Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario Canada

October 23, 2009

Tom Malinowski
Director of Advocacy,
Human Rights Watch
Washington DC, US

Dear Tom:

I heard what you said loud and clearly – ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Human Rights Watch called for an independent international investigationƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢, on the 73 page US State DepartmentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Report on Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s WarƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Abuses.

You surprise me Tom.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  After all you guys didnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t provide Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Army Commander Sarath Fonseka, your Human Rights Watch Manual for Dummies. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-How to fight a Separatist War: They can Kill Us but we cannot Kill ThemƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, which would have benefitted the Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Armed Forces immensely when they were fighting the Tamil Tigers to eliminate them.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  All this ballyhoo about Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s War Crimes would not have been a concern at all if you had guided theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sri Lankan Armed Forces how to fight the Tamil Tigers by getting killed and not killing a single Tamil Tiger.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  My question to you is, are you lot at HRW in fusion with the US State Department and the Tamil Tiger financiers to besmirch Sri Lanka and its Armed Forces Commanders?

There are times when I have envied you guys at HRW.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  For the very reason that you all are living a life of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”easy salariesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ sitting on your butts and your women folk on their padded butts going after little countries like Sri Lanka who have fought their way to give its people their right-to-life which was high-jacked by the now eliminated Tamil Tigers after almost 30 years of their ruling the roost.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Even though it is a life of a liar, I still wouldnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t mind stretching out my palm every end of the month to have it garnished by ill-gotten funds for satisfying your clients like the pro-Eelam camps who have millions of dollars to pay out just for sending out press releases by groups like HRW for poking at Sri Lanka to bring her into disrepute.

A little fly on the wall at your last Board Meeting gave me this interesting story.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  All the names are fictitious to hide their identity.

The door opens, and Jezebel rushes in -ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

Jezebel: ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Sorry folks, that I am late.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  I just had to get a cup of teaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
Anna: ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Surely, you are still not drinking Ceylon Tea, are you?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  I thought we were boycotting drinking Ceylon tea as Raja demanded that we cut that habit or else our funding will suffer.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Believe me, Darjeeling Tea is as good as Ceylon Tea.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
Jezebel: ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Sorry, I will remember that.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
Tommy: ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-WhatƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s the latest Anna?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Have you heard from Kumar? When did we get the last cheque from his outfit?ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
Anna:ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-He phoned me last Monday.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  He told me that a US$500,000 cheque is waiting to be hand delivered no sooner we make a strong statement after the US State Department Report comes out.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  He wants us to push for an independent War Crimes inquiry.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  He wants one of us to get an interview on a National TV station to make the Sri Lankan Army abuses look credible even though the stories quoted in US Report will be unsubstantiated. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Lie through your teethƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ he saidƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
Tommy (swivels his chair to face Luke): ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-So how strong is our bank balance?ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
Luke: ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Not too good.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The numbers are slipping away.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Unless we have another boost from this Tamil Tiger outfit, we might have to lay off at least two from our Washington Office and curtail our travelling for strategy meetings to kill Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
Jezebel: ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-HmmmƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ this doesnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t sound good.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  I hope when the cuts come it wonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t be me, as I have a heavy mortgage to pay and John has just lost his job.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
Tommy: What choices have we got other than going after Sri Lanka and try to get these bastards dragged into a War Crimes Court.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Anna, can you get on your blower and tell KumarƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  that we will make that statement no sooner the US Report comes out, and ask him to have that cheque delivered without delay.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Assure him that we have got Sri Lanka lassoed and will be tightening the noose every day.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
Anna: ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-OKƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
Tommy:ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-I understand that the US State Department will be coming out with its Report by 2:00 on Thursday afternoon.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  We know the gist of it anyway. It will be about the alleged shelling of civilians and killing 6,000 of them during the final days of the battle.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The claims, no doubt will be unsubstantiated.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  But then who the hell cares, we need the money. Human Rights Watch needs to survive, so letƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s lie.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  LetƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s meet at 5:00 Thursday afternoon here to plot our strategy with press releases, TV interviews, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and the rest.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Anna, call Kumar to have the cheque delivered by noon on Friday.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  This meeting is adjourned.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

All what I can say to you Tom is, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-You bunch of bastards!ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

Tom, all this reminds me of the Nursery Rhyme which I learnt in the Kindergarten.

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Tom, Tom the PiperƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s son
Stole the pig and away he ran,
The pig was eat and Tom was beat
And Tom went roaring down the street.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ And I read a similar new-age Nursery Rhyme in the Vanakkam Golden Nursery Rhymes edition published somewhere in South India.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  How appropriate, I thought it was.

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Tom, Tom, HRWƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s son
Stole a Tamil Tiger and away he ran
To get him kill Sri Lankan soldiers.
The Tiger clawed him and Tom got eat
Now HRW looks like bloodied dead meat.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

Sincerely,

Asoka Weerasinghe