Prof. Peiris explains why Sri Lanka won’t cooperate with UN probe
Posted on April 7th, 2014
By Shamindra Ferdinando Courtesy Island
April 7, 2014, 10:11 pm
Sri Lanka will not cooperate with the proposed war crimes investigation undertaken by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, though the government remains committed to work with the United Nations as well as other international agencies, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
External Affairs Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris emphasized that the government of Sri Lanka wouldn’t accept the jurisdiction of the UNHRC to undertake an inquiry, therefore the question of the government cooperating with the proposed mechanism didn’t arise. Prof. Peiris was responding to a query by The Island yesterday in the wake of UN Chief Ban Ki-moon urging Sri Lanka to extend its support to UNHRC.
A resolution moved by the US calling for an external investigation received 22 votes at the recently concluded UNHRC session. Being a member of the UNHRC, the US voted for its own resolution.
Minister Peiris said that the government decided against cooperating with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights primarily due to three reasons.
The proposed investigation was beyond the scope of Ms Pillay’s office, the Minister said, adding that the second reason was her hostility towards Sri Lanka. The minister pointed out whatever those calling for UN intervention in Sri Lanka say; Ms Pillay would not approach the inquiry with an open mind. The UN rights chief’s claim that the Sri Lankan government was perpetrating atrocities against the Tamil people under the guise of fighting terrorism, which implied that there was no threat of terrorism in Sri Lanka and it was simply a creation of the Government. Not more than a week after the war ended in 2009, she called for an international inquiry against the Sri Lankan Government. “Under what basis did she call for such a move? These statements make it more than obvious that she is biased,” Prof Peiris said.
The government was also seriously concerned about the funding of the proposed investigative mechanism, the minister said. Sri Lanka could be at a great disadvantage due to the UNHRC being the recipient of large scale funding from several countries now calling for UN intervention, the minister said. Responding to another query, Prof. Peiris said that many member states of the UN were concerned about the way the UNHRC received its funding.
South Africa’s International Relations and Cooperation Minister Nkoana-Mashabane during the high level segment of the recently concluded UNHRC session expressed concern over politicization of the UN body. She said: “South Africa stands ready to work with all countries in the Council. For the Council to deliver on this vast mandate, it is important that the work of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is funded through assessed contributions, commensurate with the challenges we face is predictable. We must resist the bilateralisation of the mandate of the Council through earmarked donor funding to this office.”
Prof Peiris said that those pushing for external investigation here were silent on the progress made by a Presidential Commission investigating cases of alleged disappearances of persons in the Northern and Eastern Provinces.
Referring to an ongoing project titled Joint Needs Assessment; the minister said that the government was working closely with the UN to tackle problems faced by the displaced.
The minister said that since the conclusion of the war in May 2009, the government with the support of the international community had taken tangible measures to improve the living conditions of people living in war-torn areas. The ground situation was better though various interested parties continued to paint a bleak picture, the minister said.
April 7th, 2014 at 6:32 pm
GOOD! PROSECUTE ALL who commit TREASON against Sri Lanka by COLLABORATING with the ILLEGAL UN Probe!
April 8th, 2014 at 3:05 am
Thank you.
April 8th, 2014 at 6:55 am
At last GLP has been bold enough to say aloud what he has. The key to resisting a UN probe into SL is to take a decision in Parliament NOT to implement any part of the UNHRC decision based on bias against Sri Lanka. That will be the will of the Sri Lankan people which all will have to swallow! – That is the ONLY credible and robust way to deal with this situation – S de Silva -London
April 8th, 2014 at 12:49 pm
As Sri Lanka is a Democracy, in future we ought to use an island wide Referendum on important issues. That is ultimate Democracy in action.
Even in the case of the UNHRC, if Lanka is pushed further Parliament can opt for an island wide Referendum whether to participate with the requested investigation with the OHRC, now ‘pared down’ to a Panel of Experts. P.S.: Recall that the Darushman Report was also from a Panel of Experts – this was the start of the ‘open season for shooting down Lanka’.
April 8th, 2014 at 4:21 pm
Now that the NGO’s of the Tamil Diaspora who supported the LTTE are under investigation due to an act by the UN. All host nations are obliged to investigate, freeze their assets, and arrest those complicit in terrorist activity. This has turned the tables on the radical elements of the Tamil Diaspora.
In this light Sri Lanka needs to do an internal audit of pro LTTE organizations and in keeping with the UN freeze any assets of political bodies such as the Tamil National Alliance. Investigate them as their manifesto still contains treasonous words of forming a separate land called Eelam.
In this light the Indian sponsored 13th amendment should be abolished in every manner possible. It has failed in its purpose to end the war and now is being used to give preferential treatment to the Northern and Eastern provinces which would possibly lead to the autonomy of these provinces. This “cyanide pill” called the 13th amendment should be relegated to the dustbin of history.
As for India if New Delhi does not take any actions to close the TESO, TELO, TULF or PLOT then India is still supporting the pro Eelam movements within her borders and should be treated as a hostile nation whose purpose against Sri Lanka is an existential threat. Since before 1983 to now India has tried every trick in the book to form Eelam and failed. That does not mean India is about to give up. If not for the insistence of David Cameron to include a comprehensive international investigation along with the Human rights motion the pivotal Indian vote would have gone against Sri Lanka. India is looking out for her own best interests. It is time that Sri Lanka does the same.
April 8th, 2014 at 4:22 pm
Now that the NGO’s of the Tamil Diaspora who supported the LTTE are under investigation due to an act by the UN. All host nations are obliged to investigate, freeze their assets, and arrest those complicit in terrorist activity. This has turned the tables on the radical elements of the Tamil Diaspora.
In this light Sri Lanka needs to do an internal audit of pro LTTE organizations and in keeping with the UN freeze any assets of political bodies such as the Tamil National Alliance. Investigate them as their manifesto still contains treasonous words of forming a separate land called Eelam.
In this light the Indian sponsored 13th amendment should be abolished in every manner possible. It has failed in its purpose to end the war and now is being used to give preferential treatment to the Northern and Eastern provinces which would possibly lead to the autonomy of these provinces. This “cyanide pill” called the 13th amendment should be relegated to the dustbin of history.
As for India if New Delhi does not take any actions to close the TESO, TELO, TULF or PLOT then India is still supporting the pro Eelam movements within her borders and should be treated as a hostile nation whose purpose against Sri Lanka is an existential threat. Since before 1983 to now India has tried every trick in the book to form Eelam and failed. That does not mean India is about to give up. If not for the insistence of David Cameron to include a comprehensive international investigation along with the Human rights motion the pivotal Indian vote would have gone against Sri Lanka. India is looking out for her own best interests. It is time that Sri Lanka do the same.
April 8th, 2014 at 5:50 pm
Sri Lanka must not trust Ban Ki Moon, whose credibility dropped to zero, after he appointed a biased group of people to a panel led by Dharusman, not authorised by the UN, When Sri Lanka protested, he had assured that it was only a private advisory panel to provide him with a confidential report on a course of action he could take. However, to day we know how he shamelessly broke all these assurances when he released this private report to the UN system and UN member states, trying to give it the seal of UN authority, with the help of anti-Sri Lanka forces.
Therefore, why should Sri Lanka trust his sincerity any more?
April 8th, 2014 at 5:50 pm
Sri Lanka must not trust Ban Ki Moon, whose credibility dropped to zero, after he appointed a biased group of people to a panel led by Dharusman, not authorised by the UN, When Sri Lanka protested, he had assured that it was only a private advisory panel to provide him with a confidential report on a course of action he could take. However, to day we know how he shamelessly broke all these assurances when he released this private report to the UN system and UN member states, trying to give it the seal of UN authority, with the help of anti-Sri Lanka forces.
Therefore, why should Sri Lanka trust his sincerity any more?