UNHRC must prove its sincerity
The LTTE rump has resorted to
various tactics to mislead the international community ahead of every
United Nations Human Rights Council session (UNHRC), UN General Assembly
(UNGA) or any other international platform such as the Commonwealth
Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). From the day the LTTE was crushed
militarily in May 2009, the Tiger cohorts, LTTE poltergeists and a
section of the Tamil Diaspora have conducted similar campaigns. There is
no exception this time around as the UNHRC is due to meet in Geneva
shortly.
The LTTE rump is adept at trotting out concocted stories whenever
such an international session is round the corner. Moreover, they dish
out various fabricated stories on the eve of international summits, such
as the UNHRC.
It is now customary for Tiger cohorts to indulge in a variety of
media gimmicks through their worldwide contacts to woo international
sympathy. They expend millions of rupees to conduct such international
campaigns with their well-established contacts in the international
media. For example, Channel Four is notorious for its doctored videos to
discredit Sri Lanka's valiant Security Forces and undermine their
Herculean Morale.
Millions of dollars are channelled annually to fund such
international media campaigns before the UNHRC, UNGA, CHOGM or any
similar event. Photographs of terrorist leader Velupillai Prabhakaran's
second son are splashed in yet another well-orchestrated move by the
LTTE rump to exert pressure on Sri Lanka at the forthcoming UNHRC
Sessions.
Most Western countries don't seem to still understand Sri Lanka's
true ground situation as the Tiger cohorts adopt various tactics to
discredit Sri Lanka in the eyes of the world. At the same time, some
Western politicians who depend heavily on the Tamil Diaspora vote for
their political survival in their adopted countries, also operate behind
the scenes.
Hence, human rights issues have now turned out to be an effective
tool for the so-called big countries to intimidate small countries to
suit their hidden agendas. Amnesty International (AI) and Human Rights
Watch (HRW) have more often than not exploited this tool to fall in line
with Western conspiracies and tame countries which the so-called big
nations identify as 'threats' or challenges.
When powerful Western nations turned a Nelsonian eye to Tiger
terrorists exploding bombs targeting civilians, Sri Lanka had little or
no choice, but to launch its own battle against seething terrorism with
the help of friendly countries. It is now crystal clear that some
organisations and certain countries with vested interests are trying to
exploit the UNHRC to achieve their ulterior motives.
LTTE cohorts, shadow organisations and a section of the Tamil
diaspora are hell-bent on going hammer and tongs with their action plan
for the forthcoming UNHRC sessions through their influential governments
in the West.
Although the Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the UNHRC
project a keenness to protect international human rights, in actual
practice, the conduct of these international human rights watchdogs has
become highly questionable. AI and HRW are biased and employ double
standards in their operations. Their observations woefully lack
political neutrality and their research methods, to say the least, are
ambiguous.
What is more baffling is that they turn a blind eye to human rights
issues in some countries while they take others to task. The United
States, which is trying to bring in another Resolution against Sri Lanka
at the UNHRC, must weigh the pros and cons and clear the garbage in its
own backyard before pointing an accusing finger at Sri Lanka.
The US government has time and again over-emphasised its so-called
diplomacy values, by playing the human rights record ad nauseum against
those countries and regimes which it doesn't favour. In this backdrop,
the HRW and AI interests come within the ambit of the US diplomatic
strategy, despite its INGO status. The US should first and foremost make
its own evaluation and take stock of the human rights violations of the
US-led NATO forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, apart from the drone attacks
in Pakistan. What action has the US taken against such indiscriminate
aerial attacks which killed thousands of hapless civilians?
When countries such as Sri Lanka were invaded by Western powers,
their armies killed tens of thousands of helpless civilians. It is an
open secret how the invading forces killed thousands of Sri Lankans from
1505, until the country gained independence from the British in 1948.
The jackpot question is whether any of these Western countries had taken
accountability seriously. Instead, they are now pontificating to Sri
Lanka on human rights and accountability.
Rather than putting their own house in order or acknowledging their
past demeanour, these self-same countries weep buckets of tears over the
human rights of LTTE terrorists who went on the rampage in a relentless
war against a legitimate government. It is in this context, that we
believe, that human rights have now turned out to be an effective tool
for powerful nations to intimidate small countries to suit their hidden
agendas.
Sri Lanka to all intents and purposes acted in a highly responsible
and transparent manner when it conducted its humanitarian operation,
having maintained a zero civilian casualty rate at all times. Sri
Lanka's democratically elected Government has a sacred duty to protect
its people and safeguard the country's unity and territorial integrity
at all costs. Western countries must stop their grave-digging campaigns
and extend a hand of solidarity and goodwill to Sri Lanka in its
reconciliation drive.
Is there any justification or urgency to float a resolution calling
for the implementation of the LLRC recommendations and engage the UN
High Commissioner for Human Rights when this has already been
effectively undertaken by the Government? The international community
must give Sri Lanka some breathing space to implement its own mechanism,
instead of compelling her to implement their agendas. It is deplorable
that these Western countries fail to perceive the excellent harmony that
exists among all communities in Sri Lanka.
The capital, Colombo, is the best example of ethnic harmony and
coexistence. Some countries and certain international organisations,
which are blind to these stark facts, continue to exert undue pressure
on Sri Lanka to 'protect' the human rights of terrorists who had
butchered thousands, including women, children and religious and world
leaders. Is this because Sri Lanka scored a first in eradicating
terrorism?
The LTTE, for over two decades, had indiscriminately massacred
thousands of civilians in massive bomb explosions targeting the public.
The Tigers brutally assassinated hapless civilians belonging to all
three communities - Tamil, Muslim and Sinhalese. Property worth billions
of rupees was destroyed as the LTTE targeted key economic hubs such as
the country's only international airport and the Central Bank
headquarters.
The so-called godfathers of human rights and those who project
themselves as leaders of the global battle against terrorism remained
silent when Sri Lanka was at the receiving end. Nevertheless, thanks to
the few friendly countries which stood firmly by Sri Lanka, the LTTE was
vanquished on May 18, 2009. Had it not been for President Mahinda
Rajapaksa's political sagacity and dauntless leadership, Sri Lanka would
never have defeated terrorism. The elected leaders and the Government
are accountable only to the masses and certainly not to the Western
politicians who dance the fandango round the LTTE rump.
What President Rajapaksa had told the UN General Assembly five years
ago is well worth repeating - "there can't be two types of terrorism,
one for the West and another for this part of the world". He emblazoned
the fact that there are no good terrorists and bad terrorists and
terrorism in any part of the world should be eradicated in like manner.
It is needless to state that no other Army in the world has acquired
such tremendous experience in guerrilla warfare and anti-terrorist
strategies. If the UN and other world organisations which scream to the
high heavens against terrorism are really sincere, they should by all
means grab Sri Lanka's expertise to crush global terrorism. It behoves
the UNHRC members to assess Sri Lanka's position with utmost care before
bringing in another resolution against it. Any untoward action would
seriously hamper the peaceful environment now prevailing. Colombo stands
out as a shining example of ethnic harmony and peaceful coexistence. The
UNHRC should consider these stark facts objectively and prove its
sincerity.
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