Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario . Canada

31 October 2009

Dr.Radika Coomaraswamy
Under-Secretary General for Children in Armed Conflict
United Nations, New York US

Dear Radhika Coomaraswamy:

This is what I read in the Inner City Press today ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Inner City Press asked if she thought that the condition of IDP children in the Menik Farm camp in Vanni and elsewhere complied with the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Rights and guarantees for internally displaced children.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

Ms. Coomaraswamy replied that on ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-freedom of movementƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ and other issues, she believes the camps are ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-in violation of principles.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  She called Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s response: ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-draconicƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ or draconian.

WellƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦wellƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦well, is this the same Radhika Coomaraswamy who sent Allan Rock to Sri Lanka who botched the whole exercise on trying to get the child soldiers released by the Tamil Tigers and the Karuna faction in the north and east of Sri Lanka?

Is this the same Radhika Coomaraswamy who failed to bring Velupillai Prabhakaran, the leader of the now defunct Tamil Tigers, the most ruthless terrorist group in the world, to the International Criminal Court in the Hague after a submission of an ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-amicus curiaeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ having got him arrested for recruiting over 5,300 children as child soldiers and training some to be suicide bombers?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It is also important to note that Prabhakaran is a Sri Lankan Tamil like you.

Is this the same Radhika Coomaraswamy who failed to save the Tamil children who were herded ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ like cattle along from the west to the east of Sri Lanka, hopping over and dodging the millions of land mines for two years ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ planted by the Tamil Tigers when they were retreating having their butts whipped militarily by the Sri Lankan Armed Forces, and now seem to be concerned about the children who were saved and been housed in temporary welfare villages and rehabilitated and schooled by the Sri Lankan Government?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  What the heck is going on Radhika?

If you are indeed that person, I almost wondered whether you were punch drunk when you made that statement, more a Ra-deelaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Co-Mara-Sammy rather than Radhika Coomaraswamy.

I am more concerned about the official you are sending to Sri Lanka, Major General Patrick Cammaert, who was UNƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Military Advisor to the UNƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Peacekeeping Operations.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Who was the Military Force Commander of the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea, the former Commander of the Multi National UN Stand-by Forces High Readiness Brigade (SHIRBRIG) and also the Commander of the Multi National Brigade of the Rapid Reaction Forces of the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR).

If I were the Government of Sri Lanka, I wonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t let him in as I suspect that this visit is more than wanting to report back to you on the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-freedom of movementƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ of the children and the IDP camps which you say are ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-in violation of principlesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ of the UN.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  I see a much more sinister motive of the UN sending Major General Patrick Cammaert as I donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t trust you one bit.

But Radhika, quite apart from all that, I was quite taken back when I was informed by a domestic at the residence of President Mahinda Rajapaksa of this.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  After his early morning briefing that Doctor Radhika Coomaraswamy was sending Major General Patrick Cammaert to Sri Lanka in the pretext that he was coming over to report back on the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-freedom of movementƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ of Tamil children in the Menik Farm he had gone for his morning shower.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  This person had heard the President sing quite loud these popular songs from the 40s, 50s and 60s one after the other.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  These were the songs ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Boo-Hoo! ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” Baby Face ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” DonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t Blame Me ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” I donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t want to set the World on Fire ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” ItƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s all in the Game ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” Lovely to look at ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” Oh! Lady be Good ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” Let me call you Sweetheart (now donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t blush) ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Red Roses forƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  a Blue Lady ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” My Melancholy Baby – Send in the Clowns ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” Welcome to my World ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Call Me Irresponsible – I did it My Way ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” They CanƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t Take that Away from Me.

I am told that he is an excellent baritone and could hold a song together well. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ I didnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t know it, did you?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  I wasnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t sure whether he was serenading Doctor Radhika Coomaraswamy or whether he was responding ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in song to your sending Major General Cammaert to Sri Lanka on a false pretext.

Whatever it is, there is a clear message in that string of songs Radhika.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  You are supposed to be a smart woman, so you better figure that one out.

Sincerely,

Asoka Weerasinghe, Canada