Sri Lankan Minister for Youth Affairs Dullas Alahapperuma on Friday criticized the United Nations resolution that calls on the island-nation to thoroughly investigate war crimes allegedly committed during its civil war, saying that it attempts to divide the country.
Mr. Alahapperuma’s comments came a day after the U.N. Human Rights Commission approved the U.S.-backed resolution. The resolution followed a U.N. report alleging Sri Lanka’s Government may be to blame for tens of thousands of civilian deaths during the military campaign to defeat the separatist Tamil Tiger rebels.
Mr. Alahapperuma told reporters that the UNHRC was being misused by “imperialists” to divide Sri Lanka. He did not elaborate, but such comments usually refer to the creation of a separate State for the minority ethnic Tamils.
Rights groups and foreign governments have called for an international probe of the civil war, which ended in 2009 after Government troops crushed the rebels. The rebels fought for a separate State for the Tamils for more than a quarter century.
By a 25-13 vote and with eight abstentions, the 47-nation UNHRC urged the South Asian nation “to initiate credible and independent actions” to ensure justice and accountability in the aftermath of the war. Those in favour included India and Brazil, while those opposed included Pakistan, Venezuela and Indonesia.
A similar resolution in March 2012 called on Sri Lanka to probe allegations of summary executions, kidnappings and other abuses, but stopped short of calling for an international investigation.
Sri Lanka and its allies opposed both resolutions, saying they unduly interfered in the country’s domestic affairs and could hinder its reconciliation process.
The Sri Lankan Government has argued that its own investigation should suffice. A Sri Lankan commission report, released in December 2011, cleared government forces of wrong-doing.
Rights groups and government critics say Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s administration has ignored previous calls for accountability, including last year’s resolution, and that it has dragged its feet in implementing even the limited recommendations made by its own war panel.
Thursday’s U.N. resolution was watered down before it passed to add language praising Sri Lanka and to remove other passages, such as those calling on the Government to give unfettered access to U.N. special investigators and others. Backers of the resolution argued that credible probes into alleged crimes are an important step to heal the nation.
Keywords: Dullas Alahapperuma, Sri Lankan Minister for Youth Affairs, United Nations resolution, U.S.-backed resolution, U.N. Human Rights Commission, UNHRC resolution, Sri Lanka war crimes
Sri Lanka's government and leaders, especially Rajapakse and other
Sinhalas, should understand that the rest of the world does not owe it
to them to safeguard Sri Lanka's territorial unity while the Sinhalas
themselves go on doing everything to undermine that unity. Sri Lankan
Tamils are citizens of Sri Lanka as much as Sinhalas are. Rajapakse
should lead attempt to conciliate Tamils, otherwise partition of Sri
Lanka is written into the situation.
In this capitalist world everyone is looking for profits and motives of their own. Here who will give jutice for inhuman practise and human rights violation? We are asking to probe the same person who have commited the crime. Every one will have justice for their action but killing lakh of people and depriving their rights is hideous. There may be a right violation in India but our constitution have not deprieved the Rights of any individal. Even the land of Mahatma has supported this resolution due to pressure of Tamil Nadu. People will be happy if India has proposed the Resolution. Will Rajapakse won't have a feeling in the inner heart for the injustice what he had done?
I fully agree with Dullas Alahapperuma, Sri lanka needs the support of the world and the UN to win the peace after the end of the war. Sri Lanka is now at peace with itself, no need to open up old wounds. If anything, the UN and US need to concentrate on making Pakistan a normal international law abiding country, one which does not harbour terrorists and criminals as well as terror camps.
Please Email the Editor