘hybrid court investigation’ to ascertain the truth about civilian casualties during the Eelam War (2006-2009) IV – Sri Lankan delegation headed by Foreign Minister Marapona, following the impressive official statement rejecting the ‘hybrid mechanism’, among others, should have followed the example set by the United States, not leaving the UNHRC process altogether but dissociated with the mechanism set forth under the 30/1 Resolution.

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March 28, 2019 · 6:43 am

Tamil Guardian’s Reading of UNHRC Sessions at Geneva, March 2019

Item on 28 March 2019, entitled “Alternative Avenues” … with highlighting emphasis by The Editor, Thuppahi

For almost a decade, Tamil victims have looked to the UN Human Rights Council in their pursuit of justice. However, after years of resolutions followed by an extension, alongside lack of any progress on accountability, events at Geneva this week brought another deep disappointment. A day after the Sri Lankan government expressly told the Council it had no intention of creating an accountability mechanism with foreign judges as originally promised, yet another resolution was passed giving Colombo two more years to do just that. Sri Lanka’s foreign minister was blunt. Sri Lanka will not allow an international justice mechanism. The international community can be under no more illusions. If Sri Lanka cannot deliver the justice that victims demand, then other avenues must be explored. Else, as the UN human rights chief herself warned, further violence and instability will follow.

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