Nation should salute members of the Global Forum who fought for Sri Lanka at the UNHRC
By: A.A.M.NIZAM – MATARA
It is shame that this Tamil slavish government which maintains a Permanent representative and a staff in Geneva allowed separatist Tamils and the tiger terrorist rump throughout the world to shred Sri Lanka at the 36th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council which ended on 29th September. When all other States which had accusations of violations of human rights used their ‘Right of Reply’ to answer those allegation and to clarify any confusion Sri Lanka has failed to present an official response to these blatant allegations as if that this government accepts those allegations.
These allegations have been made by ABC Tamil Oli, ANAJA, Association culturelle des Tamouls en France, Association Bharati Centre Culturel Franco-Tamoul, Association Solidarité Internationale pour l’Afrique, Association for Victims of the World, Association des étudiants tamouls de France, LEPONT, Alliance Creative Community Project, Observatoire Mauritanien des Droits de l’Homme et de la Démocratie, Society for Development and Community Empowerment, Tamil Uzhagam, Association Thendraln Tourner la page and Anti Sri Lankan politicians such as Vaiko and Seamen of Tamil Nadu.,
Their allegations and demands included that Tamils in Sri Lanka were suffering from systematic discrimination, withdraw all its armed forces from the Tamil lands, allow the Tamils to conduct a self-determination referendum, Tamils face decades of political violence and disenfranchisement, Tamil women headed households and war widows experience socio-economic commussionand physical vulnerabilities due to heavy militarization, the Government of Sri Lanka continued to utilize PTA to discriminate and marginalize the Tamils, ethnic communities do not have the right to their chosen faith without hindrance, military forces of Sri Lanka had been in the territory since 1945, many Tamil civilians had been detained without any charges, the present Government had detained numerous Tamil civilians without filing any charges against them., illegal and arbitrary arrests and detention, abductions and enforced disappearances, rape and torture in custody, extrajudicial killings and internal displacement of the Tamil communities continue, the military presence interfere in economic activities, education and cultural events of the Tamils, Tamils are being subjected to genocide, and 146,000 Tamils had been killed in 6 months in a “genocidal war”!.
When the government remained silent giving credibility to these allegations and as if to justify the demands the members of the Global Forum of Sri Lanka who participated in this session as a non government agency of Sri Lanka led by Ven. Bemgmuwe Nalaka Thero and consisting Rear Admiral Sraath Weerasekera, Dr. Nalaka Godahewa, Mrs. Anuradha Yahampath, the Chairman of the Global Forum Mr. Wasantha Keerthiratne and several others of the Global Forum have filled the void created by the Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative in Geneva and countered the terrorist sympathisers with valid arguments. The Sri Lankan delegation has also flayed The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein as well for his bias against Sri Lanka.
Speaking at this session first Dr. Nalaka Godahewa, Former Chairman of the Securities Exchange has said that in Sri Lanka there is no hindrance for a Tamil National to rise up to the highest level. He gave the following examples to show the highest positions and privileges being enjoyed and did enjoy by the Tamil nationals. There were powerful Tamil Ministers in all the post independence governments, our former Foreign Lakshman Kadiragamar was a Tamil, he was killed by the Tamil terrorists in 2005. At the time he was killed he was even being considered to appoint as the Prime Minister of the country. He was not killed at that time he may have become even the President of the country today. The Chief Justice Sri Pavan retired recently was a Tamil national. The present Governor of the Central Bank Mr.Indrajith Kumaraswamy is a Tamil national. The former Governor of the Central Bank Arjun Mahendran is a Tamil national. The former President of the Bar Association Jeffrey Alagaratnam was a Tamil national., The well known cricketer Muttiah Murtalidaran is a Tamil national. One of the former Inspector General if Police Rudra Rahasingham was a Tamil national. The present Navy Commander Travis Sinniah is a Tamil national. One of the three members of the Elections Commission Ratna Jeevan Hoole is a Tamil national. The Opposition Leader in the Parliament R.Sambndan is a Tamil national There are 33 Tamil members of Parliament in the 225 member Parliament. The Chief Minister of the Northern Province C.V.Wigneswaran is a Tamil national and he was a Supreme Court Judge earlier. The former Chairman of the Colombo Stock Exchange Krishan Balendra was a Tamil national. Sri Lanka’s largest digital media network the Sirasa and MTV belongs to the Tamil family Maharajahs. Sri Lanka’s largest food stores chain Food City belongs to the Tamil family Jeff. Sri Lanka’s largest beer manufacturing Firm Carsons belongs to the Selvanathan Tamil family.
In the National flag of Sri Lanka special places have been given to Tamils and Muslims. It has an orange colour band for Tamils and Green colour band for Muslims. Dr. Godahewa queried whether there is any other country which has given recognition for minorities even in their national flag?
Both languages Sinhala and Tamil are being used in all documents printed by the Government. Birth Certificates, Death Certificates, Marriage Certificates, Immigration and Emigration forms can be cited as examples. Even in the currency notes the value of the notes are mentioned in both Sinhala and Tamil. Any child in Sri Lanka has the right for free education and any person in Sri Lanka has the free medical rights. Nationality does not become applicable for any of these matters. There is no place reserved only for Sinhalese in Sri Lanka. The public transport can be equitably used by Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim m and Burghers. Nationality is not applicable for any sport activities. Only the talent is taken into consideration in the selection for the national squads.
But in the Tamil majority North there is a Law that discriminates other nationalities. That is the Law named Desawalamai” related to sale of lands. According to this Law only a Tamil can buy a land. Actually speaking discriminations to Tamils are meted out only by Tamils. It is due to the Caste problem which cannot be understood by foreigners.
It is known to everyone that Tamils in the North consider Tamils in the East as inferior and both Tamils in the North and Tamils in the East jointly consider Tamils in the Hill Country as inferior to them. These divisions even existed in the LTTE which demanded for a separate state.
I am asking whether even today a high caste Tamil in the North partake meals with a low caste Tamil? Do they approve a marriage with a low caste boy or a girl? .
There was a time in Sri Lanka that low caste people were not even admitted to paces of religious worship. I will remind an incident which gained much popularity in 1957. A former Cabinet C.Sunderalingam slept across the entry gate of the Nallur Kovil when the enacted a Law saying that low caste people should also be permitted to enter Kovils. Such a law was enacted only under a Sinhalese Prime Minister Mr. S.W.R.D.Bandaranaike. The Act brought by Mr. S.W.R.D.Bandaranaike prohibited denial of employment on caste basis, denial of education facilities on caste basis, prevention of anyone’s entry to a restaurant on class basis, denial of anyone’s entry to a cemetery on class basis, prevention of anyone wearing a dress on his like on class basis, prevention of anyone drinking water from a public place etc. The Act stipulated a long list.
Even today these discriminations prevail in Jaffna. The best example is the reluctance of the people of Jaffna to donate blood to hospitals there because they fear that their blood will get mixed with the blood of low caste people. During the war period it was Sinhala soldiers who donated blood to hospitals in Jaffna and even the wounded terrorist cadres were treated with this blood. Even a few weeks ago around 200 soldiers donated blood in Jaffna following an SOS received from the Blood Bank.
After receiving independence from the British colonialists in 1948 the English educated high class Tamils became very much disappointed. Owing to the fear that they will have to share their special privileges with the ordinary people, they spread the notion that it is better for Tamil people to separate from the Sinhalese people. They spread many lies for this purpose. Unfortunately many Tamil people fell into this trap. It was this notion that helped also to the beginning of the LTTE Terrorism.
All of us suffered from terrorism for 30 years. At least now we should rectify our mistakes. Sinhala people have already extended their arms of friendship to the Tamil people. Most of the investments of the government after 2009 May were spent for reviving the infrastructure facilities of the North and East shattered by the war. Today Tamil people of Sri Lanka can live any part of the country and engage in their business activities.
But even after the war the forces which misled the Tamil people have not ceased their vicious activities. Tamil Nadu politicians such as Vaiko who helped Prabhakaran is visiting Geneva and attempts to mislead the Sri Lankan Tamils disguising as the saviours of the Sri Lankan Tamils. The puppet regime in Sri Lanka has also become helpful for them.
The intelligent Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim people, especially the future generation should come out from this chauvinist trap. I hope and pray that they will become interested to live amicably as a one nation in a Unitary State.
Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera addressing the session next has said in his course of speech that no country in the world has won a separatist war while rescuing 300,000 people. The present government in Sri Lanka has co-sponsored the UN resolution to appease the separatist Tamil diaspora and has thereby severely betrayed the country. The separatists are attempting to achieve what they could not get achieved through a 30 year war. He has expressed the belief that the Council will not get misled by the blatant lies of the Tamil Nadu politicians.
Sri Lanka was a country that suffered for nearly 30 years because of the inhuman tiger terrorism. 30 countries in the world proscribed the tiger outfit alias the LTTE since it was a ruthless terrorist organisation in the world. It was the tiger terrorists who introduced the suicide bomb to the world. They inhumanly killed several thousand innocent common people of Sri Lanka. They forcibly recruited women and children to their forces. Our gallant war heroes completely vanquished these ruthless terrorists in 2009 and succeeded in safeguarding the human rights of all the people of Sri Lanka. In the year 2011 this very Human Rights Council adopted a resolution lauding Sri Lanka for defeating terrorism.
But in the recent times the UN Commissioner of Human Rights going against the UN Convention saying that no interference should be made in respect of internal affairs of a member country, has started issuing statements outlining changes that should be made to the constitution and legal framework of Sri Lanka and has expressed their displeasure about this matter. He has said that they would like to see his eagerness for finding out the mistakes of our war heroes are shown not only for the dead tigers but also towards the Tamil diaspora which provided funds and assistance to the terrorists and politicians of Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu as well. Bloods of innocent people killed in Sru Lanka for a period of 30 years are soaked in the hands of all those who supported the tiger terrorists. Therefore they have no right today to come to Geneva and talk about human rights.
The Commissioner of Human Rights should respect the UN convention and act at least in the future without any bias and without causing any injustice to Sri Lanka.
Mrs. Anurada Yahampath addressing the Council when Vaiko was also present queried how can anyone allege that Sei Lankan forces committed war crimes when the same soldiers come forward to donate blood for the use of Tamil patients and pointed out that more than 50% of the Tamil people in Sri Lanka live in the South side by side with Sinhala people and it is the Tamil politicians who project a wrong image about Sri Lanka.
It was reported that members of the Global Sri Lanka Forum from many countries including Switzerland, France, UK, Italy, Germany, Kuwait, and Australia gathered in Geneva to express solidity with the Sri Lankan delegation and hold Lion-flag carrying demonstrations outside the UNHRC headquarters.
Reports from Tamil Nadu said that after a humiliating return from Geneva, Vaiko and the film producer Seaman in their fury held anti Sri Lankan demonstrations in Chennai and set fire to Sri Lankan flags.
Participating in the Mokada Vune” news cut of the Derana News cast on 1st October upon returning to Sri Lanka for a rousing welcome at the Airport in the morning on that day Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera expressed displeasure about the government’s failure to respond to terrorist allegations and emphasized that the government should take a firm stand on these matters without trying to appease the Tamil separatists who are hell bent on destroying the image of Sri Lanka.
It is however sad to note that the pint size nincompoop former bus conductor Mahinda Amaraweera who is a Sirisena’s bone chewer in the government has ridiculed the Sri Lankan delegation’s activities in Geneva saying that their action was not worth even
