Comments on: EU withdrawal of GSP+ to enforce Human Rights

By: groundviews

groundviews — Tue, 20 May 2008 16:01:41 +0000

Also see EU withdrawal of GSP+ to enforce Human Rights – Part 2 – http://www.groundviews.org/2008/05/20/eu-withdrawal-of-gsp-to-enforce-human-rights-part-2/

By: Sunil Bastian

Sunil Bastian — Thu, 15 May 2008 07:27:41 +0000

In this discussion on GSP+ we need to differentiate between the discourse of human rights as advocated by social movements and what happens when it gets taken over by the states. Western powers have always used human rights for their own political ends. Today, politics of these powers are based on an erroneous beleif that liberal institutions both in the economy and polity, can give answers to our problems. This is another utpoia. Unfortunatley they are ready to advance them through various means including invasions, bombs and sanctions. This will never succeed.

My guess is if GSP+ benefits are taken off the worst hit will be the working class who are already reeling under inflationary pressures. Probably some smaller firms will have to close or will be absorbed by the big ones. Big capital in the garment industry will not be affected because they have the capacity to withstand and they also can invest elsewhere. Politically the biggest beneficiaries will be the Sinhala nationalists and Mahinda Rajapkse, who will take the debate to the Sinhala polity making use of the well established discourse of anti-imperialism.

By: Sarvan

Sarvan — Tue, 13 May 2008 15:22:21 +0000

All the countries that are listed above were “put right” by economic sanctions. Sri Lanka state also could be “put right” only by similar punitive economic sanctions.

Everything else was tried to “put right” the Human rights violations of murder, rape, torture, displacements, disappearances etc against Tamils. But the Sri Lankan state is defiant, arrogant and stubborn.

To break the backbone of defiance of the Sri Lankan state, Economic Sanctions are important. The EU must come forward and implement stringent sanctions against the import of garments.

Like “blood diamonds” the garments should be considered “blood garments”.

By: Balasubramaniam Chenaiah

Balasubramaniam Chenaiah — Mon, 12 May 2008 06:18:14 +0000

The European colonialists came to Sri Lanka with the Bible in one hand, and the sword in the other hand. No wonder the European Union is the unified current present generation of those murderous colonial powers. This time it’s in a different garb, the Bible of Human Rights Mantra in one hand, and the GSP+ in the other hand. Yet, it’s the same genetic behaviour.