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Barely few days ahead of the United Nations Human Rights Council session in Geneva, Sri Lanka has begun a no-holds-barred attack on its "enemies", is making fervent appeals to countries it considers friends, and is galvanising support back home in a bid to cash in on the siege mentality it is trying to create.
Varied numbers
The issue at the Rights Council relates to Sri Lanka's unwillingness to admit to civilian deaths during the end stages of Eelam War IV (January-May 2009). While one pro-Sri Lanka academic, Rohan Gunaratne, put the number killed at around 1,500, a few in the Sri Lankan hierarchy have admitted to deaths being in the range of 2,800 to 3,000. The United Nations Secretary-General's Expert Panel on Accountability in Sri Lanka has said that upwards of 40,000 civilians were killed. The second issue relates to Sri Lanka delaying any kind of political solution to the Tamils of the Northern Province, where the Tamil Tigers held sway for over three decades.
The UNHRC session will witness a resolution against Sri Lanka, which will cite the lack of progress on the promises it had made earlier on a political solution to the Tamils of the Northern Province, and also on make adverse comments on the complete absence of accountability and respect for human rights during the end stages of the war. The United States has made it clear that it will support a resolution of this nature. Canada, United Kingdom, and most of Europe, are likely to demand greater accountability for war crimes.
In Geneva, Sri Lankan Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris warned on Wednesday that any adverse resolution on Sri Lanka will impede the process of reconciliation at this crucial juncture. He held consultations with a wide range of diplomats, while another Minister, and President Mahinda Rajapakasa's Special Envoy on Human Rights, Mahinda Samarasinghe, revealed ahead of leaving for Geneva that a task force would be set up to expedite the human rights action plan. Mr. Samarasinghe, the head of the delegation in the last session of the UNHRC, came under attack for his proposal from the opposition though. The Opposition Leader in Parliament, Ranil Wickramasinghe, asked how such a national action plan could by-pass Parliament and reach Geneva.
On another plane, stopping short of accusing United States of mischief, Sri Lankan Permanent Representative to the United Nations Tamara Kunanayakam said on Wednesday that an e-mail "purporting to have originated from the Mission of the United States to the United Nations and other International Organisations at Geneva, signed by one Miriam Shahrzard Schive had been sent to Member States of the Human Rights Council and Diplomatic Missions in Geneva".
She said that the e-mail "creates the impression that diplomatic officials of the U.S. have been in close contact with the Government of Sri Lanka, as well as this Mission, to work, "collaboratively on issues of accountability (in Sri Lanka) and the implementation of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission's Report". She said that Sri Lanka had "continued to openly and comprehensively brief the international community in Geneva and elsewhere of all recent developments"¦ We have received wide spread support on the endorsement of the principle, that a domestic mechanism must be given the time, space and given the necessary impetus to achieve its objectives."
Restarting talks
Meanwhile, in a widely publicised move, Mr. Rajapaksa met Tamil National Alliance Leader R. Sampathan, in a bid to find some common ground. The talks between the government and the TNA on finding a political solution had all but stalled, and both have since reworked their positions, after meeting with representatives from the U.S. and India.
The Hindu : News / International : Sri Lanka readies for fight for civilian deaths in Geneva
SL in email row with US in Geneva
In what appeared to be another diplomatic row with the United States, Sri Lanka's permanent mission in Geneva has written to member states of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) alerting them against an email purported to have originated from the US mission to the UN seeking support for the resolution on Sri Lanka.
According to Sri Lanka's Ambassador in Geneva Ms. Tamara Kunanayagam the email had given the impression that Sri Lanka had closely worked with the US in drafting the resolution on Sri Lanka to be presented at the 19th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
Ambassador Kunanayagam has informed the 47-member countries in writing that that the US tried to create the impression in an email that it had been in close contact with the government of Sri Lanka and the country's mission in Geneva to work collaboratively on issues of accountability and the implementation of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC).
"It has been brought to our attention that an e-mail dated February 21, purporting to have originated from the Mission of the United States to the United Nations and other International Organisations at Geneva, signed by one Miriam Shahrzard Schive has been sent to Member States of the Human Rights Council and Diplomatic Missions in Geneva. It seeks support for a resolution on Sri Lanka supposedly sponsored by the United States, which is to be presented to the Human Rights Council Sessions in March. This e-mail creates the impression that diplomatic officials of the US have been in close contact with the Government of Sri Lanka, as well as this Mission, to work, 'collaboratively on issues of accountability (in Sri Lanka) and the implementation of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission's Report'. It goes on to express the hope that 'the Sri Lankan Government will work with us on this Resolution'. It obliquely canvasses the position of a co-sponsorship of a Resolution and conveys a false impression that Sri Lanka is working with the United States on this Resolution," she said in her letter to the heads of missions of member states.
She said, "Sri Lanka categorically states that at no time has the Government or its Mission in Geneva, ever worked with representatives of the United States on any Resolution on whatsoever. It is inaccurate and misleading to seek to create such an impression that Sri Lanka was consulted, has cooperated or in any other manner been part of such a process. Indeed, Sri Lanka has started on the implementation of the recommendations of the LLRC, among other initiatives to secure peace, prosperity and reconciliation for our people, in the aftermath of the thirty year conflict against separatist terrorism. We have consistently maintained that it is unnecessary, unhelpful and counterproductive to bring any resolution concerning this matter barely two months after the publication of the LLRC Report and more particularly in the context of implementation of its recommendations.
It is unfortunate that such an unethical distortion of the true position has been resorted to by interested parties who can only be pursuing some parallel agenda, seeking to achieve some collateral gain, given Sri Lanka's commitment to engage constructively with its partners, its forthrightness in discussing issues pertaining to post conflict recovery and the realisation of positive developments within its territory pertaining to reconciliation and development.
SL in email row with US in Geneva | Breaking News
Varied numbers
The issue at the Rights Council relates to Sri Lanka's unwillingness to admit to civilian deaths during the end stages of Eelam War IV (January-May 2009). While one pro-Sri Lanka academic, Rohan Gunaratne, put the number killed at around 1,500, a few in the Sri Lankan hierarchy have admitted to deaths being in the range of 2,800 to 3,000. The United Nations Secretary-General's Expert Panel on Accountability in Sri Lanka has said that upwards of 40,000 civilians were killed. The second issue relates to Sri Lanka delaying any kind of political solution to the Tamils of the Northern Province, where the Tamil Tigers held sway for over three decades.
The UNHRC session will witness a resolution against Sri Lanka, which will cite the lack of progress on the promises it had made earlier on a political solution to the Tamils of the Northern Province, and also on make adverse comments on the complete absence of accountability and respect for human rights during the end stages of the war. The United States has made it clear that it will support a resolution of this nature. Canada, United Kingdom, and most of Europe, are likely to demand greater accountability for war crimes.
In Geneva, Sri Lankan Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris warned on Wednesday that any adverse resolution on Sri Lanka will impede the process of reconciliation at this crucial juncture. He held consultations with a wide range of diplomats, while another Minister, and President Mahinda Rajapakasa's Special Envoy on Human Rights, Mahinda Samarasinghe, revealed ahead of leaving for Geneva that a task force would be set up to expedite the human rights action plan. Mr. Samarasinghe, the head of the delegation in the last session of the UNHRC, came under attack for his proposal from the opposition though. The Opposition Leader in Parliament, Ranil Wickramasinghe, asked how such a national action plan could by-pass Parliament and reach Geneva.
On another plane, stopping short of accusing United States of mischief, Sri Lankan Permanent Representative to the United Nations Tamara Kunanayakam said on Wednesday that an e-mail "purporting to have originated from the Mission of the United States to the United Nations and other International Organisations at Geneva, signed by one Miriam Shahrzard Schive had been sent to Member States of the Human Rights Council and Diplomatic Missions in Geneva".
She said that the e-mail "creates the impression that diplomatic officials of the U.S. have been in close contact with the Government of Sri Lanka, as well as this Mission, to work, "collaboratively on issues of accountability (in Sri Lanka) and the implementation of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission's Report". She said that Sri Lanka had "continued to openly and comprehensively brief the international community in Geneva and elsewhere of all recent developments"¦ We have received wide spread support on the endorsement of the principle, that a domestic mechanism must be given the time, space and given the necessary impetus to achieve its objectives."
Restarting talks
Meanwhile, in a widely publicised move, Mr. Rajapaksa met Tamil National Alliance Leader R. Sampathan, in a bid to find some common ground. The talks between the government and the TNA on finding a political solution had all but stalled, and both have since reworked their positions, after meeting with representatives from the U.S. and India.
The Hindu : News / International : Sri Lanka readies for fight for civilian deaths in Geneva
SL in email row with US in Geneva
In what appeared to be another diplomatic row with the United States, Sri Lanka's permanent mission in Geneva has written to member states of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) alerting them against an email purported to have originated from the US mission to the UN seeking support for the resolution on Sri Lanka.
According to Sri Lanka's Ambassador in Geneva Ms. Tamara Kunanayagam the email had given the impression that Sri Lanka had closely worked with the US in drafting the resolution on Sri Lanka to be presented at the 19th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
Ambassador Kunanayagam has informed the 47-member countries in writing that that the US tried to create the impression in an email that it had been in close contact with the government of Sri Lanka and the country's mission in Geneva to work collaboratively on issues of accountability and the implementation of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC).
"It has been brought to our attention that an e-mail dated February 21, purporting to have originated from the Mission of the United States to the United Nations and other International Organisations at Geneva, signed by one Miriam Shahrzard Schive has been sent to Member States of the Human Rights Council and Diplomatic Missions in Geneva. It seeks support for a resolution on Sri Lanka supposedly sponsored by the United States, which is to be presented to the Human Rights Council Sessions in March. This e-mail creates the impression that diplomatic officials of the US have been in close contact with the Government of Sri Lanka, as well as this Mission, to work, 'collaboratively on issues of accountability (in Sri Lanka) and the implementation of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission's Report'. It goes on to express the hope that 'the Sri Lankan Government will work with us on this Resolution'. It obliquely canvasses the position of a co-sponsorship of a Resolution and conveys a false impression that Sri Lanka is working with the United States on this Resolution," she said in her letter to the heads of missions of member states.
She said, "Sri Lanka categorically states that at no time has the Government or its Mission in Geneva, ever worked with representatives of the United States on any Resolution on whatsoever. It is inaccurate and misleading to seek to create such an impression that Sri Lanka was consulted, has cooperated or in any other manner been part of such a process. Indeed, Sri Lanka has started on the implementation of the recommendations of the LLRC, among other initiatives to secure peace, prosperity and reconciliation for our people, in the aftermath of the thirty year conflict against separatist terrorism. We have consistently maintained that it is unnecessary, unhelpful and counterproductive to bring any resolution concerning this matter barely two months after the publication of the LLRC Report and more particularly in the context of implementation of its recommendations.
It is unfortunate that such an unethical distortion of the true position has been resorted to by interested parties who can only be pursuing some parallel agenda, seeking to achieve some collateral gain, given Sri Lanka's commitment to engage constructively with its partners, its forthrightness in discussing issues pertaining to post conflict recovery and the realisation of positive developments within its territory pertaining to reconciliation and development.
SL in email row with US in Geneva | Breaking News
