Sri Lankan Parliament will debate on April 3 and 4 the U.N. Human Rights Council resolution which called on the country to implement recommendations of a panel that examined comprehensively the war with the Tamil Tigers.
The mood in Parliament reflected the prevailing patriotic fervour in the Sinhala dominated parts of Sri Lanka. Catering to this, the External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris informed Parliament on Friday that the government was clear on the resolution from the beginning. “We declined proposals from the U.S. and several other countries to support the resolution after amending and changing words,” he was quoted in The Daily News. “Sri Lanka maintained the position that we have whatsoever no connection with the resolution. If we were to have been involved in this process, it could have posed long-term negative effects upon our country,” he added.
India criticised
While many in positions of authority were cautious of criticising India, the media, quoting ‘highly placed official sources' have been vocal in its criticism. So have been the columnists, who have ripped the Indian stand to shreds. One delegate to the UNHRC session in Geneva said it was not the Indian vote that hurt; it was the manner in which India did it. India changing its decision at the last minute was the issue, and this was something that most Sri Lankans will not forget in a long time to come, he added.
Sri Lankans, cutting across class divides, are aghast at the Indian decision to support the U.S.-sponsored resolution. Parliament is in session, and the signals emerging from it are clear: Sri Lanka will tolerate no interference as it embarks on its own brand of “home-grown” solution to keep the nation united.
President's view
President Mahinda Rajapaksa has been guarded in his criticism of countries that supported the resolution, his Ministers have made it a point to drive home the point that nothing would be achieved as a result of the resolution.
“Our government is committed to walk that extra mile to establish permanent peace through reconciliation. That is our commitment to our people and no one has to tell us what to do,” said Mr. Rajapaksa inaugurating the “Sri Lanka Expo 2012”, attend by a many from the diplomatic corps.
On Friday Mr. Rajapaksa appealed to the Tamil media in the country not to encourage separatist tendencies. “Tamil Oodagam inavadam kilappa koodathu,” [Tamil media should not foster separatism], he said inaugurating the buildings of a government-run Centre for Media Development. He wanted the Tamil media to support development and progress.
Keywords: U.N. Human Rights Council resolution, Geneva resolution, LTTE, Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil Tigers
The way things are heading the the LTTE terrorists in the west are hell bent in reviving the conflict between the Sinhalese and the Tamils with the result of the UN resolution. The LTTE lost the terrorist war. The pro-LTTE Tamils in the west are using the blood money collected by them to influence politicians, the media, influential bodies to destabilise Sri Lanka for their ulterior motives. The politicians are using them to win their elections. In reality most of those LTTE Tamils agitating for foreign involvement in the internal affairs if Sri Lanka, have never set foot there. They don't care a damn for the Sri Lankan Tamils. India succumbed to the threats of Tamil Nadu, in getting them vote for the resolution. The ulterior motive is for separation to be joined with Tamil Nadu. Because of the UN resolution Sri Lanka will strength its ties with China, Russia, African and other Asian countries. The divide and rule policy the west wants is going to work. India will lose ultimately.
What is hurting to Tamils is that the President, while asking Tamil media not to induce separatism or racial disharmony, is overseeing convertion Hindu temples into Buddist ones in the North. (The recent one is Kilinochchi Sivan Temple) If he wants peace, Tamils are ready for a long time now. Offer the Tamil population of North East Sri lanka a Province with Police, Land and Finance power before too late. The whole country would be in peace and there will be no interference from outside world. First and foremost he must create trust between communities by authorising an accountability process for the victims of the war. The Ball is in the President's court.
I am a Sri Lankan Tamil from Jaffna and I have many relatives who had been trapped in the war zone during the final stage of war. According to them, it was due to the cruel tactics of the LTTE, that many innocent lives were lost in the shelling. India and the whole world knew about the tactics used by the LTTE in order to save themselves without any care for innocent lives. Those who cries about war crimes, especially those diaspora pro-LTTE Tamils never utter any words against the cruelty of the LTTE. The US resolution is a scheme by western nations, and the Indian support is a big blunder in terms of its foreign policy adjusted to appease the regional parties against its own adopted foreign policy. The damage has been done, and it may take some time to rectified.
I think waht India did is correct. Sri Lanka will never do anything to allow the Tamils live in peace and dignity. The Sinhalese want the Tamils to be a subjugated minority in their own country, A federal solution is the best answer for future unity of Sri Lanka so that Tamils and Sinhalese live in peace. China always fishes in troubled waters and they will make a SL another Myanmar or North Korea. The SL Govt should swallow their empty Rhetoric and work with India for a durable and sustainable peace.
As a Sinhalese living abroad, I wish to express the same sentiment. We just did not think India would do this. US, UK, sure. That's what they typically do in order to destabilize a small country. But not India. This mostly hurts people who thought of India as our closest friend. The last minute decision is inexplicable. We can only think that this was not adequately thought through. We hope India will rectify this mistake by increasing its help to SL and by defending SL in the future, despite the pressures. If not, the minority of Sinhalese who always shout and scream about how India cannot be trusted will win the argument.
Let us not be harping on the same theme that outside interference will not bring in peace.Admitting but not accepting this logic can anybody clarify that 'the inside administration' has even moved an inch forward towards addressing the concerns of the Tamils? They think that eliminating LTTE will extinguish this problem.Agreed LTTE has been crushed and they deserve to be crushed.But the urge for more and reasonable power to Tamils is an issue which remain alive.It looks like that the battle if it starts again will be bereft of the tactical mistakes LTTE did and may be costly for Sri Lanka.The dilly dallying now by the government will become the debated issue after five years.
The next step is ecconomic sanctions against Sri Lanka if it fails to adopt the UN. resolution although it is a watered down resolution.If the government is creating a pandemonium over it, it is clear that it is not interested in reconcilliation.Falsehood by the president and his loyals is not going to help them in anyway.
On the day when the resolution was passed, the USA also voted against a resolution ordering a probe into how 'Israeli settlements may be infringing on the rights of the Palestinians'. It was passed by 36 votes in favour and 10 abstentions; the US alone voted against it. So much for the Free World's self appointed policeman. It's all politics.
Mr. Rajapaksa continues his bluff game inspite of the UNHRC resolution, on one hand he puts up big expectations for show saying things like "Our government is committed to walk that extra mile to establish permanent peace through reconciliation" but not willing to talk about the fundamental issues of concerns to the Tamils in SL, the things likes One North-East provincial council, devolution of land, finance and police powers to the provincial councils. He thinks he could keep bluffing and just buying time.
People who are familiar with such proceedings always knew that the resolution driven by the USA could not impact Sri Lanka’s stand with regard to its content. This is just a waste of valuable time, energy and money that could have deployed to the benefit of the war affected population.
Our experience of what happened in Sri Lanka in the past has proved
unmistakably that outside interference would not bring peace but
pandemonium. Remember the ramification of Indu-Lanka accord in 1987!
Self appointed so-called Indian Viceroy, Dixit said 13A would bring
peace. And IPKF would disarm LTTE and help Sri Lanka to implement
it. But all that not just set fire to 'the North and the East' but
the entire ‘South’ as well. Now if that had been the outcome of
peace plans rammed by Indian on us, one could visualize what's in
store if we follow this US sponsored resolution. We will end up as
another Libya. Is that what Sri Lankans want?
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