Pre-UNHRC syndrome

The United Nations Human Rights Commission convenes no fewer than three times a year, during February-March, June-July and September-October. Since the victory over terrorism in 2009, which saved lives of civilian Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims, Sri Lanka has prominently featured in the UNHRC agenda at these meetings, often resulting in passing of resolutions that condemn Sri Lanka as a genocidal state which manipulates the killing, disappearances or harassment with genocidal intention, of Tamils on a regular basis. Of particular concern is its response to the defeating of the most brutal and ruthless terrorist organisation in the world, in a war that could be called a defensive war, for it was fought in the defence of the country which was bleeding to death and on the verge of being torn asunder. The UNHRC stooped to the lowest possible level, breaching its own conventions and adopted a resolution accusing the war winning armed forces of war crimes, wanton murder of civilians, rape etc. causing the death or disappearence of about 40,000 Tamils. It has subsequently added another resolution, dubious to say the least, which has launched an evidence collecting process aimed at hauling the members of the armed forces over the coals and, if possible, convict them at the International Criminal Court. The unkindest cut is that the evidence so collected cannot be subjected to judicial scrutiny and the witnesses are to remain undisclosed, thereby ensuring that they too are not to be examined as required in any fair judicial enquiry. This is the UNHRC we are dealing with, what justice could Sri Lanka expect from such an organisation, which resort to such ‘kangaroo court’ tactics! And the United Nations is supposed to be fair and just by all its members ! Could the world take this UNHRC seriously?

- BYN.A. DES. AMARATUNGA

The UNHRC and its parent body the UN seems to be under the thumb of the western powers which are its main funding source. It is no secret that the western powers extended significant support to the LTTE without which the latter would not have lasted all that long. When the LTTE was about to be wiped out the west did its utmost to stop the war and save the LTTE to fight another day. Sri Lanka did not capitulate to the dictates of the west and conducted the war to its conclusion. The irate west would want to punish Sri Lanka and now they use the manipulable UNHEC to do their dirty work.

The ITAK and other Tamil political parties, which were pawns in the hands of the LTTE, can now have the freedom to engage in democratic politics. If the LTTE was not defeated, they, like the rest of the country, would have been uncertain about their future existence. The fate that befell some of their colleagues was an ever present threat, all they could do was obey the LTTE. Now they have the freedom and space to stage ‘hartal’, timed to perfection, to show the world how human rights are violated in Sri Lanka, just before the UNHRC convene in September. This is a manifestation of a condition that could be named the “Pre-UNHRC Syndrome” that is endemic to Sri Lanka and afflicts the Tamil separatists, their local and diasporic supporters and opportunist human rights champions.