Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario . K1J 6G1 . Canada

18 October 2010
Mr. Salil Shetty, Secretary General, Amnesty International, London, UKƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
Mr. Kenneth Roth, Executive Director, Human Rights Watch, New YorkƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
Madame Louise Arbour, President, International Crisis Group, Brussels

Dear Salil, Kennth & Louise:

I read with trepidation your joint letter to Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation CommissionƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ which said:

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Should a genuine and credible process eventually be established ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” featuring truly independent commission members, effective powers of witness protection, and a mandate to explore the full range of alleged violations of national and international law; and backed up by government action to end impunity and ensure that police and court launch effective and impartial persecutions ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” we would be pleased to appear.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-See who is talking,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ I said under my breath!ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  You three International Human Rights Groups have little right to be proudly present yourselves as a bunch of Human Rights Goody-Two-Shoes wanting to slay Sri Lanka one more time, and I will tell you why later.

But, I want to thank you for giving me an idea what to wear for the Halloween Night which is fast approaching, to go out forƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  theƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Trick or TreatƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ fun night with my grandchildren.

Here is what is going to be my Halloween Costume.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It will be a black cloak with the words Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and International Crisis Group painted with neon colours, and wearing a mask of a rubber chicken.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  When someone appears at the door and asks me ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Who are you?ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  I will respond with a chicken cluck ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-CluckƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦.cluckƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦.cluckƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦.. c-l-u-c-kƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦.cluck,cluck,cluckƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  And pointing to the words on the cloak I will say, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-I am the Human RightsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ International chicken heads, SirƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.

So you big talkers, you didnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t even have the chicken guts to accept the invitation by the Sri LankanƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission, nor did you all have the chicken legs to stand on, as you big talkers realized that you were vulnerable and that you all would be proven to be a bunch of International Humbugs, when it comes to dishing out your bile against Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Human Rights andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  alleged War Crimes that you all are so vocal about.

Salil, Kenneth and Louise, hereƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s my problem with you three and the organizations that you represent.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Let me say why in that order.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL:ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  You pretend to be squeaky clean and boast that you all won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1977, when it was your organization that devoted a modest half page to Kampuchea in its annual report covering 1975, the year Phenom Penh fell to the Khymer Rouge. WhenƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  we learnt that your then Secretary General sent a cable ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-expressing concern for civilians detained in areas of conflict,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ while noting prudently that allegations of mass executions were based on ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-flimsy evidence and secondhand accounts.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  This is when it was a known fact that nearly one-fifth of the population of Kampuchea were exterminated by the Khymer Rouge in the late 1970s.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It is also interesting to note that Amnesty International sent a cable congratulating the new regime of Kampuchea on the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-large national union without distinction of class, religious belief or political tendencyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ it had just proclaimed.

That was the history of the organization that you represent Salil, and I spat at your lot with contempt then, saying ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-What a bunch of lousy bastards!ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

And recently as three years ago,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Amnesty International thought that they were smart to mount a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Play by the RulesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ cricket ball campaign against the Sri Lankan National Cricket Team at the World Cup in the Caribbean.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  By doing that you exposed yourselves as a bunch ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  arrogant bullying Human Rights campaigners.

When that happened, I told myself, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-ArenƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t these AI blokes a bunch of idiots.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  DidnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t they realize that cricket is a religion in Asia and when your first protesting ball against the ever popular Sri Lankan cricket team came out you all picked up three-million enemies immediately among the cricket lovers?ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  That is how foolish your AI was, Salil.

Little wonder ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ why you chickened out to meet with the Sri Lankan Commission, knowing damn well that your organization will be exposed as an Organization of Humbugs.

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH:ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Kenneth, you people are no better.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  HereƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s what bothers me about you lot, when you are working on a mandate which is ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-We gotch-ya, Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  And I resent it.

It was in August 2009, what your Jo BeckerƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  had said and reported in the Toronto Star, that ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Canada missed opportunity to right Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s wrongƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, for voting to approve $2.6 billion (US) IMF loan to Sri Lanka.

She said that ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-In voting last month to approve a $2.6 billion (US) IMF loan to Sri Lanka, the Government of Canada squandered an opportunity to press the Government of Sri Lanka on its treatment of war-affected civilians following its military victory over the rebel Tamil Tigers in MayƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Kenneth, did you notice, that these Tamil Tigers were no ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-rebelsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, they were down right ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-terroristsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ThatƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s where you HRW have failed and showed your bias.

Kenneth, that statement by your Jo Becker showed how blinkered your organization has been on its policy on Sri Lanka and your group has lost its relevancy where Sri Lanka is concerned.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  You may have noticed that Sri Lanka didnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t care two masala-vadais from the Tamil Curry Hut in Toronto about you lot, and I am sure that ached your Human Rights advocacy ego, didnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t it?

It is obvious that you lot, especially Jo Becker did not know that Canada was indeed the problem for the prolonged agony of Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s haemorrhaging for two decades when Canada let the Canadian-Tamils stuff the Tamil Tigers war chest with two million dollars a month for13 years of Liberal Party rule, to buy weapons to kill thousands of innocent peoples.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  And that it were the Canadian-Tamils that provided one-third of the operating funds of the Tamil Tigers each year.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Your Jo did not know that Canada stood guilty of this crime.

So what Canada did was by approving the IMF Loan was to absolve itself from that guilt of being proxy killers in Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  This should have been clear as a ding-dong of a Sunday Church bell in you lot.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  But, obviously it didnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t.

Jo was not the only clown in your organization. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Here is another one who supported your mandate of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-We Gotch-ya, Sri Lanka!ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Your South Asian Researcher Charu Lata Hogg had an article published in a Japanese newspaper describing in a rather compelling detail what she called the scenes of death and destruction in the Vanni.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Dead bodies of civilians lie strewn along the dusty roads,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ she said. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Hospitals, play grounds and houses stand ravaged by rockets fired from multi-barrel launchersƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, she continued.

Your Hogg had managed to identify the weaponry used and even noted the dirt underfoot, as she must have had a very good idea of what was going on, except that she hadnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t been within fifty kilometers of the conflict zone.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  What a lot of HRW buckets of Hog-wash, Kenneth.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Unfortunately for me, I didnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t have a chance to meet her or else I would have asked what she had smoked that morning before she started to write her hallucinating article.

Little wonder why you shied away from meeting the Commission in Sri Lanka, as it shows that you guys had no strength to stand up in front of them on your weak chicken legs.

INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP:ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Louise,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ little wonder why CanadaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s cabinet minister, Vic Toews, called you a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-disgraceƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ when you were heading the UNƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Human RightƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Commission.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  When your home country Canada decided to abandon you and not support you for the second term you parachuted yourself to be the CEO and President of the dubious group which calls itself the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”International Crisis GroupƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢.

I am not sure what moral authority your group has to call yourselves ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-InternationalƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ when your group represents only countries of the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Western AllianceƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, and no one else in the rest of the International World.

Now that you have taken up to war games and have started shooting at Sri Lanka, it would have been interesting for you to read my letter which appeared on Wednesday, August 13, 2008, in OttawaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s EMBASSY political newspaper, under the title Arbour Deserves Negative Criticism for Sri Lanka Finger-pointing, signed off Asoka Weerasinghe, Ottawa, Ont.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The letter also carried an Embassy File Photo of you with the label ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Former UN high commissioner for human rights Louise Arbour.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-I was glad to read Samuel ParadisgartenƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s comment on former human rights commissioner Louise Arbour (Re: ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Arbour was a DisgraceƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, Aug 6).ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  She deserves that negative exposure for going after the small fry like Sri Lanka in a big way and not being concerned about the big fish in the waters of human rights violations around the world.

Ms. Arbour placed herself and her office in jeopardy when she failed to recognize that the real human rights violators in the Sri Lankan separatist war were the Tamil Tigers.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The Tamil Tigers have been recognized as the most ruthless terrorist group in the world that perfected the art of suicide bombs with suicide body packs, having killed thousands of innocent civilians and two state leaders of India and Sri Lanka, and abducting and recruiting thousands of children as child soldiers and training them as suicide bombers.

By not recognizing that the Sri Lankan government armed forces were fighting to wipe out these terrorists and claim back the right-to-life for all innocent subjects of Sri Lanka, the most basic tenet of human rights and wagging her finger only at the Sri Lankan government in this 30-year-old feud, which has killed 70,000 people, she failed in her duty as the rights boss at the UN, big time.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  And that was a pity.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

Louise, your changing chairs from the UN to ICG does not change your moral responsibility to be truthful.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  And you have failed again.

You being the boss of ICG whose interpretation of the word ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-internationalƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ is highly problematic, as for all practical purposes, your word ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-InternationalƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ seems to mean only the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-U.S, and Western Europe.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Right?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  With some oversight your ICG has left out the majority of the worldƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s International Community.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  That wouldnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t surprise me as 54% of your funding, according to your website comes from the western governments, and the rest being from private institutions and individuals.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  And little wonder why the ICGƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s website has reports for a number of developing countries and regions in Africa, Central Asia, North East Asia, South Asia as well as Iran and the Gulf, the Balkans, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, etc., advising them on how they can better conduct their affairs, but there are no reports for the US or countries of Western Europe.

Why? Louise.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-BooƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ to you Louise.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Who the hell are you guys, anyway?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  And as far as I see your ICG happens to be in the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Cluk..cluckƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦cluckƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦.cluck,cluck,cluckƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, gang of the ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ bully consortium, who had the audacity to challenge the independence and impartiality of Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission.

And the Commission was absolutely right when they slammed you lot for the indirect aspersions that you bunch ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Halloween chicken headsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ have cast on hundreds of fellow citizens who were the victims of this Tamil separatist conflict and several responsible civil society organizations of Sri Lanka, who have already made representations before the Commission, by turning down their invitation.

In my eyes, Salil, Kenneth and Louise, you three are a bunch of reprehensible fools.

So letƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s cut out the elephant-dung trying to promote yourselves as the head-honchos of groups of irrelevant ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Goody-two-shoesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ International Human Rights Organizations.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  You guys have failed and cheated the world of innocence.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  And that is cheap!ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  And I say ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Pox to all your three organizations, AI, HRW and ICGƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. Stop being a bunch of Humbugs!

Sincerely,

Asoka Weerasinghe