UN Human Rights Council disassociates itself from the screening of ‘No fire Zone’ at the UN in Geneva
Posted on February 28th, 2013
Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the UN Geneva
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The United Nations Human Rights Council has disassociated itself from the screening of the Channel 4 film ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-No Fire Zone: The Killing Fields of Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ organized by Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and FIFDH to be held on Friday (01 March 2013) in Geneva at the UN premises.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
In response to a protest lodged by Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha last Monday, which was followed up with a meeting on Tuesday, the President of the UN Human Rights Council Ambassador Remigiusz A. Henczel in a letter dated 27 February 2013, has observed that such events ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-do not reflect an official position of the CouncilƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.
In his letter, President Henczel has observed that ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-the participation and consultation with the observers of the Human Rights Council, including INGOs, is based on arrangements, including Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) resolution 1996/31 of 25 July 1996, and practices observed by the Commission on Human Rights (rule 7 of the CouncilƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”s Rules of Procedure)ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. He further notes that ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-NGOs in consultative status with ECOSOC have the right to organize side eventsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, and that ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-a large number of such meetings take place in the margins of the session and they do not reflect an official position of the CouncilƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. He however adds that ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-the organizers of side events take full responsibility for the content of their eventsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.
Sri Lanka on Monday lodged a formal protest against the screening of the latest Channel 4 film. In his letter addressed to Ambassador Remigiusz Achilles Henczel, President of the Human Rights Council, Ambassador Aryasinha had obsereved thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Sri Lanka views this film, as well as the timing of its broadcast as part of a cynical, concerted and orchestrated campaign that is strategically driven, and clearly motivated by collateral political considerationsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.
February 28th, 2013 at 5:49 pm
Don’t be fooled by India’s conduct. This time Sri Lanka’s best friends (China and Russia) are not in the UNHRC. Therefore, there is even lesser support for Sri Lanka this time. The Indian resolution (presented by USA) will be passed with a higher margin. India may not vote for it, not because India has changed its evil approach to Lanka, but because it knows with the absence of China and Russia, a resolution can be passed by fewer members voting for it.
Unless India votes against it and canvasses support from others to vote against it, India must be treated an enemy.
February 28th, 2013 at 6:48 pm
Well done, and Go for it Ravi!!!! Teach these fake-artistes a lesson – take them to court. That’ll teach them a lesson they’ll never forget. The whole of Sri Lanka and its peace-loving expatriates are behind you. May the Triple Gem bless you!
February 28th, 2013 at 7:36 pm
If they are allowing LieTTE to screen their “movies”, we should do a similar one showing real stories, real atrocities committed by LieTTE and real struggle of our Ranaviruwo’s trying to liberate the innocent Tamils from the clutches of the Barbarians LieTTE.
Our Embassy should have a copy of the film made by Ministry of Defence.
Otherwise, this event should be re-named as “Creative film festival of terrorists”. World must know how creative they are. They invented the suicide kit for women. They developed submarines and they create films better than Bollywood and label as real which can win the hearts of even European Union parliamentarians. I was under the impression that only “little children” think the movie characters are real and all heroes are real. That shows their maturity.
Those barbarians who developed the suicide kits must be now burning in hell with C4 explosives every minute.
February 28th, 2013 at 11:30 pm
We need to accept in good faith the statement of the UNHRC officially disassociating itself from the screening of the Channel 4 film. Unfortunately, the UNHRC’s ‘disclaimer’ does not help much. Those who want to screen the film are able to do so, anyway, and, it will appear to the whole world as if it was, in fact, part of the UNHRC proceedings. The damage to the country’s image will be no different.
People have sneaky ways of getting round ‘hurdles’ and misleading the public. Remember how the crafty UNSG, Ban Ki Moon acted when he could not get official UN approval for a committee to investigate alleged human rights violations during the last stages of the war? He simply appointed a committee to advise him. This was HIS committee, not a committee appointed by the UN. But then he distributed the report of his committee, to the UNHRC and others and achieved the same objective as a UN appointed committee report would have done. And now when the media refers to the report do they refer to it as a report of a committee appointed by the UNSG? No, sir, they refer to it as a UN Report!